From Las Vegas to Hampshire: Kassia and Kerim’s Destination Wedding at The Elvetham
Planning a wedding from the other side of the world is no small undertaking. When Kassia and Kerim first reached out to me early last year, they were based in Las Vegas, juggling busy lives, and trying to piece together a destination wedding in Hampshire at a venue they had never set foot in. There were so many unknowns: which suppliers to trust, what the hotel layout actually felt like to move through, and what there was for them and their guests to enjoy in the local area in the days leading up to the ceremony. Fortunately, I was able to help with all of that and more.
All our planning took place over Zoom, email and WhatsApp, across a nine-hour time difference and more than one late-night phone call. I actually only met Kassia and Kerim in person a couple of days before the wedding. We sat down for a long, relaxed lunch at a local pub, talking through the final details as though we had known each other for years, and then they headed off to visit Jane Austen’s house with some of their friends. A lovely way to make the most of their short time in the UK, and a reminder of just how much history this part of Hampshire holds.
Choosing a Destination Wedding Venue Sight Unseen
For two people who love history, The Elvetham was never just a pretty backdrop. The house dates back to the sixteenth century and sits within beautiful Hampshire parkland. Visited by Tudor kings and queens as well as Shakespeare, it oozes history. There is even a huge oak tree in front of the house which was planted by Elizabeth I, and where I’ve conducted handfasting ceremonies in the past. The ceilings of the main house are full of incredible paintings and portraits, some telling of Arthurian legends.
For Kassia and Kerim, choosing a venue steeped in that much history was never really a question. The Elvetham felt right from the moment they read about it, even before they had seen it in person, which is often how it goes with couples planning a destination wedding in Hampshire from overseas: the research and the imagining have to do a lot of the work that a site visit usually would.
Finding the Right Celebrant for a Destination Wedding
I’m honoured to be a preferred supplier for The Elvetham which is how Kassia and Kerim found me.
Getting to know Kassia and Kerim in the lead-up to the wedding made it very clear we were going to get on well. Both are into fantasy novels, history, board games, and the simple pleasure of spending time together doing exactly those things. They wanted a wedding that felt like them, not a template, but something that felt genuinely theirs. As someone who shares that love of a good story, history, and an evening spent around a table with good company, I knew we would work well together, even with an ocean between us for most of the planning process.
Two People Who Share the Same Passions
One of the things I enjoy most about this work is learning how couples actually found each other. Kerim had just moved to Las Vegas, a new city where he knew few people, and was looking to make connections. Kassia was not looking for anything at all. They both ended up in the same board game store, the kind of place where cards shuffle and strangers can easily strike up a conversation over a shared interest. He spotted her across the room. A chance meeting between two people who both happened to love strategy, play and good company, and who would go on to plan their wedding thousands of miles from where they met.
A Destination Wedding That Honoured Turkish Heritage
One thing that was important to them from the start was honouring Kerim’s Turkish heritage. Family had travelled from all over Turkey, the UK, and the United States, some of those guests making the journey to England for the very first time. That gathering of people, from so many different corners of the world, gave the day a particular kind of warmth and significance before a single word of the ceremony had been spoken. We also translated the ceremony into Turkish so that non-English speakers could follow along and feel just as much a part of the day as everyone else.
The Ceremony at The Elvetham
The ceremony was held in the balmy Oak Room, one of The Elvetham’s most beautiful spaces, with its dark panelled walls and tall windows looking out over the grounds. Before the ceremony began, though, Kassia’s biggest wish had been for a first look with just her dad. Their photographer, Becky Takes Photos, helped orchestrate the perfect moment. So, once everyone was seated and waiting, Kassia came practically gliding down The Elvetham’s iconic staircase and walked towards her very proud father. It was quiet, tender and just perfect.
The Elvetham’s own Toastmaster, the lovely David Hunt, also provided some much needed support for the day – one of my favourite moments of the ceremony was glimpsing David, sitting at the back of the room keeping the children happy and entertained!
Candles, a Ring Warming, and their Love Story
The ceremony itself was simple but full of meaning. We lit candles to remember loved ones no longer with us. Kassia’s best friend read a piece on friendship by Roy Croft. There was a ring warming, giving every guest a moment to hold the rings and offer their own quiet wishes before they were exchanged. Their love story was woven through the ceremony too, complete with a nod to Lord of the Rings, which felt entirely fitting for two people who met over a shared love of fantasy. And then there were their personal vows, their own words to each other, always the part that lands the hardest. Sometimes simplicity is the most powerful choice, and for Kassia and Kerim, it really was.
What Marriage Means to Kassia and Kerim
When I asked them what marriage means to them, their answers stayed with me. For Kassia, it is about partnership: sharing life’s burdens, supporting each other without condition, and experiencing the world side by side. For Kerim, it is a meaningful step towards building their family together. Two people, same destination, slightly different ways of putting it into words.
Afterwards, guests spilled out onto the lawn and showered the couple with Flutter Darlings confetti in the dazzling afternoon light before settling in to enjoy the rest of the evening together, glasses raised in more than one language!
From a board game store in Las Vegas to a sixteenth-century Hampshire estate, surrounded by family who had crossed oceans to be there, this was everything a destination wedding in Hampshire should be: personal, unhurried, and full of history. It was a privilege to stand with them for it.
Destination Wedding Feedback:
I can’t even begin to express my gratitude and amazement for the hard work that Miranda did for our wedding. We live on the West Coast of the United States, and Miranda always met with us working around our schedules. She was patient, supportive, and gently nagging when needed. She made sure that every detail of our ceremony was what we wanted it to be, and encouraged us to remember that the ceremony was about us not everyone else.
When we got overwhelmed she was there, when I completely forgot to order a thing she helped me sort it out. When we had issues with communication from the venue, Miranda was there to call them and ensure that everyone was on the same page. When we discovered that it was going to be a little warmer than comfortable in the ceremony space, Miranda ensured that there would be fans available for us so we didn’t melt; she even let me borrow a fan for several hours after the ceremony ended!
I can not express enough how wonderful it felt to have Miranda truly work to give us a ceremony and wedding day that reflected us as a couple. Thank you Miranda! – Kassia
Destination Wedding Suppliers:
- Venue: The Elvetham
- Photography: Becky Takes Photos
- Flowers: Fig and Bramble
- Toastmaster: David Hunt
- Confetti: Flutter Darlings
Are you planning a destination wedding in Hampshire, at The Elvetham or another local venue, and looking for a celebrant? I would love to hear from you.
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