- INTRODUCTION AND DATA CONTROLLER
Emma McClelland, trading as Fern and Fable Ceremonies (hereinafter “I”, “me”, “my”), provides professional celebrant services including wedding ceremonies and funeral ceremonies. I am the Data Controller for all personal data you provide in connection with these services. I am committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
If you have any questions about how I handle your data, please contact me at [email protected]
2. WHAT PERSONAL DATA I COLLECT
The personal data I collect will depend on the nature of the service I am providing. In all cases, I only collect information that is necessary for the delivery of your ceremony.
2a. All services
- Your name, address, telephone number and email address
- Correspondence between us
- Payment and invoicing information
2b. Wedding ceremonies
In connection with the planning and delivery of your wedding ceremony, I may also collect:
- The full names and personal details of both partners
- Biographical and personal information you share with me for the purposes of writing and personalising your ceremony
- The date, time and venue of your wedding
- Details of other family members, wedding party members or individuals who will be participating in the ceremony
- Contact details and relevant information relating to other wedding suppliers involved in the ceremony (e.g., venue coordinators, musicians)
- A photograph of you as a couple (see Section 3 below)
2c. Funeral ceremonies
In connection with the planning and delivery of a funeral ceremony, I may also collect:
- Your name and contact details as the instructing family member or representative
- The name of the deceased and biographical, personal and family information you share with me for the purposes of writing the ceremony
- Details of other family members or individuals who will be participating in the ceremony
- The date, time and venue of the service
3. AUTOMATICALLY COLLECTED INFORMATION
When you visit my website, certain information may be automatically collected by your device or browser as a standard part of how the internet works. This may include:
- Your IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device type and operating system
- The pages on my website you visit and how long you spend on them
- The website or source that referred you to my site
- The date and time of your visit
This information is collected passively and is used solely to help me understand how my website is being used and to ensure it functions correctly. Where this information constitutes personal data, it is processed on the basis of my legitimate interests in maintaining and improving my website.
Cookies: My website may use cookies and similar technologies. Some of these are necessary for the website to function, while others are used for analytics purposes. You can manage or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings or any cookie management tool on my website.
4. GOOGLE ANALYTICS
My website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. This helps me understand, in general terms, how visitors find and use my website so that I can improve the experience I offer.
Google Analytics collects information about your website usage on an aggregated and anonymised basis, including:
- Pages visited and navigation patterns
- Time spent on the website
- How visitors arrived at the website (e.g., search engine, direct link)
- General geographic location at country or region level
The following should be noted:
- I have enabled IP anonymisation within Google Analytics, meaning your full IP address is masked before any data is stored or processed
- The data I access through Google Analytics is aggregated and does not identify you personally
- Google Analytics data is processed by Google on servers that may be located outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States. Google LLC participates in data transfer frameworks and uses Standard Contractual Clauses approved for international data transfers, providing appropriate safeguards for your data
- Google’s own use of data collected through Analytics is governed by Google’s Privacy Policy, which can be viewed at policies.google.com/privacy
If you wish to opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
The lawful basis for my use of Google Analytics is my legitimate interests in understanding website traffic and improving the usability of my website.
5. PHOTOGRAPHS
Because wedding bookings are often made a significant time in advance, I may ask you to provide a photograph of you as a couple for identification purposes only. This is optional.
- Your photograph will not be shared with any third party
- It will be held securely and treated with the same care as all other personal data
- It will be permanently deleted once your ceremony has been delivered
- Providing a photograph is based on your consent and is not a condition of my service
You may withdraw your consent to me holding your photograph at any time by contacting me. This will not affect the service I provide to you.
6. AUDIO RECORDING OF CONSULTATIONS
To ensure accuracy when scripting and preparing your ceremony, and to be present during discussions, I may record our meetings (whether conducted in person, by telephone or via video call).
- Recordings are made solely for the purpose of ceremony preparation
- They will not be shared with any third party
- All recordings will be permanently deleted as soon as the ceremony has been delivered
- I will ask for your verbal or written consent before recording begins
If you prefer not to be recorded, please let me know and I will use written notes instead. This will not affect the service I provide to you.
7. LAWFUL BASIS FOR PROCESSING
I process your personal data on the following legal bases under UK GDPR Article 6:
| Purpose | Lawful basis |
| Automatically collected website data | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) |
| Google Analytics (aggregated, anonymised) | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) |
| Non-essential cookies | Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) |
| Delivering funeral celebrant services | Contract performance (Article 6(1)(b)) |
| Meeting consultation recordings | Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) |
| Holding a photograph of you | Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) |
| Invoicing and payment records | Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) |
| Keeping records of services provided | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) |
| Retaining ceremony scripts and notes | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) |
| Supplier and participant details | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) |
| Sharing data with a substitute celebrant where necessary | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) – ensuring your contracted ceremony can be delivered |
8. HOW I STORE YOUR DATA
- All personal data is stored securely, whether in digital or physical format
- Digital files are protected with appropriate password protection and/or encryption
- Physical documents are stored securely and are not accessible to third parties
- I do not transfer your data outside of the United Kingdom
9. HOW LONG I KEEP YOUR DATA
I retain your data only for as long as is necessary and proportionate to the purpose for which it was collected.
| Data type | Retention period |
| Meeting recordings | Deleted on completion of the ceremony |
| Photographs (weddings) | Deleted on completion of the ceremony |
| Contact and correspondence records | 12 months then securely deleted |
| Google Analytics Data | Retained by Google in accordance with their data retention settings; I have set this to 12 months within my Google Analytics account |
| Financial/invoicing records | 6 years in accordance with HMRC requirements |
10. SHARING YOUR DATA
I will not sell, rent or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. I may share data only in the following limited circumstances:
- With professional advisers (e.g., accountant) who are bound by confidentiality obligations, and only to the minimum extent necessary
- Where I am legally required to do so by a court or regulatory authority
- In the event that I am unable to deliver your ceremony (for example, due to illness or unforeseen circumstances), and where you wish me to do so, I may share relevant personal data with a trusted, professional celebrant who I arrange to deliver the ceremony on my behalf. In this situation:
- I will contact you and obtain your agreement before sharing your information with another celebrant
- Only the minimum information necessary to deliver your ceremony will be shared
- The celebrant receiving your data will be made aware of their obligation to handle your information with the same care and confidentiality as I would
- Any data passed to them will be used solely for the purpose of delivering your ceremony and for no other purpose
- You are not obliged to accept a substitute celebrant and may choose an alternative arrangement if you prefer
11. YOUR RIGHTS
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data I hold about you
- Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Right to restrict processing – to request that I limit how I use your data
- Right to data portability – to receive your data in a portable format
- Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent (including for recordings and photographs), you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
To exercise any of these rights, please contact me. I will respond within one calendar month.
12. COMPLAINTS
If you are unhappy with how I have handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority:
- Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
- Website: www.ico.org.uk
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113
I would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address any concerns directly before you contact the ICO.
13. CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
I may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The current version will always be provided at the point of contracting and is available on request.
Last updated: 07.05.2026