At a recent wedding, the groom came over to me afterwards, thanked me for a wonderful ceremony and to my surprise, offered me a generous cash tip (which I graciously declined) but what he said next stopped me in my tracks.
He told me he’d half expected me not to turn up.
Not late. Not flustered. Not half hearted. Just… not there at all.
Apparently, he’d heard stories of suppliers taking payment upfront and then disappearing and that it had become a genuine concern. Something they’d quietly braced themselves for on their own wedding day.
I honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or feel a bit horrified.
You honestly thought I might not show up?
After months of emails, calls, guidance, little check-ins, and building something properly personal together? After all of that, I’d leave you hanging?
It didn’t compute.
This wasn’t a dental appointment or a tradesman with a packed diary and a big book of excuses.
This was their wedding ceremony. The bit where you actually get married. Without me there, there would be no ceremony.
It’s that simple.
And yet, here we are….
For this groom at least, there was a real sense that not turning up was within the realms of possibility.
Since that day (which, by the way, was completely fabulous), I’ve found myself coming back to that moment. Because it raises a bigger question. What kind of supplier thinks it’s acceptable to take full payment and then not deliver?
The answer’s not complicated.
An untrustworthy one – that’s who!
So what are couples really buying into?
Which then led me down another line of thought. What are couples really buying into when they choose their wedding suppliers?
Of course the visuals matter. The slick insta grid, the blurb on the website, the “likes”, the style.
All of that plays a part. But none of it means much without something solid underneath.
Trust.
What trust actually looks like
Trust that we’ll do what we say we’re going to do.
That we’ll be transparent about what’s included and what it costs.
That we’ll respond promptly when you get in touch.
That other couples would happily recommend us.
That we’re decent, reliable people to have around on a day that actually matters.
Maybe I’m a bit “Old School”?
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again
I’m unashamedly “old skool”
I’m a pen and paper gal (I don’t trust “clouds”) I write things down properly. I keep lists. I keep lists of lists. I plan. I check and double check. I care about the details you care about and the follow up. I stay in touch. I show up when I say I will, ready to do the job that I promised and do it well.
Not because it’s exceptional, but because it’s my baseline, my own expectation of myself.
And this shouldn’t feel exceptional
My own standards don’t allow me to let you down.
And maybe that’s the bit that’s changed somewhere along the way.
When you book someone for your wedding, you’re not just buying a service. You’re placing a small but significant piece of your day in their hands. You’re trusting that they’ll turn up, step in and do what they promised without you having to chase, question or worry.
That should never feel like a gamble.
What you deserve
So yes, choose someone whose work you love.
Choose someone whose style fits. But more than that, choose someone who feels steady. Someone who communicates, follows through and treats your wedding like it actually matters and isn’t just part of a production line.
Because at the very least, you deserve to stand there on your day and know, without a shadow of doubt, that the people you’ve chosen will be exactly where they said they’d be.
We are “The Ceremony Celebrant”
Wedding celebrants based on Spain’s beautiful northern Costa Blanca, creating relaxed, heartfelt wedding ceremonies, vow renewals and elopement ceremonies across Gandia, Oliva, Denia, Javea, Moraira, Calpe, Altea, L’ Alfàs del Pi, Albir, Villajoyosa, El Campello, Alicante and the stunning inland Jalon Valley and mountain villages.
Our ceremonies are personal, fun and authentically ‘you’ full of warmth, laughter and real connection.
