Wedding Celebrant
Weddings are joyous gatherings, with the buzz of friends and family reconnecting, people meeting for the first time, laughter and high-pitched reunion-hug greetings – it all sends goosebumps up the spine. When it’s your wedding it’s especially gratifying and exciting because you know all the people you love the most are here with you and having a good time, and it’s only the beginning.
Against this backdrop I want to help you to have the most magical day together as a couple and I love working with you to achieve this.
From all our conversations I will create a unique and highly personal ceremony that reflects you and your lives together; moments that you and your guests will share and never forget.
“Talking with her about ideas for the ceremony was useful, and she was always friendly, encouraging and helpful when we were unsure about the best things to include in the story of our relationship”
“She transformed all the details we shared with her into our ‘love story’ for the ceremony and got everything just right. It reflected us so well and was funny, personal and emotional”
“She created a beautiful ceremony and love story for us, including handfasting and ring warming which added to the emotions of the day as we could involve friends and family in this.”
Wedding ceremonies
Your wedding should be all about you – the story of how you got together and your journey as a couple. I want to help you to create a ceremony that is about your personalities, interests and the development of your relationship, adventures and memories along the way, what you have in common, and probably what you don’t have in common!
I will meet with you a few times to make sure your ceremony feels genuinely personal, meaningful and unique to you as a couple. We can keep reviewing the script until you feel completely happy with it.
Whether you’re dreaming of something romantic and traditional, relaxed and informal, or full of laughter and personality, I’ll help bring your thoughts and ideas to life and create a ceremony that you and your guests will remember. Most importantly, I’ll make sure the ceremony feels like a true reflection of you both as a couple and is heartfelt and memorable.
Why choose a celebrant wedding?
Your wedding will be such a memorable and important moment in your lives, and a chance to bring everyone you love together to celebrate with you. What an occasion it will be!
A celebrant-led wedding lets you tell your story. It will be unique to you and allows you to have freedom to be who you are, reflecting your personalities and the story of your relationship — and that's what everyone there wants to hear about. You don't have to stick to a rigid script; you have complete freedom to create a ceremony that feels right and special for you, and I love helping couples achieve that.
Where can I get married?
This is one of the exciting elements of a celebrant ceremony: you are free to choose a favourite location or one that means something special to you. Perhaps you've always wanted to be married outdoors — in a beautiful garden, on a beach, by a lake, in the family garden, or a place that has special memories for you.
The ceremony is completely personal to you
I will take time to get to know you both and hear about your story and what brought you together, your adventures and sense of humour, and what you love about each other. It's an enjoyable process to go back over the memories — how you met, for instance, as well as incidents and events along the way. Talking with me about lots of half-forgotten moments and details makes what I write very much all about you, and your guests will recognise you both in that.
Your story
This is usually the highlight of the ceremony, and we build all the details to create a beautiful story about how you got to this point. We will talk together about the many aspects of your relationship, for example:
- The first meeting and the first date
- The adventures and disasters along the way
- The inside jokes, interests and events
- The moments when you realised this was the person you wanted to spend your life with
Informal, formal, emotional, fun — it can be any mix of these things
Remember, the ceremony will be what you want — and probably a mixture of these.
If you're a relaxed and informal couple, there's no need to be something different just because it's a wedding ceremony and there's an expectation of solemnity. We can talk through the ceremony outline to help develop your ideas and how you'd like it to be.
If you and your partner are sentimental, or love to laugh, we can have that emotion throughout — guests really feel that they're sharing the occasion with you in that way.
A celebrant ceremony doesn't have to mean an unusual or unconventional wedding. Some couples still want a simple, or sophisticated, traditional wedding. It can also be relaxed, informal and full of personality. The most important thing is that it reflects you.
Your guests can be included if you would like
You can involve the people who mean the most to you through rituals such as handfasting, candle and sand ceremonies — even broom jumping! There are many possibilities and we can talk about the options when we meet.
Guests can be included in the more familiar ways too, of course — for example readings, poems, music, promises or special roles.
If you come from different cultures, backgrounds or faith traditions, a celebrant ceremony allows you to bring together the elements that have meaning for you. You can honour family traditions while still creating a ceremony that feels personal to you.
You decide what your ceremony looks like
We're used to following a certain format with weddings, but with a celebrant ceremony there are no rules. Most couples follow a similar sequence, but it is up to you.
- Want a traditional entrance? Certainly.
- Want to walk in together? Of course.
- Want your dog involved? That's definitely possible.
- Want your children, parents or closest friends to play a special role? We can create moments for them too.
You have the freedom to write your own vows
These are the most personal words you'll ever say to each other, and you can choose to write your own promises. They can be as personal, heartfelt, funny or simple as you would like. You can use more traditional-style vows if you prefer, but it's not as difficult to write your own as you might think!
If you would like, I can help you through the process of gathering your thoughts and finding the right words to express what you'd really like to say to your partner.
Legalities
In England and Wales a celebrant ceremony isn't a legal marriage ceremony, so you will need to complete the legal formalities separately. This can be as simple as booking your local register office for the two of you and two witnesses — this costs around £100. Or you can invite guests and have a small gathering some days or weeks before the larger celebrant wedding.
A wedding ceremony that feels like you
Instead of thinking "What are we supposed to do?" you can ask "What would feel right for us?"
It can be romantic or funny, traditional or contemporary, grand and elaborate or wonderfully intimate. It can make your guests laugh, give them goosebumps and perhaps bring some happy tears.
Most importantly, it can tell your story, in your words, in your way — because your love story is one of a kind.
