Celebrant
I am an independent professional Celebrant which makes me ideally suited to writing a ceremony which is uniquely crafted to represent the milestone in life that you wish to celebrate.
I’m a talker, always have been.
I think words are the foundation of everything.
The right words, at the right time, can bring joy to a day which marks any of life’s milestones whether that be the joy of a union or words crafted to pay tribute to a life at its close. I believe that everyone deserves to have those words be written about them; to be at the centre of their ceremony with no attempt to write you in to the spaces in between blurb already written.
“Life itself
is the most
wonderful
fairy-tale
of all.”
Hans christian andersen
Background
I became a Celebrant in 2016 after almost fifteen years in the teaching profession as an English teacher. I was drawn to the role of Celebrant after speaking at funeral services for close family members and, ultimately, conducting the funeral service when my mum passed.
Since then, I have been privileged to be involved in over nine hundred ceremonies and have heard so many wonderful, touching and funny stories and given voice to the joy in the lives of people from all walks of life.
Conducting wedding ceremonies came from that desire to embrace life’s joys mixed with a recognition that each couple has their own unique story to tell. It is a great privilege to be able to help frame that story with meaningful ceremony.
As an independent Celebrant, affiliated with the Humanist charity A Quiet Revolution, I am free to express any and all of the aspects of life that you might wish to pay tribute to - the words that I say will come from your thoughts, wishes and memories - they will be crafted with you at the centre and be uniquely yours.
In The Press
As part of my role as a volunteer with Marie Curie, I have been featured in a number of newspaper and magazine articles – you can read a selection of them by following the links below.
The Herald
The Evening Times
Marie Curie Magazine
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a Humanist wedding even though I don’t belong to a Humanist Society?
Yes. Humanism is a celebration of the things which make us human and a Humanist wedding is appropriate for anyone who wants their ceremony to reflect the shared values of tolerance, compassion and respect for the world around us and the people in it.
What if something that I want to include in a funeral or wedding celebration is a bit odd?
We’re all a little odd under the surface, who am I to judge? You’re the kind of person who reads an FAQ page, how odd can it be? Ask me, I can only say no. Things I don’t consider odd include: keeping a seat at the ceremony for an absent loved one, celebrating a birthday that your loved one didn’t live to see, celebrating the life of a beloved pet, having a funeral anniversary celebration and writing letters to a person who can never read them. Just a sample of the many oddities that can bring us comfort.
Isn’t it a bit disrespectful to call a funeral a celebration?
No. I don’t think so. Traditionally, we wear our ‘best’ clothes to a funeral as a mark of respect – I think bringing your ‘best’ memories of the person is just as respectful. Most ‘best’ memories are happy ones, so we celebrate the person when we share those memories. That sounds very respectful to me. I’m a Celebrant, it’s what we do.
Can I have some more?
Yes. A traditional handfasting was legally binding only after the couple had remained bound for a year and a day – perhaps we could gather to confirm your bond for the first anniversary? Perhaps a renewal of vows is something you would like to do to reaffirm your commitment at a milestone time in your lives – I would be happy to help you design a suitable ceremony for that too.
There are also many times after the funeral that it might feel right to re-visit that celebration of a person. If you want another tribute at a later time, I will be happy to come back for seconds. Or even thirds. I have participated in a celebration of life which had five stages over the course of a year: decorating the coffin, the crematorium service, memorial tree planting, scattering of seed ‘bombs’ and launching of ashes rockets on the first anniversary of the funeral. Together, we can create something which is fitting for the person you wish to remember.