My husband and I both love Glastonbury and had originally considered a ceremony mid festival in the town, as we had seen others do before, but we didn't want to miss any of the festival and it was logistically quite tricky. After searching through the internet we thought it would be amazing (and a lot easier) to simply have some photos of us taken by a photographer in wedding gear around the festival before we got legally married a week later.
Using the well loved efestivals forums where I spend the majority of my time after success in the ticket sales, we found Emma who offered to photograph us. She also suggested we have a hand fasting ceremony on site and put us in touch with some local celebrants who agreed to help us out. They told us what we needed to do to prepare for the ceremony, which was to make our own hand fasting rope and to bring a broom to sweep the circle during the ceremony. We made our rope using colours that had special meaning to us after researching what the different colours mean in a hand fasting, and we crafted a broom from a carved stick we had bought at the festival a few years ago and twisted hazel twigs from the tree in our garden. We also were put in touch with a florist who was attending who made a bouquet and buttonhole of sunflowers for us, and my amazingly talented hairstylist friend who attended offered to style my hair.
The way all these people came together to help us when we had very little money was incredible and it was just such an amazing example of that Glastonbury spirit, where everybody looks out for each other. We had never met the celebrants and we had to just put all our trust in them that they would come through for us in a few months time.
The journey into the festival was interesting as people were quite confused by us carrying a giant broom, especially the security. On the Thursday morning of the festival we all met up and got ready to meet above the tipi field for the ceremony. Our friends all dressed up for the occasion and in typical Glastonbury style we covered ourselves in glitter and had a few drinks on the way up.
When we met the celebrants they said they had organised a Piper for us, which was completely unexpected but amazing. As we walked up to the field we heard the sound of bagpipes playing and saw the incredible archway that had been crafted from wood with deer antlers atop it.The Piper, Fergus, explained to us he had felt compelled to make an archway, knowing it had to be made but not knowing what it was for. He did not know we would be having a hand fasting there. It was also very fitting he played the bagpipes as my surname is Campbell and my family can be traced back to the Campbells of Argyll. Again, nobody knew this. It was magical.
Quite a crowd had gathered for the ceremony which we hadn't expected and it was quite nerve wracking being in front of so many people, but we just focused on each other and we soon forgot about everybody watching .The ceremony itself was more than we could ever have hoped for and we are so grateful to Sandie and Andy for all the hard work they put in to it for us, two complete strangers.
At the end, we jumped over the broomstick we had made into our new lives together. Sandie and Andy then presented is with a hand written card from Michael Eavis wishing us the best in our marriage and expressing his happiness that we chose to be handfasted at his festival. We knew they were local but we didn't know how local! It was an amazing moment.
Afterwards we ate macaroni cheese in the park and had our first dance at the stonebridge bar among the crowd. It was an amazing day, one we will never forget, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make it so special.
12th May 2020, Plymouth, UK. Images by Emma Stoner
