
The Brief…
For a London elopement…kind of… (setting the scene)
The Email Enquiry…
Hi there!! We are planning to elope in London in November and are searching for a celebrant. We found you and would love to chat!
The Zoom Conversation…
Them… “Sooooo, we’re thinking of a 10-minute ceremony somewhere around the London Eye, before we go off with our photographer for a couple of hours to capture the sights and sounds of London…”
Me- “Yeah…we could do that, or…how do you fancy a treasure /scavenger hunt around the sites instead?”
And with that, the seeds of an idea began to germinate and it led to …
A London Elopement…
Mary and Martin trusted me completely to create a ceremony for them…the ONLY thing they knew about it was their very first pre ceremony clue.
EYE, EYE…
A fairly recent addition to the London Skyline, but one everyone wants to go on, so I asked them to meet us under the London Eye, before we went off to explore my capital city through their eyes.
I was in touch with our fabulous photographer Kirsty,

who lives and works in London and she devised a route for us that would take in some of the main attractions for some amazing photo opportunities. With the route set, I started to create some clues…hopefully not too difficult for our overseas visitors to guess.
HEAR ME ROAR!

Let’s find where the Lion stands proudly guarding the bridge leading to the corridors of power and the most famous bell (yes it’s the bell not the clock!) in the world.
The Southbank Lion opposite the corridors of power is a good meeting point and an excellent first photo opportunity.
It was a cold and drizzly start to the afternoon and I’m in awe of how Mary coped with just a wrap because Kirsty and I were wrapped up tight in coats ready to face whatever London decided to chuck at us!
I set the scene… this ceremony was not about retelling a love story to a mass of people, OR even back to the couple, but it was about a celebration of love… intimately and quietly.
From there clue no.2 was…
WE’RE GOING FOR A WALK…
to see where the Kings & Queens of England are crowned.

We took a walk over the bridge to Westminster Abbey where in its shadow we chatted about what marriage and commitment meant to them before their next clue took us to St Pauls…
LET’S HOP ON A TUBE…
to go visit Sir Christopher Wren’s Baroque masterpiece.

Where with a Mexican lasso around them, vows were quietly exchanged as they sheltered from the rain and only had eyes for each other.
More photos before we were back on a tube armed with their next clue and a keepsake key ring…
LET’S NOW GO UNDERGROUND…
one more time and head further back in time but be careful we don’t want you to lose your heads.
There we met the grumpiest Royal guard ever, who wouldn’t let Kirsty take photos without a permit because it was obvious she was photographing a wedding…whilst hundreds around us clicked away with phones and cameras…he didn’t even crack a smile when I tried to charm him and asked if we could at least do the part of the ceremony I had planned for there…the all-important ring exchange!
Hey ho, luckily Kirsty had planned a secret surprise for us all, taking us to a hideaway nearby where she DID have a permit and we could carry on with their ring exchange privately. The beautiful St Dunstan in the East is well worth a visit if you are ever near the Tower.

I didn’t know it existed, it really is an oasis of tranquil in the middle of a 24hr ‘On the go’ city.
Following a ring exchange we had their last clue…and one more tube ride.
It had stopped raining at least, but it was still very chilly and Mary was such a trooper, I think the excitement kept her warm.
We were off to Leadenhall Market with this clue…
GIGGLE JUICE OR GIN?
the choice is yours, but to be fair they are one and the same. Let’s follow in Hagrid and Harry’s footsteps and head off to the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. Let’s look for the blue door.

(Alas there is no longer a blue door at no. 42 Bull’s head Passage, which was used in the first Harry Potter film, when Hagrid takes Harry to the Leaky Cauldron for the first time), we weren’t disappointed for long as there was a beautiful Christmas tree on display in the market, and after the pronouncement and a few more photos, there was time for a warming mulled wine before we left Mary and Martin to mull over the events of the afternoon and prepare for a fabulous Michelin starred meal out later.
Ever thoughtful, the happy couple bought me a thank you gift from America and it has taken pride of place in my cup cupboard and IS in regular use!
We had an amazing jaunt around London, so if an elopement (in any city) is your bag get in touch, let’s see what we can create over and above the norm…but don’t just take my word for it….here’s a little about what Mary had to say….
I love the transparency of your posts and the version of yourself that you put out into the world! Once we met on zoom, I felt connected to you already! I could tell immediately that you were someone I wanted to share our special day with, a part of our memories for the rest of our lives!
As someone who has spent many years studying communication and interpersonal skills, you are an incredible person to communicate with throughout the wedding process, and in general! From the very beginning, emails and on zoom, you never miss a detail. I can tell that you are well versed in your career and extremely professional in all that you do, but some people who have similar experience are so well versed that they forget how to explain things to clients who have no idea what it takes. Not you! You are very knowledgeable about your career and you are also incredible about making couples feel comfortable, informed, and prepared for the big day!
The Happy Couple:
@mhill0823
@martythemartyr
The London Dream Team:
Michelle #Funky Celebrant (michelle_funkycelebrant)
Kirsty Hamilton Photography (kirstyhamiltonphotography)


For more information and ideas about how we can work together get in touch now
I can’t wait to work with you and create something funky and magical.