If you are a keen cyclist and are getting married, have you considered how you might incorporate cycling into your wedding day? A celebrant-led wedding gives you the freedom to make it a bespoke wedding day!
As a celebrant who has always cycled a lot, I know that there are a lot of people out there for whom riding a bike is an important part of their life and identity. With increasing concern about the climate change crisis, you might even consider if your guests can access your ceremony venue by bike or at least use public transport.
But how else could the cycling theme be part of the ceremony?
Bicycle wedding decorations
The cyclists’ starting point might be a cycling motif on your wedding stationery or a cake decorated with cycling figurines. Florists can incorporate old bike wheels, frames, or handlebars into floral displays in magnificent designs. I really love these ones:
If you are short of inspiration there are hundreds of ideas on Pinterest.
Arriving at your wedding on a bicycle
It might be a bit tricky arriving on your bike at the ceremony, unless you have chosen a suitable outfit. Yes, you can wear a dress on a bike, I do it all the time, but make sure it doesn’t get caught in the spokes, or catch grease from the chain. I suggest knee length dresses and install a safety guard on your rear wheels, but who says you have to wear a dress? Laura provides a great example of a bride on a bicycle in the photo below.
Arriving as a passenger in a bicycle rickshaw might be a solution for a longer frock, or if you are small enough, try going in a cargo bike! Personally, I would find the latter bit of a squeez and it would need a very strong cyclist to manage the front load.
If your wedding is at an outdoor venue, or in a marquee, you could cycle up the aisle. Alternatively, get off and push the last few metres and park your bikes together suitably united centre stage. Make sure they aren’t going to get in the way of the action, but they will be to hand if you want to cycle off together at the end. That’s if you’re not swapping for a tandem.
What about the music?
Daisy Bell immediately springs to my mind. That’s the old music hall song:
Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer do!
I’m half crazy,
All for the love of you!
It won’t be a stylish marriage,
I can’t afford a carriage
But you’ll look sweet upon the seat
Of a bicycle made for two.
An excellent sing along recessional tune if you are getting on a tandem at the end, with several lesser-known verses.
You could choose a whole host of cycling themed music. For the road enthusiasts, the Tour de France television theme tunes, including Kraftwerk 1983 Tour de France. Then there’s Queen’s ‘Bicycle Race’, and the Madness b-side ‘Riding on my Bike’ as an antidote to Driving in my Car. An old fashioned crooner, Englebirt Humperdink, had a sentimental song called Bicylettes de Belsizes about cycling together. A bit more modern is Nine Billion Bicycles by Katie Melua, which is about love and being in the world. Or then there’s the slightly more edgy Skylar Grey’s C’mon Let Me Ride.
Can bicycles be part of your wedding ceremony vows?
If cycling is part of your love for each other, then in my celebrant role, I would tell your guests about how, where and why, following your personal road map of course. Chain reactions, pedal power, spare tyres, might be on the right track! But maybe your story is about the things packed into your saddle bag or panier?
There are plenty of opportunities to weave in cycling themes in your vows too. How will you support each other in cycling orientated goals? If cycling is more about utility and the climate emergency, than achieving a high rank time trial, then talk about how you will support each other in creating a better future for the world.
You can also ask your guests to vow to join you on a future cycle ride too.
Wedding rituals for cyclists
Many couples love to include a ritual in their wedding ceremony.
How about giving some (or all) of your guests bicycle bells to ring when you have said your vows?
Handfastings, drawn from Celtic betrothal practices, have become popular, and are where the wedding couple’s hands are tied together with coloured ribbons, cloth or cords. Add some cycling charms to the bottom of your handfast.
Cyclists usually like a cup of tea, so you could include a tea drinking ceremony with cycle design cups.
Leaving the wedding ceremony.
The tandem is a classic cycling photo opportunity. But if your bikes are centre stage at the outset, you may want to leave with them too.
However, setting off on your bikes, or tandem, after the ceremony with the just married sign pinned to your panniers and tin cans trailing behind is essential!
The cycle friendly celebrant
If you want to book a cycle friendly celebrant, look no further. Give me a call on 07874123951 or email me at hello@julietjaincelebrant.uk.
You can check out more about my weddings on my website too.
© Juliet Jain Celebrant, Jan 2025