- There is only one you
- Only one them
- Only one story that belongs to the two of you
- So why shouldn't your wedding ceremony be just as unique?
So you've decided on a celebrant ceremony — what happens next?
A relaxed first conversation
Over coffee, online, or by phone — tell me about your wedding and what you want the ceremony to feel like. It's also our chance to check we're the right fit for each other.
Save the date
If you'd like to go ahead, a £200 deposit secures your date with me.
Getting to know you
We'll meet three or four times to discover and shape your story — how you met, your first date, the adventures, the moments that have shaped your relationship.
Writing your story
I bring everything together into your ceremony, reflecting your personalities and your wishes. You'll review it and always have the final say.
As your day approaches
We'll talk through the running order, vows, readings, music, entrances, ring exchange and any special rituals — and I'll liaise with anyone else involved.
Your wedding day
I'll be there to welcome you, settle any last-minute nerves, and guide you and your guests through the ceremony with warmth and confidence.
It's about telling your story, making your promises, and celebrating your love — your way.
Vow renewals
This is a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm your love for one another. It might be to mark a special anniversary, facing a new challenge, a recommitment after a period of separation or, due to ill health of one of you, a celebration of the love and partnership you have which may become foreshortened.
Wedding rituals are an enjoyable way of celebrating; friends and family could compose a song, poem, or a quick quiz about you! Candle ceremonies or handfasting can also be a lovely way to include those closest to you. Having a celebration like this often brings couples closer, strengthening their love and reinforcing the bond between them.
Exchanging new vows can show how your relationship has evolved, and rings can be exchanged. You have the freedom to choose to do exactly what you’d like to do to portray the sentiment and meaning behind this re-commitment.
As your wedding celebrant I can help you create a beautiful and special ceremony that really represents your love, commitment and lifestyle. It’s a wonderful way to bring together family and friends to share with you in this celebration.
About me
My name is Chris and most of my career has been as an English teacher. I love working and talking with people so being a Wedding Celebrant has been a real joy to me.
It’s exciting to create the ceremony and I’m always enthusiastic when hearing the couple’s ideas, twists and turns, the laughter and tears in their lives, before starting to write up their story as a couple.
There is something magical about bringing an audience together, your family and friends, in a ceremony that is personal, inclusive and unforgettable. I hope I get the opportunity to do this for you.
I'd love to hear from you
Get in touchReviews
Chris was our wedding celebrant and she was fantastic! Talking with her about ideas for the ceremony was useful, and she was always friendly, encouraging and helpful when we were unsure about the best things to include in the story of our relationship. The whole process was so enjoyable, and she gave us lots of guidance when it came to writing our vows and saying them out loud. She thought of all the little details for the ceremony so we didn’t need to stress, including printing a spare set of our vows in case one of us forgot to bring them (which was needed!) and came up with fun ways to make the ceremony unique and reflective of us which made the day even more special. We would highly recommend Chris as your wedding celebrant.
Chris played an enormous part in our wedding day. She was caring and friendly and we enjoyed chatting with her, usually with a glass of wine in hand, about our story. She transformed all the details we shared with her into our ‘love story’ for the ceremony and got everything just right. It reflected us so well and was funny, personal and emotional. I was nervous about the whole idea of writing and saying my vows but she helped me through this and it was such a moving experience on the day.
Chris made telling the story of our relationship an easy and fun thing to do. It was lovely to be reminded of all the special memories of our lives together in the Philippines and, with her friendly and outgoing manner, it was easy to talk with her about these. She created a beautiful ceremony and love story for us, including handfasting and ring warming which added to the emotions of the day as we could involve friends and family in this. That felt very special. All our guests commented on how moving it was and how they enjoyed the ceremony. Chris was always very supportive and took time to make sure we were happy with how the ceremony would work and helped us to feel calm on the day. This was great as we had been nervous about writing our own vows but she had helped us through these with ideas and guidance and, on the day, it was actually enjoyable and meaningful to say them out loud in front of everybody. She was brilliant!
Could I be your celebrant?
Get in touchFrequently asked questions
Click on a question to see the answer. If yours isn't here, please do get in touch.
If it’s not a licensed premises how will my marriage be legal?
Because you’ll go along to the Register Office to get your legal paperwork done before having your amazing Celebrant-led ceremony.
Where can I have my wedding celebration?
This can be anywhere because there are no restrictions. So in premises that are licensed for weddings or one that isn’t. How about your garden, village hall or in a building that has special memories for you?
Can I have religious content?
Yes, from anything from a Bible reading, hymn or psalm to a Buddhist chant or special passages/readings from other faiths.
Can I have music?
Yes, you can choose whatever is special to you – anything goes!
Can I have readings?
Yes – choose your favourites.
Can I write/say my own vows?
Yes, I’d encourage you to do this and I can help you create what is right for you. It’s such a special moment in the ceremony for everyone, and your partner, to hear these!
Will my guests know it’s not a ‘real’ wedding?
It is a real wedding! We’re just separating the paperwork from the celebration….go with it, it’ll be great!
Will you marry us anywhere in the country, or even abroad?
Yes, in this country it would be 50p per mile travel expenses after the first 30 miles, which are free. We’d have to talk about any destinations abroad!
What will it cost?
Ceremony packages cost from £599.
This includes an initial consultation, unlimited support throughout the planning and writing stages, help with vows and readings, a keepsake copy of your ceremony and professional delivery on the day. I’ll take time to get to know you ensuring your ceremony is full of personality, laughter, love and reflection of you as a couple.
Get in touch
Tell me a little about your date and what you're planning, and I'll reply within two working days.