As part of our wedding ceremony, we asked everyone to bring along or find a natural item to contribute towards a 'unity ritual,' which took place shortly before we exchanged our vows.

These items, which we saw as a symbolic representation of both the chateau and our guests, were collected on the day, dried and used in the creation of a unique piece of pottery.

Our 'wedding vase' was crafted using an ancient pottery technique called Raku, which is where handmade ceramics are fired at a low heat, often in open fire pits, and natural items such as feathers, leaves and animal hair are added, leaving delicate impressions on the surface of the pot.

We are thrilled to say that, despite it being a very temperamental process, the firing of the pot was a success!

A massive thank you to you all for taking part (and showing willing in what was admittedly quite an odd request - haha). Thank you also to the lovely ceramicist Chris Jowett for accepting our commission.

Our beautiful vase now takes pride of place on our mantlepiece, and will be treasured forever as a lasting reminder of our special day, and those who we were lucky enough to share it with.