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THE JOURNAL October 2, 2026 Vows & readings Writing vows that sound like you Almost every couple sits down to...
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Your ceremony
How we’ll
create your
ceremony.
Nothing about the process is
complicated. It really does begin with
a conversation, and everything grows
from there.
The best ceremonies don’t just tell your story. They are your story.
There’s no set list of questions you have to answer and no right way to tell your story. We’ll follow the conversation wherever it takes us, and I’ll take care of shaping what comes out of it into something you’ll want to hear again years from now.
Discovery
A relaxed first conversation about the two of you.
Planning
Questionnaires and meetings that draw out your story.
Writing
Your ceremony written from scratch, then refined together.
Creating
Readings, vows, music and rituals chosen with you.
Celebrating
The day itself, calmly and confidently led.
One · Discovery
A conversation, before anything else.
We’ll start with a call, a video chat or a coffee somewhere comfortable. It usually lasts about an hour and there’s nothing to prepare.
You’ll tell me a little about your wedding, where you’re getting married and roughly what you’ve imagined so far. I’ll explain how a celebrant-led ceremony works, what’s possible and what it’s like to work together.
Mostly, though, it’s a chance to see whether we get on. That matters more than anything else on this page.
If it feels right, we’ll go from there. If it doesn’t, that’s completely fine too.
Two & three · Planning and writing
Your story, gathered and then written.
Once you’ve booked, I’ll send you the first questionnaire. It sets out the practical shape of the day — the where, the when, the who, and how you’d like your ceremony to be remembered.
The second one is more personal. How you met. What you love about each other. How you knew. The things you’d never normally say out loud. Couples often tell me that filling these in was one of their favourite parts of planning the whole wedding.
Then we talk. Together and, sometimes, separately — because you will absolutely remember the same evening differently, and both versions are worth having.
After that, I go away and write. I’ll look for the golden thread: the thing that runs through your relationship and explains why you are the two people standing there.
You’ll see a full draft well before the day, and we’ll keep refining it until every word sounds like you.
The golden thread
A collection of memories is a list. A golden thread is a story.
The qualities you recognise in each other. The things you share, the things that make you completely different, and the little patterns that — taken together — explain everything.
Four & five · Creating and celebrating
And then, the day itself.
Alongside the words, we’ll choose everything that sits around them. Readings and who gives them. Music and where it lands. Vows — written together, written separately, or written entirely by you with a little help. Rituals, if you’d like them: handfasting, ring warming, sand, candles, or something nobody has done before.
Before the wedding, I’ll liaise with your venue, your photographer and anyone else who needs to know what’s happening and when. If you’d like a run-through, we’ll have one.
On the day I arrive early, check the space, welcome your guests and make sure everyone knows where they need to be.
Then you walk in, and all of those conversations become something real, happening in front of the people you love.
What’s included
Everything that goes into your ceremony.
- An unhurried discovery conversation before you commit to anything
- In-person or video meetings, arranged around your schedule
- As many drafts and revisions as it takes to get the words right
- Suggestions for readings, music, rituals and readers
- Liaison with your venue, planner, photographer and musicians
- Professional sound equipment for outdoor and larger ceremonies
- Warm welcoming of your guests before the ceremony begins
- Two guided questionnaires designed to draw out your story
- A ceremony written entirely from scratch, for the two of you
- Help writing and shaping your vows
- Symbolic rituals: handfasting, ring warming and others
- A rehearsal or run-through where it’s useful
- Early arrival, full set-up and a calm presence on the day
- A beautifully presented keepsake copy of your ceremony script
From the Journal
Ideas, stories and a few things worth knowing as you plan your ceremony.
Choosing readings that mean something
THE JOURNAL October 1, 2026 Vows & readings Writing vows that sound like you Almost every couple sits down to...
Read More →
Common questions
The things couples usually ask.
Is a celebrant ceremony legally binding?
Not in England and Wales, no. Almost every couple I work with completes the legal paperwork separately — usually a short, quiet appointment at a register office before or after the wedding. It takes a few minutes and costs very little. Your celebrant ceremony is then the one your guests attend, the one you plan around, and the one you’ll remember as your wedding.
How far in advance should we book?
Most couples book between twelve and eighteen months ahead, particularly for summer Saturdays. That said, I’ve created beautiful ceremonies at a few months’ notice. If your date is close, do ask it’s always worth a conversation.
Where do you travel?
I’m based in Wiltshire and work regularly across the Cotswolds, Bath, Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Dorset, Hampshire and London. I also travel further afield across the UK and abroad for destination weddings. Wherever you’re celebrating, do get in touch.
How many times will we meet?
There’s no fixed number. Typically it’s a discovery conversation, one or two longer planning meetings and then as much contact by email, phone or video as you need while we shape the words. Some couples want a great deal of contact; others prefer to send things over and let me get on with it. Both work perfectly well.
Can we include our children, parents or friends?
Please do. Children can hand over rings, hold ribbons, read something short or simply stand where they can see. Parents and friends can give readings, share memories or take part in a ritual. Nothing needs rehearsing to within an inch of its life — the loveliest moments are often the unscripted ones.
What if we don’t know what we want yet?
That’s the most common starting point, and honestly the most enjoyable one. You don’t need ideas, structure or a Pinterest board. You just need to be willing to talk about yourselves for a couple of hours. The rest is my job.
Do you work with LGBTQ+ couples and interfaith couples?
Yes, always and warmly. A celebrant ceremony carries no restrictions on who marries whom, and no requirement to include or exclude any faith, culture or tradition. Your ceremony can hold as many of your family’s traditions as you’d like it to, or none at all.
What happens if it rains?
We plan for it. Every outdoor ceremony I create has a wet-weather version worked out in advance with your venue, and I bring sound equipment that copes with both. Couples who’ve moved indoors twenty minutes before the ceremony have still told me afterwards that it was exactly the day they wanted.