Festivals are one place where a lot of crazy things happen. It is a place where people let their inhibitions go, run wild for a few days, and create some incredible memories. For most it is not a place for a wedding ceremony yet for one couple it was the perfect option.
Jack Watney and Sarah Adey got engaged at Glastonbury two years ago. The young couple, both in their early thirties, love live music. It is something that brings them together and something that they cherish about each other. For that reason, Jack felt it was the perfect place to propose. Jack and Sarah always knew they wanted to get married, but they didn’t know how they should do it. The pair have always been unique in their approach to life and a traditional church wedding just didn’t seem to reflect their relationship or the bond they were entering. Yet they had friends and family who would have been shocked if the marriage did not take place in a proper place.
Jack and Sarah came up with the perfect solution. They would have the official ceremony in Bath Guild Hall, a beautiful location with Georgian interiors, chandeliers, and grand staircases. The event room has ornate gilding and historic paintings, with numerous special rooms to choose from for your celebrations after. It was the perfect place to get married as most importantly it was recognized by the state and two, the family would approve.
Then to really celebrate the wedding the couple decided they would have a blessing or wedding celebration at the Glastonbury festival. They asked any friends and family who wanted to come to simply buy a ticket. They contacted the festival organizers and were able to reserve a beautiful part of the festival area for a small amount of time. They had their wedding celebration at the Greenfields and Croissant Neuf area. They were delighted when over 50 friends bought tickets to the festival and joined them on their special day (take two). Jack and Sarah got dressed up in beautiful wedding clothes with a floral theme, reflecting the sustainability efforts of the festival that year.
They then moved to a different area of the festival for cake, drinks, and speeches. Of course for dancing and a band, they had plenty to choose from. The way the couple chose to celebrate their marriage shows how people are continuing to move away from traditional weddings. When you break down what a wedding is it is really the confirmation between you and your partner that you want to spend your life together. If you are religious there is, of course, an optional religious element to that too and for that reason, many do choose a church wedding, as they want their bond to be recognized in the eyes of God. There is a legal part to it as well. There are rules on taxes and children and divorces that means if you want to get married you have to tick some boxes for the government as well. After that, it really is up to you how you want to celebrate the decision to spend the rest of your life with the person you love.
Every relationship is unique and a wedding is an important milestone in a relationship. Having a ceremony in a way that doesn’t seem right for you or that you feel doesn’t reflect you and your loved one correctly is just starting the marriage off in the wrong way. While of course, you should be willing to make some compromises to make others happy, it is your special day. Do what you want, how you want.
