Weddings
You’ve recently decided to get married? Well … congratulations! It’s a wonderful thing to do and I’d love to work with you to design and deliver a ceremony that is all about you and completely exceeds your expectations, while having fun along the way.
If you don’t want a religious wedding and a Registrar led ceremony feels bland and impersonal, then a celebrant led wedding is definitely for you! All my wedding ceremony scripts begin with a blank sheet of paper and if you want a wedding ceremony which is:
- Beautifully written and tells your story and speaks to your values with wit and passion.
- Led by someone with natural authority and plenty of life experience.
- Delivered with humility in a voice people love listening to.
- Light in tone while being serious of purpose.
- Inventive and full of emotion without sentimentality.
Then let’s talk! I lead wedding and renewal of vows ceremonies all over the UK and Italy, in back-gardens, beauty spots, pubs, restaurants and palaces – anywhere that has resonance for you.
Here’s a video of me in action –
Processes and Fees
Every ceremony is unique, but typically the process works like this:
- We have an initial chat.
- You pay me a deposit of £150 and I send you my Welcome Pack full of ideas to help you decide on the kind of ceremony you want.
- We have a planning meeting to design the ceremony and gather information.
- I write a script which we refine in consultation.
- We get together for a rehearsal.
- I lead the ceremony which fits perfectly into your wedding day programme.
- I give you a beautifully printed and a pdf copy of the ceremony as a keepsake.
- You live happily ever after!
UK Weddings
Ceremonies in English
£650 – £850 (price dependent on location)
Bi-lingual UK Weddings
Ceremonies in English/Italian
£750 – £950 (price dependent on location)
Italian Weddings
Ceremonies in English and English/Italian
£1,000 (mainland) – £1,200 (Sicily, Sardinia and the Tuscan Archipelago)
Included in My Fee
FAQs
What if I can’t afford your fee?
I keep my fees lower than most competitors with a similar level of skill and experience, because I want as many couples as possible to have access to a humanist wedding. That having been said I will consider offering a large discount to couples who are facing financial hardship. If you think that’s you then get in touch, and I’ll see what I can do.
Is the ceremony legally binding?
Humanist weddings are legal in Scotland and Northern Ireland but not yet in England and Wales. To make your marriage legal you will have to go to a Registry Office and have a short ceremony with two witnesses (often called a “two plus two”) for a standard price of £68.50. I can you advise you about this.
What’s the difference between a celebrant and registrar?
Registrars carry out “two plus two” ceremonies and also offer higher priced ceremonies for more guests in larger local authority premises. They will also travel to some commercial venues which they approve. Although these ceremonies can be personalised to some degree they still have a standard format. By contrast celebrants can lead a ceremony anywhere and you are completely free to choose what goes in it.
What’s the difference between a humanist celebrant and other celebrants?
Humanist celebrants like me are trained and accredited by Humanists UK, an organisation that represents people with a non-religious take on life. As such we have a bit less freedom to include religious elements in our ceremonies than other celebrants do. However, Humanists UK provides us with public liability insurance and quality control and we work as part of a network so we have back-up for sickness and emergencies.
What’s included in your ceremonies?
Whatever you want! Although the most common elements are – me telling the story of your love and talking about your values and aspirations, your vows (either written by you or adapted from my library of examples) and a pronouncement of your marriage. Readings and music are usually woven into the fabric too, along with symbolic actions such as an exchange of rings and others created by you or again drawn from my library of examples.
How long will the ceremony last?
Well, as long as it needs to! But typically, around 20-40 minutes, although they can be much longer depending on what you want to include.
How would you describe your style as a celebrant?
Probably the most common adjective used about me by clients is “professional,” and my aim is for my couples and their guests to feel they are in the hands of someone who knows exactly what they are doing and has the experience to deal with any eventuality. In working with couples, I prefer to “walk alongside” and go at their pace, rather than set deadlines and homework and I try to make the process light and fun. I try not to take myself too seriously and above all I aim for my couples and their guests to be saying afterwards “what a beautiful ceremony” and not “what a brilliant celebrant.”
Is it OK to incorporate rituals from other cultures?
Absolutely! I love travel and have lived in other countries for a significant part of my life and so I am particularly sensitive to this issue. I encourage my couples to think about ways in which they can celebrate their own cultures and backgrounds and have in the past incorporated a Chinese tea drinking ceremony, the African/American tradition of “jumping the broom” and the Jewish ritual of smashing a glass underfoot – to name but a few.