A Nigerian & Scottish Vow Renewal at That Amazing Place: Felix & Claire
A Nigerian & Scottish Vow Renewal at That Amazing Place: Felix & Claire
Ten years after they first said "I do," Felix and Claire renewed their vows surrounded by those they love most, at That Amazing Place in Old Harlow, Essex. A Grade II listed, exclusive-use manor house, it's one of only a handful of country houses in England offering couples full run of the house and grounds for their celebration, no other wedding happening alongside yours, just your own people, for the whole day and night.
The venue's setting is exactly the kind of backdrop a milestone celebration like this deserves: landscaped gardens, a private lake, and a gated secret garden and orchard that couples regularly use for their photographs. Ceremonies can take place indoors in the elegant Lakeview Lounge, outdoors beneath the lakeside gazebo, or in the venue's light-filled marquee for larger celebrations, and with fifteen individually styled bedrooms on site, many couples (Felix and Claire included, given the scale of the celebration) make a full weekend of it with family staying over. It's a venue that manages to feel both grand and genuinely intimate at once, which suited the warmth of this particular day perfectly.
Love Celebrants prefroms Nigerian & Scottish Vow Renewal
Two heritages, one ceremony
Felix is of Nigerian heritage, and Claire is Scottish, and their vow renewal beautifully wove both traditions together. As part of the ceremony, they included a Quaich ritual, the traditional Scottish two-handled "cup of welcome," historically used at Highland gatherings to offer a welcoming drink and symbolise trust and friendship between two families coming together.
Felix and Claire made the tradition entirely their own. Their Quaich was engraved with the Costus spectabilis, Nigeria's national flower, and rather than the whisky traditionally sipped from a Quaich, they drank fresh Nigerian lemon juice, squeezed by Felix's mother especially for the occasion. It's one of the loveliest examples I've had the privilege of including in a ceremony: an old Scottish symbol of welcome, made new, and made theirs.
A Nigerian & Scottish Vow Renewal - Couple walk hand in hand
What Claire said
"Such a wonderful personalised experience. Kathryn really took time to get to know us to help us write our marriage vows, which was central to the whole occasion."
— Claire
I loved replying to this one so much I'll share it here too:
"Thank you so much for this and for posting the gorgeous photos from your Vow Renewal Ceremony. Your friends and family know how to party, and they must have learned it from you and Felix, haha! Thank you for choosing me as your Humanist Celebrant, allowing me to write your ceremony about your love story and marriage. I'd also like to mention how grateful I am to you for making me feel so welcomed on the day at That Amazing Place.
A Nigerian & Scottish Vow Renewal. Piper with Felix and Claire.
Congratulations on a beautiful 10 years together. Here's to many, many more. Lots of love to you both, Kathryn x"
Planning a vow renewal that celebrates who you are
Whether it's a milestone anniversary, a blend of two cultures, or simply wanting to say your vows again surrounded by everyone you love, a vow renewal can be shaped entirely around your story, just like a wedding ceremony can. If you're planning a vow renewal at That Amazing Place, or anywhere else, I'd love to help you write it. Get in touch to talk through your plans.