Wedding Ceremonies across South Yorkshire and Derbyshire

Not yet! after you have given notice (a legal requirement at least 29 days before your ceremony), you can complete your official marriage registration at a register office before the wedding ceremony. This is a short, formal process with set vows you need to say in front of two witnesses (it costs around £68.50). But the good news? You don't have to exchange rings or have any personalised touches at this point!

You can save all the magic for your wedding celebration with me!

I’m a fully qualified wedding and vow renewal celebrant, through the Academy of Modern Celebrancy. I’m happy to officiate your ceremony if you have hundreds of guests, to just the two of you – whatever you want, I’ll make it happen!

I live just off Junction 31 of the M1, so it’s easy for me to reach North Yorkshire to Leicestershire within an hour. But the first wedding I officiated was in Tunisia – so don’t let distance stop you contacting me!

I’m available through the week and at weekends – simply fill in my Lovebird diary request for a chat and I can let you know if I’m available for your big day (no obligation).

Yes, the first consultation is a no obligation chat by phone or video call. Pick a time on my Lovebird diary request and you can see if I’m the right celebrant for you. Once you have decided that I’m for you, I block out your big day in my calendar. There is a £250 deposit. Then we meet and the magic happens!

Sometimes the unexpected happens and your big day needs to move or is cancelled. If it is more than 6 months away, I’ll refund your deposit. Any sooner and it is unrefundable as I may not be able to fill your day.

I am naturally inquisitive and have a very relaxed approach – you’d be surprised what people tell me (all of course confidential!). Through conversation, over a cup of coffee (or preferably wine), I’ll find out more about how you two came to be, your loves, your habits, your hobbies, your family – and what you would like your wedding ceremony to be like. From that I’ll create some magic and then come back to you with a draft. You can change it, ask me to add bits in, take bits out – or in some cases, just let me surprise you. You can be as involved, or not, as you wish.

I do, and I can! Vows are deeply personal, but if you are not a natural writer or communicator I can guide you along the way. I’ve got a great guide that can prompt you – or if you are really struggling, you can give me bullet points and I can write them for you. Your wedding ceremony shouldn’t be stressful – that’s why you have me.

Absolutely! I often find that getting family or friends involved in readings or taking part in rituals works beautifully. For example, at a wedding I officiated, two nationalities and religions were uniting. I asked a brother from both sides of the family to get involved in a hand fasting ceremony. It was a perfect way of uniting two families. There are so many lovely things we can do and I’m happy to advise.

The joy of having a celebrant-led wedding is there is no normal. You don’t have to follow a set script. If you want your wedding ceremony to last five minutes – that’s fine. If you want 4 readings, a band, your pet llama, the macarena and fireworks – that’s also fine! I’ll make it happen!

This is up to you. Normally, I don’t need to attend your rehearsal as we’ll run through everything on a video call and you’ll have the confidence and knowledge of what to expect. But of course I’m happy to attend in person. There is an extra charge of £30 per hour plus travelling. Just speak to me and we can work it out.

It changes depending on which country you live in and while I can't offer legal advice, here's a general overview of the paperwork involved in getting married in England:

·      Legal Notice of Marriage: This is the official notification of your intention to marry. Both you and your partner need to give notice at your local Register Office at least 29 days before you can officially marry each other. You'll need to bring proof of identity, nationality, and address, along with a completed notice form (available online or at the Register Office). It costs typically £42 each.

·       Marriage License: Once the notice period is complete, you can do a simple signing of the register at the Register Office with the two of you and two witnesses. This typically costs £68.50 including your wedding certificate. Often the slots are limited so make sure you book early.

Additional Considerations:

·       Previous Marriages: If either of you has been married or in a civil partnership before, you may need to provide additional documents such as a decree absolute or death certificate.

·       Foreign Nationals: If either of you is a foreign national, there may be additional requirements. It's best to check with your local Register Office for details.

As long or as short as you like! Typically 30-45 minutes, and this includes a reading. But you can do anything you like!

Yes, I can provide a microphone and sound system, loud enough for approx. 100 people to hear.

Yes, whether it’s a colour, a style of even a theme like Star Wars or Bridgerton I’m game for anything. I draw the line at nudity. No-one wants to see me in the buff!

What if we have a non-traditional request for the ceremony?

If you’ve read my ‘About me’ section, you’ll see that I was a holiday rep 30 years ago. I’ve seen a lot – so whatever floats your boat is very likely to be fine with me. I love quirky and fun ideas – I can help you come up with something or help you realise what’s in your head. There’s quite a nice ritual with wine, to blend your own as you both pour into a central carafe. Or sand ceremonies are lovely, where chosen members of the family – particularly if you have children, can pour their own colour of sand into a glass keepsake. A lasting reminder of combining two families. Just ask!

Yes, I have some great companies that I’ve worked with, from extraordinary botanical wedding cakes to the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen. There are so many choices you need to make, so if I can help find what you are looking for, I’ll do that.

This is where I might come in handy. As an event organiser in my day job, I’ve got a lot of skills in getting things done. If you have organised your own wedding and had no need for a wedding planner then the only bit you might need help with is actually on your big day. I can help you.

I can help facilitate all those jobs that need a reliable person to get them done – like are the groomsmen handing out your order of service, gathering together all the people that you want in your wedding photos, making sure that your wedding breakfast is on time, announcing your arrival and introducing all the speeches, making sure you cut your cake. There are lots of little jobs that still need to happen, and with me there, you don’t need to worry. I’ll be your wing woman/organiser extraordinaire! Read my separate page on hiring me to help you on the day.