Real Ceremonies by Sonal Dave
Marzio is from Italy, and Najeeba is from Kuwait.
Marzio described Najeeba as a very creative person who loves to surround herself with real people next to her, making deep connections of friendship and respect. She is, at the same time, a very determined person to achieve her goals and does everything so that the people close to her can feel her love for her, making them feel loved and appreciated, especially during the most important occasions.
Najeeba described Marzio as gentle in spirit. He is sweet, kind, loyal and caring. He makes her feel at home. He is easy to love. His friends love him, and so do hers. He puts everybody at ease and is an attentive listener who makes you feel like the only person in the world when in conversation with him. He’s an astute observer of people and can quickly pick up on a person’s character after meeting them.
Planning a multicultural wedding ceremony when all three individuals live in three different places can be very interesting. Of course, there are the challenges of finding the right time to ensure everyone is available. It’s so important for me as the Celebrant to get to know my couple, and I learn so much by listening to them and seeing how they react to each other’s suggestions and ideas during our time together. It can also be lots of fun as well as I get to see their love and how they grow as a couple as we work together to create a ceremony that celebrates them as a couple.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I do not like cold weather. So when I was told that this ceremony was to take place by the side of a ski resort, in the forest, in the snow and that it would be cold, I had to take a very deep breath and remind myself that I could layer up for this, and all would be well.
Trust me when I say that it was cold. I have no idea how the bride was not cold as she wore this absolutely stunning white outfit and no coat or scarf, but there was mulled wine being heated up, and I stood there until it was time for me to go and get to my place for the ceremony.
The ceremony included a live band for the bride’s entrance, and as she walked down the aisle, her family signalled their joy with the ululation. We had readings, the couple’s love story, the ring exchange, their surprise personal vows to each other, the handfasting ritual and their walk back up the aisle through the snow. It really was a beautiful ceremony.
The Forest Behind Les Airelles Hotel, Courchevel, France
Let me take you on a little journey. I went by buggy, but if you were walking, you would come out of the hotel, cross the street, walk into what looks like a cul-de-sac, and then walk down a long path until you get to the forest.
Looking up, you see many different-coloured streamers through the trees, which look magical. There are a few steps to the seating area and then benches and logs to sit on. For the ceremony, we were on a bank of snow, with logs for the couple and the handfasting ribbon on the branch of a tree. It was wonderful.
We were married in an unorthodox snowy forest ceremony in France last year and contacted Sonal quite late on the recommendation of an acquaintance. I didn’t know where to start with celebrants, but I was happy I clicked with her right away.
Sonal put both my husband and me at ease from the beginning and walked us through the process with kindness, patience and clarity. She was keen to get as many details as she could about the history of our love and integrated this beautifully into her speech. She recommended a beautiful symbolic wedding ceremony, which included binding braided ropes around both our hands.
Above all, she was terribly accommodating to the distance and demands of our ski resort location and didn’t make a fuss about standing in the snow. In a moment of extreme planning stress, I really appreciated her flexibility. She tied our ceremony together, and we are really happy to have chosen her.
