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That's fab, I'd love to hear from you! Just drop me a message. If you have a date and venue in mind, that's really helpful to include so I can check that I'm free. Then we can arrange an informal chat, maybe over a coffee (optional!), in person or online.
You can ask me any questions and hopefully by the end we'll have a better sense of each other. Then you can decide if you'd like to book me. No pressure. Sometimes we'll match, and sometimes we won't.
For funeral enquiries and bookings, you can contact me directly or via your funeral director if you have one.
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Celebrancy for me isn't a job, and isn't the reason I do it. Balancing other parts of life, I conduct a smaller number of ceremonies per year. This allows me plenty of time, and focus needed to really be there for folks. It means that I do have flexibility for shorter notice occasions at times. That being said, I'd definitely recommend contacting me as soon as you have your date and venue to avoid disappointment.
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In line with Celebrate People my fees are
Weddings (legal and non legal)
2025 – £500
2026 – £525
2027 – £550Funerals and Memorials
£200 – £300*there is never any charge for a funeral for someone under the age of 18.Naming, Renaming and Welcoming Ceremonies
£250Emergency Marriages
No fee is charged for emergency marriage. -
I truly believe that the path to contentment, and belonging comes when we are given the space to be ourselves.
Inclusion doesn't have an endpoint. It is an ever-evolving process. I recognise that a lot of things are ingrained, and that we all have bias, even if it's unconscious. There is always more to learn. As a Celebrate People celebrant, I'm committed to continuous professional (and personal!) development. I know I won't always get things right, but I promise to never stop trying or caring.
I support couples and families from thinking together about the words we use, respecting your culture and values, to accessibility needs, and how folks can participate.
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Of course. Celebrate People promote tolerance and understanding of all faiths, beliefs and none - whatever gives your life meaning. The only thing I ask is that I see any words ahead of your ceremony, and that they are in harmony with Celebrate People's ethos and beliefs.
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I'd LOVE that!*
*assuming your dog/pet and venue are also on board.
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There are no rules, just what matters to you!!
If you want to consider gestures and rituals, there are lots of different things we can do, and we can talk about whether there is anything you'd like to include to help bring further meaning to your ceremony. You might want a handfasting, or to share the quaich, for example. Or perhaps there is something from your own family or cultural traditions.
Others choose not to include gestures and that's totally fine too!! -
I am authorised by the Registrar General of Scotland to conduct legal marriage for mixed sex and for same sex couples*.
You both need to submit something called an M10 form to the registrar local to the venue where you are getting married, along with supporting documentation. There is a fee payable to the registrar for this.
The forms need to be submitted between three months and no later than 29 days ahead of your marriage ceremony. It's a good idea to submit them 10-12 weeks ahead to allow ample time for the registrar to check your notices and documents .
The forms you need can be obtained from the National Records of Scotland website. This also includes information and requirements for those who are not UK Nationals.
Please also check the website of the registrar local to the venue you are married for information on how to submit your notices and documentation to them. It is the local registrar who deals with all of the legal paperwork, so any questions around this are best directed to them.
You will need two witnesses over the age of 16 to be present at your marriage, and they need to be of 'sound mind' and are able to understand what is being asked of them. There are forms to submit to declare who your witness and celebrant are, which again can be found at the above link.
The registrar will check your paperwork and documentation and will produce a Marriage Schedule, which is the paperwork we sign on your wedding day. They will arrange for one or both of you to collect it, usually in the week before your ceremony. This must be collected by one of you. Don't forget to bring this with you on your wedding day as I cannot legally marry you without it!
* When you apply for authorisation in Scotland, you need to select which categories you are applying for (there are 2 options, mixed sex and same sex), I use these terms here simply to highlight I am authorised to conduct both.
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Once you've got your Marriage Schedule, take good care of it and make sure you bring it on the day. I need to have this in my hand before we start the ceremony and I cannot marry you without it.
Both of you will make legal declarations to each other in front of at least me and your two witnesses. Get more information on the National Records of Scotland website.
At Celebrate People, in keeping with our focus on equality, we ask that all couples use the same declaration:
"I, (name), accept you, (name), in marriage." You can also say "I do" in response to asking if you accept the other in marriage.
You can include other wording that suits you in addition, along with personal promises. We can chat more about this.
I will then declare you are married and we, along with your witnesses, sign the marriage schedule, in permanent black ink with a fountain pen. (Don't worry I will bring the pen and ink we need!)
You then return your marriage schedule to the local registrar within three days (not working days). It doesn't need to be dropped off by you personally, but make sure it's back in time.
The registrar will then send you your marriage certificate!
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I will be guided by you, and never assume. There are certain legal words that you need to speak (see previous question) which we will talk about so you are clear.
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You can choose to hold a ceremony anywhere you wish. Some choose to hold ceremonies at a crematorium or cemetery. Others may feel a natural burial ground is the right place. You can choose to have a ceremony separate to a cremation. One option could be having a direct cremation, and a service at a different location of your choosing.
Wherever, whenever and whatever feels right, we can create together something that honours your loved one.
Some useful websites:
to compare prices of funeral directors
www.naturaldeath.org.uk “Lifting the Lid on Death and Dying”
https://www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk/ Helping Scotland to help each other
https://funerals.scot/ free support for those experiencing loss, and support and information with end of life and funeral planning.
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That is entirely up to you and there will never be any pressure from me. We can talk things through to help you make this decision and I will support you all the way, whatever choice you make.
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How lovely. Of course you can! And you can invite others too: grandparents, siblings, other special people in your child's life. Or how about a group or community promise including all your guests?
There's lots of other things we can talk about, including candle lighting, wishing trees, drinking from the quaich, and more!
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Yes!
For many of us names are an important and symbolic part of our identity, linked to who we are, how we feel about ourselves and how we are seen in the world.
There's lots of reasons people might want to mark a change of name- this might include (some) trans folks, those leaving a name behind, perhaps from a past relationship, or those feeling like their name doesn't match who they are.
I'm here for you!
Questions and answers