What does a family celebrant do?

Simply put, a celebrant is a person who performs and officiates formal ceremonies.

Whilst celebrants are commonly seen at weddings, family celebrants also conduct other services like vow renewals, baby naming ceremonies, anniversaries, and even funerals to name a few.

When couples think of marrying, two options typically pop into their heads: the traditional religious ceremony or a civil ceremony with a registrar. However, there is now a third, and increasingly popular option… getting married by a celebrant.

There are two types of Celebrant, Humanist and Independent. You can read about the differences between the two here.

What is different about a celebrant?

A family celebrant will work closely with you to craft and conduct a beautiful and bespoke ceremony that reflects your depth of feeling, your values, your sense of fun, and your beliefs.

Celebrants are a way to craft an entirely new ceremony based on your unique needs.

Does it matter what Religion, Culture, or Faith I follow?

Not at all.

This is partly why this option has become popular, the content of a Celebrant-led ceremony has no restrictions.

I’ll help you decide on the content, making each ceremony totally unique. We can incorporate any elements or rituals that are meaningful to you, or your ceremony can be completely neutral, with no religious references at all.

It really is up to you!

Who can we involve in the ceremony?

Again, it is entirely up to you.

You can have a traditional ceremony where just the vows are read by yourselves, or you can involve as many guests as you like. You can get others involved by reading scripts, playing an instrument, or by singing their hearts out!

The more the better.

Can we have a family member and/or friend perform a reading for us?

Funny you should ask…

…what got me started on this journey of endless celebrations was my brother’s wedding for which I officiated. Since then, I have given many readings at ceremonies, and also assisted many people in delivering both readings and full ceremonies with my Script Writing service.

So in short, yes.

What can we include in our ceremony?

The sky is the limit!

Hymns, modern-day readings, pop songs, and classical musicians. It’s your day so get creative. Themes are becoming more and more popular. Think Game Of Thrones (not the last season, though!), Star Wars, or any comic imaginable…..there are lots to choose from.

The only limit is your imagination.

Can we have hymns, music, or prayers?

I’m more than happy to incorporate traditional elements and will even suggest particular readings, hymns, and prayers when we meet. You can have as little or as much of these as you wish.

Alternatively, you may choose not to have any religious content at all.

What Does The Process Involve?

With all these choices, it can be a little difficult to know where to start, that’s why I’m here to help take some of the weight off your shoulders so that you can focus on what’s important.

Initial Meeting — During this initial meeting will cover all the basics and define what the requirements are for your big day.

Planning & Scripting — The scripting process will naturally take a few iterations to get right. I will draft a ceremony and we will keep tweaking until we land on something that is a good fit for your requirements.

Practice — This is a very fun and light-hearted practice run. Here we will slowly walk through the ceremony and get to grips with our roles.

Big Day — After all the practice, there is nothing left to do but get on with the big show. Now it is time to celebrate!

What areas do you cover?

I cover all areas in the UK. Because of this, we will need to agree in advance on the fees and factor travel expenses into the final cost.

What does this all cost?

This will depend on how you wish to structure your ceremony and the elements you hope to incorporate. See pricing here.

Additional Costs to be Agreed prior to Ceremony:

• Travel expenses

• Accommodation

• Fancy/themed dress

• Miscellaneous costs

How far in advance should I book you?

The sooner the better, due to the nature of the work, I can be booked way in advance and may not have an opening unless I receive a cancellation. Feel free to get in touch to agree on the fee.