THROUGH THE STRINGS ON HALLOWEEN - Wolves & Light Sabres
This is one of my favourite times of year! The season around Samhain and All Souls is crisp and colourful and magical!
Over the last two years I have participated in a couple of Halloween and All Souls weddings, so if you are thinking of getting married at this time of year, you might find some inspiration here.
On 31st October Halloween 2018, Victoria & Nicholas were Handfasted in the evocative and spooky venue of Arnos Vale. This huge, rolling cemetery in Bristol made a perfect location for a Halloween wedding. The couple went for a Autumnal/ Halloween/Viking/Red Riding-Hood theme, complete with Wolves.
Apart from my "Through The Strings" shots, the photos that capture this iconic day were taken by Gary from Gary Lindsay-Moore Photography.
Brooding twilight atmosphere at Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol
Firepit and marshmallows with Viking shields - what more do you need?
Getting tuned and ready to play as the guests arrive at Arnos Vale
Through The Strings shortly after Victoria's big entrance
Leather, swords, bows, drinking horns and wolves? check!
Red Riding Hood and her companions with lanterns to light the way in the deep deep dark woods.
I take fitting in with the theme and colours of the weddings I play at very seriously!
Lost in music... (Fingerless gloves help to keep my hands warm in the crisp autumn air.)
Raven & Mark were married in 2017 at Tanworth-In-Arden Church by the vicar, Paul, who just so happens to also be my hubby! They had both a full church wedding, and a Handfasting ceremony which took place later in the day once darkness had fallen. This was led by myself and another priest friend of ours, Simon, who is also the bassist in the band.
Raven rocked the Lord of The Rings look with Fairy Wings created by Wild Plum Boutique.
Singing the first hymn together. What you can't quite see is that paul, the vicar, is playing the djembe!
Here we are getting ready for the ceremony to start. In the background the band (Harp, wind-synth, bass, djembe, violin), and my choir nChant, practise the music.
Raven & Mark post for a photo with their vicar and harpist!
Raven chats with the vicar in his less-than-priestly garb!
Raven & Mark took some time to visit the Grave of one of Tanworth-In-Arden cemetery's famous incumbents, musician and singer, Nick Drake
Raven chose David Bowie's "As The World Falls Down", from Labyrinth.
Victoria chose "Sally's Song & Reprise" from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- Raven's Entrance Music As The World Falls Down, from Labyrinth 4:20
- Victoria's Entrance Music Sally's Song & Reprise, from The Nightmare Before Christmas 2:40
Raven & Mark are involved with a combat sport called LudoSport, and their fellow combatants formed a guard of honour. Fun Fact 1: Due to the nature of the sport, Light Sabres are counted as weapons and are not allowed inside church!
At the end of the Handfasting Ceremony, the friends and family of Victoria & Nicholas greeted them in time-honoured fashion, with wholly sustainable natural, dye-free, 100% biodegradable confetti provided by Shropshire Petals.
Handfasting - Tying The Knot!
Handfasting is a traditional ceremony in which the couple's hands are tied together by cord or ribbon. Both couples preceded their Handfasting, with a legal ceremony.
With Raven & Mark, we created an Ancestor Handfasting Ceremony at Wootton Park. Around the fire, we invited guests to tie cords sourced from Aradia Hare around the couple's hands. Torches and Light Sabres helped guests follow the ritual which you can download and read HERE
With Victoria & Nicholas, the celebrant used Wiccan symbolism for the male and female principles joined in the ritual. Their celebrant no longer offers handfastings, but there are others, such as my friends Orkney Pagan Weddings. Towards the end of a Handfasting ceremony the couple jump over the broomstick, a tradition known as "Jumping the besom". This represents sweeping away the past, and crossing over a threshold into a new way of being.
Fun Fact 2: Unlike in England & Wales, Handfastings in Scotland can be fully legal because of differences in the law.
Victoria's Crown!
