A stylish and symbolic wedding at Holmes Mill, Clitheroe
A super stylish and romantic wedding ceremony.
Curating a personalised wedding ceremony for the super stylish Chloe and Gareth was a great privilege. They tied the knot in early Autumn of 2024 at Holmes Mill, Clithero, a venue renowned for its heritage and history. Surrounded by their family and friends, they had a fun-filled, joyful day; their ceremony was full of laughter but also felt undeniably elegant and romantic.
““Our ceremony was filled with so much love and our guests particularly enjoyed hearing the details of our story from first date right up until the proposal. Michelle has a way of making even the smallest moments feel incredibly special and personal” Chloe and Gareth. ”
Who is Michelle Park?
I am a wedding celebrant based in Birkenshaw, between Leeds and Bradford, West Yorkshire. As an independent celebrant I cover a range of wedding venues across Yorkshire and beyond. Last year I was a finalist in the 2025 TWIA awards and I’m proud of many 5* google reviews.
Click on the link below to find out more about me and the services I offer.
Holmes Mill Wedding Venue, Clitheroe.
Holmes Mill is a restored textile mill. Chloe and Gareth married in the Cotton Room which boasts industrial charm with steel beams and natural light reflecting across the wood floors and retro cinema seating.
This was not my first time at Holmes Mill. In 2023 I was lucky to be involved in a Hand Tying Ceremony at the Mill. Hand Tying is where the term ‘Tying the Knot’ was first derived. In a handtying ceremony I use beautiful chords to demonstrate the binding of a couple’s shared values and commitment to one another, strengthening their bonds and unifying their visions for their future as husband and wife. For more information, please check out my blog about this fabulous celebrant ritual.
A personalised Wedding Ceremony
The styling for Chloe and Gareth’s wedding captured the colours of Autumn. It was all curated by Gingerbread Florals and Styling with the gentle colours of sage and peach cleverly contrasting against the exposed brickwork and wood flooring. For the ceremony we stood before a stunning flower arch and I loved the collection of individual flowers in an array of vintage glass bottles adorning the table where they would sign their wedding certificate. The styling was beautiful and elegant.
When I began working with Chloe and Gareth as their wedding celebrant, they were very clear with me from the start about their vision for their big day. They knew they wanted a wedding ceremony that honoured all the timeless components of a traditional ceremony: an elegant ring exchange, a signing of a wedding certificate and heartfelt readings from family members.
But also, they wanted a wedding that was uplifting and celebratory; weaving humour and fun into the ceremony wherever possible with a relaxed and modern vibe. A ceremony that was free from formal legal jargon (which can often feel stuffy and unfamiliar) with more personalised story telling that would keep their guests entertained throughout.
My Services as a Wedding Celebrant.
As part of my services as Chloe and Gareth’s celebrant, I invested time in getting to know the couple through phone calls, digital questionnaires and and in-person planning meeting at Holmes Mill. This thorough process made telling their love story much easier; we developed a firm friendship and I was able to scratch below the surface to discover more about their relationship and just what they really meant to each other.
The end result was something really special. Their personalised ceremony was jam packed with hilarious anecdotes from calamity ridden first dates through to their adventurous holidays. Amidst the humour there was also joy as we learned how this lovely couple managed to illuminate even the smallest moments with love and meaning; sharing sunsets; date nights in front of their favourite box set and setting intentions for their future together as husband and wife.
Perhaps one of the most memorable moments of their wedding ceremony were their personal and very heartfelt wedding vows. They were funny but also deeply emotional. Chloe and Gareth reduced their friends and family to tears as they shared their individual promises and recognised just what they really meant to each other. As a surprise to Gareth, Chloe read her vows in Welsh with her maid of honour offering English translations to the rest of their guests. It was just perfect.
“One of the best decisions we made regarding our wedding was booking Michelle! We weren’t sure exactly what a celebrant led ceremony would entail but from the beginning of the process Michelle was supportive and helpful - it honestly felt like chatting with a friend from the first meeting.”
Ring Warming Ritual at Holmes Mill, Clitheroe.
At the start of the wedding ceremony, I invited guests to participate in a ring warming ritual with Wylde Bee Photography snapping some pretty captivating moments.
A ring warming ritual really is a lovely addition to a wedding ceremony. The beauty of this enhancement lies in its simplicity; guests are invited to pass the wedding rings along but not before they have warmed them with their individual blessings, prayers or good wishes. The result is something incredibly sentimental and meaningful.
For more information on Ring Warming, please read through my Ultimate Guide to Ring Warming.
Heartfelt Readings in a Celebrant Ceremony
At the start and towards the end of the ceremony we incorporated readings from family members. The readings chosen for the ceremony perfectly echoed Chloe and Gareth’s vibe for the day and were read brilliantly by the bride and groom’s respective mothers. They also proved another great way to make their wedding as inclusive and unforgettable as possible.
Finally, before Chloe and Gareth made their way back down the aisle as husband and wife, they sealed their vows and promises with the signing of a very special celebration certificate-a beautiful keepsake of their special day.
Like all good love stories, theirs had a happy ending. Chloe and Gareth radiated happiness from beginning to end, revelling in the joy and fun of it all. Chloe looked like a film star in the most spectacular wedding dress and Gareth looked like the cat that caught the cream-and rightly so! It was the greatest pleasure getting to know them both; celebrating their perfect love story and honouring the blending of both their families.
“If you want your wedding ceremony to be relaxed, happy, full of love and a reflection of you and your partner, book Michelle! We can’t recommend her enough.”
