The Upper House, Barlaston Wedding of Chloe and Serina, May 2025

No wedding celebration is ever the same. There are so  many variations. Chloe and Serina’s celebration  at The Upper House, Barlaston was a unique civil humanist  ceremony with elements of spirituality from  pre-Christian traditions but heavily meaningful  and solemn in terms of the binding and devotion of the couple to  each other. Indeed, the traditional  ring exchange was replaced with a hand-fasting ceremony where Chloe and Serina’s hands were bound by a cord, wrapped and turned over by a few close family members. It was meaningful and joyous. Their exit from  the ceremony was by stepping over a sword  - again  symbolic of their both stepping into  a new life together. The ceremony, conducted by Auriol Hayes focused on  their lives and how they  came together as a couple. Chloe and Serina’s speeches spoke of their common connection and devotion  to each  other. It was a highly emotional and joyous day with full participation of the family and guests, and I was delighted to  be a part of it.