About Celebrants
What exactly is a celebrant?
A celebrant is a professionally trained ceremony specialist who creates and delivers completely personalised ceremonies — for weddings, funerals, naming days, vow renewals and more. Unlike a registrar or religious officiant, a celebrant's only job is to make your ceremony feel genuinely, completely yours.
How is a celebrant different from a registrar?
Are you qualified?
Weddings
Is a celebrant-led wedding legally binding in England?
Not currently — though this is expected to change in time. In England, a celebrant-led ceremony is an important symbolic ceremony. Most couples complete a short civil registration separately — often a few days before or after their main ceremony. It takes around 15 minutes and many of my couples describe it as completely straightforward. The ceremony you have with me is the one that matters emotionally and symbolically.
How far in advance should I book?
Can we write our own vows?
Will you travel to our venue?
Funerals
How quickly can you help with a funeral?
Please contact me as soon as possible and I will do everything I can to be available. I understand that time is often short, and I respond to funeral enquiries as a priority.
Do I need to go through a funeral director to work with you?
Can we have music, readings and personal tributes?
Naming Ceremonies
Does a naming ceremony need to have a religious element?
Not at all. Naming ceremonies are entirely non-religious unless you specifically want to include something meaningful from a faith tradition. I honour all beliefs, or none.
Can we choose guide parents or guardians instead of godparents?
General
What areas do you cover?
I'm based in Stratford-upon-Avon and cover all of Warwickshire and the Cotswolds for funerals. For weddings and naming ceremonies, I travel further afield — a small travel supplement applies for journeys over two hours.