Nicholas in his Viking armour with the wolf!
Autumnal Flower Crown
Molly with a delivery of rings for the best man!
I been getting treats all day, why can'ts I eat yours too???
Towering Cheese Inferno
Cakes, cakes, cakes....
Mutt The Band creating a chilled evening vibe
Outdoor performance company taking to the trees
If there's one picture that sums up the vibe of the whole event, here it is!
Of course I had to have my picture taken with a wolf!
Red-Riding-Hood gets her Wolf!
- Victoria's striking Red-Riding-Hood dress was created by Fairytas, the neck corset was from Mystic Thread, and the crown from Hysteria Machine.
- Leather Viking armour and complimentary clothing worn by Nicholas came from Black Raven Armoury, and Grimfrost.
- The floral crown that hovered above the ceremony was created by The Wilde Bunch.
- The barn owl which delivered the rings was Molly from Ring On A Wing. (Fun Fact 3: Look closely at the church featured on the Ring On A Wing homepage - it's Tanworth Church where Raven & Mark got married!)
- Seriously addictive stews served in sustainable bowls by Kate's Kitchen Catering Ltd.
- The wedding cake was a cheese cake, literally - a tall pile of organic cheeses from Godminster, with actual cakes from the gods-blessed kitchen of Lola's Cupcakes.
- Evening entertainment was music from Mutt The Band, and a performance by Whispering Wood outdoor theatre company.
The Red-Riding Hood/Viking theme of the day would have been incomplete without the fabulous WOLVES, trained and looked after by the folk from WATERMILL WOLVES. They stole everyone's hearts, and we all cued up to meet them and have our pictures taken with these furry celebrities.
For Jumping the Besom (or broom), Victoria & Nicholas asked me to play the Frank Sinatra classic, "Witchcraft".
The couple chose "Think Of Me", from Phantom Of The Opera for the song that marked the end of the ceremony.
- Witchcraft Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 2:04
- Think Of Me 4:38
We've already mentioned Raven's Wings, which set off her dress from Camden Market's The Dark Angel, which is also where they sourced Raven's robe for the Handfasting later in the cold November evening.
The LoTR theme is continued with the jewellery, such as the Elven circlets which Raven & Mark both wear, from Elvenstar Design, and their personalised rings come from Jewlr.
Mark's robe was a lucky discovery at the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, and his dress jacket was another Dark Angel item.
Evening entertainment was provided by The Meme Punks, a mash-up band from London, that got the party started. This revealed that Raven even had wings on her shoes!
The wonderful woodland roses cake was made by Marie of Marie's Couture cakes.
Here are some of the other songs which I played at both weddings, including a new one I added in specifically with the wolves in mind!
- A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes, from Cindrella Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 3:12
- Cantina Band, from Star Wars - by John Williams Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 2:08
- Last Of The Wilds - Nightwish Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 5:40
- In Dreams, from Lord Of The Rings Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 1:44
- Arwen's Song, from Lord of The Rings Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 1:49
- Zelda's Lullaby - from Legend Of Zelda Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 2:52
- I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 4:31
- Nothing Else Matters - Metallica Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 5:02
- The Force Theme, from Star Wars - John Williams Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 2:24
- Bring Me To Life - Evanescence Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 4:26
- Skyrim Bard's Song & Theme Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 3:40
- Running With The Wolves - Aurora Alison Eve - Aelvenharp Weddings 3:00
Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza
If these are your kind of weddings and you'd love to do something similar, then you must come along in 2023 to the weird and wonderful world of EWE!
It's the weekend of February 11th & 12th at Fazeley Studios, Digbeth, Birmingham
For the weekend I will be joined by one of Sheep's best new friends, so come along to chat with Sheeple and myself and listen live to some of the songs featured in the playlists above.
Book your advance tickets HERE
Congratulations to both Raven & Mark, and Victoria & Nicholas, and best wishes for the future...
And thank you for asking me to be a part of your unique and special days!
