Weddings

Working with a wedding celebrant

As an independent celebrant, my job is to take everything that makes your relationship unique and turn it into a wedding ceremony that could only ever belong to you. I love working with people who want to do things their own way, and I have heaps of ideas – from the gorgeously romantic to the weird and wonderful – to help you customise your ceremony. No matter what your aspirations are for the big day, we can bring them to life together.

How does it work?

We start with a quick, no-strings discussion so you can suss me out. This can be in person, over the phone or via video chat – whatever works for you. If you think we’d make a good team, you simply give me the go ahead and we schedule an immersion session, which sounds like some sort of underwater thing, but is really just a chat about you, your relationship, and what you want your big day to feel like. From there, I write your ceremony and we keep refining it until it’s exactly right.

 

Whatever your vision, I’m here to support it. Want to write your own vows? Brilliant. Want me to help you write them because the thought of doing it alone makes you want to lie down? Also brilliant. Want your best friend to do a reading, your nan to say a blessing, and an owl to fly your rings in (that’s a real thing)? I’m here for it! 

Making it personal

Beyond the words, there are so many ways to build meaning into a ceremony. A couple of my favourites are:

 

  • Handfasting – one of the oldest wedding traditions going. Your hands are bound together with cord or ribbon as a symbol of your union. It’s where we get the phrase ‘tying the knot,’ and it’s genuinely beautiful.

  • Sand ceremonies – you each pour different coloured sand into a single vessel, creating something that can never be separated. Great if you’re blending families and want to include children in the ceremony too.

If you have a particular heritage you want to honour or rituals you want to incorporate, we can do that too. After all, these personal, meaningful moments are what make ceremonies special. I particularly enjoy alternative weddings and weddings that blend different cultures. 

Got an idea you think I won’t have considered? Don’t be afraid to share it. I think all the best ceremonies start with “is it weird if we…?”

A note on the legal bit

Currently, in the UK, ceremonies led by independent celebrants are not legally binding. But most couples treat it as a non-issue, choosing to handle the legal side separately, usually at a register office in a quick, low-key appointment shortly before the main event. Think of it as the paperwork. The ceremony – the one with your people, your words, your rituals, your dog in a bow tie – that’s the wedding.

 

Registrar ceremonies, while perfectly lovely, come with rules. Approved wording, no religious content, limited flexibility. When you work with an independent celebrant, none of those constraints apply. What you gain is the freedom to have the ceremony you actually want, wherever you want it, however you want it, with whoever you want standing up there with you. And, yes, that includes polycules. Love comes in a lot of configurations, and I support them all. 

Practical details and pricing

I’m based in Greater Manchester and available for services in the surrounding areas, including Cheshire. I’m also happy to discuss travel further afield if needed. I charge £450 and this price includes unlimited rewrites on your ceremony script.

 

If you have any questions, please get in touch by emailing [email protected]. You can also give me a call on 07738356038.