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Making sure the bride's not lost for words
A FORMER Morpeth girl has found a new labour of love as she turns her hand to wedding poetry.
Author Kate Tym, 40, has carved out a successful career in children's books, as well as taking on adult literature.
But now the former King Edward VI pupil has come up with a novel idea to expand her talents with a little speech therapy for wedding parties.
After struggling to find a suitable reading for her own big day, Ms Tym penned a poem herself and now she is helping others to find the right words in her new business venture.
"I was getting married in August last year and at the beginning of the year I was trying to find something for me to read on the day," she said.
"Although love poems are lovely because they are about love, they weren't about my love or how I felt about my partner. I wanted something very personal for me to say about why I wanted to marry him.
"There was nothing really like that so I decided to write my own and I thought 'I can't be the only one who struggles to find something relevant to read that hasn't been heard a million times before'.
"I did a poem for a registrar who does wedding services in Kent as she says she has heard every single romantic poem about 50 zillion times."
Ms Tym is determined to keep the personal touch in her poetry and works closely with those who commission a piece to ensure it captures their feelings exactly.
She will discuss all aspects of their relationship before writing a draft, which is then sent to the customer for any amendments.
"I just get people to tell me all about the bride and groom and how they met, their irritating habits, what they particularly like about each other and any anecdotes. I get entire life stories because I try to get to know the people as well as I can so that their poem is completely relevant to them," she said.
"It is really nice because people tell me lovely things about why they are in love with that person."
The poet also writes pieces for other members of the wedding party, such as mother-in-laws and children, and has even compiled poetic father-of-the-bride speeches and fairytales.
The work can be humorous or romantic, or a mix of both, and Ms Tym can provide tapes to help prepare her customers for the recital, as well as offer keepsakes for the happy couple.
"I've done about 15 poems so far and the people have all been delighted with them and have said they have made their day," she said.
"I have done a few for children to read out and that apparently has been incredibly moving and everybody has been in tears. I've also had a few where the bride has wanted to read it as a surprise for the groom. They have all gone really well."
Ms Tym grew up in Kirkhill, Morpeth, after her family moved back to the UK from New Zealand when she was six.
She left the area at 18 to go to college in London and began work as an Editorial Assistant at publishing company Random House, before working her way up to Commissioning Editor.
In 1998 she started writing children's books and now works from her home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, as a freelance editor, author and poet.
However, she still returns regularly to Morpeth to visit her mother Jo Metcalfe, bought her wedding dress in the town and traces the start of her latest venture back to the Northumbrian countryside.
"I was proposed to on Simonside on Boxing Day 2007," she said. "Whenever I come up to Morpeth with my husband we go up to Simonside and now we can say all this started on the top."
Ms Tym can also write poetry for birthdays, anniversaries, christenings, funerals and memorial services.
For further information about her work visit www.theweddingpoet.co.uk
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Wednesday 30 May 2012
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