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info@kjmceremonies.co.uk07814 227 593Ask me anything;
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Absolutely. I’m lucky to have met a wonderful selection of local wedding suppliers over the years and will happily recommend their services if you need ideas. I also love recommending alternative suppliers such as a wedding creche, assistance with elderly or disabled wedding guests, unusual decorations & entertainment and alternative catering. I also have a lot of knowledge and experience about all sorts of venues so am happy to help if you need another opinion.
Generally, I would say around 20 minutes from your entrance to your exit and the ceremony will flow nicely with a welcome, your story, readings, vows etc and we’ll work that out together and decide what is best for you.
No. You will give notice to your local registry office and then attend a “Statutory Ceremony” with 2 witnesses where you will state some contractual words and sign the legal documents. There is a small fee for this. If you have any more questions about this just get in touch. There is currently a recommendation with the Law Commission to revise the wedding laws which would bring England and Wales into line with the likes of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and the Channel Islands which may mean that Celebrants are licensed to marry legally.
I could talk forever on this but here’s the short(ish!) answer.
A Celebrant offers a more flexible and personalised service to a couple. I will work closely with you leading up to your wedding to understand your unique story, values and characteristics, which will then allow me to craft a truly bespoke ceremony that reflects you both, using words, phrases and a style that you are comfortable with. We can make it as traditional or unconventional as you wish. I will offer suggestions and advice on all aspects of the ceremony including readings, poems, vows and other meaningful aspects. I provide a non-denominational and inclusive option for couples from different cultural, religious or spiritual backgrounds and I can perform your ceremony absolutely anywhere, as long as we have the land owner’s permission.
See my blog: Why Choose a Celebrant Wedding?
There are many ways this can be personalised so that it’s still about both of you and makes the family feel involved.
We can re-create a wedding ceremony and add in the things you didn’t have the first time around. You can do the whole aisle walk, have someone to “give you away”; include readings and make new promises to each other. We’ll write your story a little around the original timeline of when you met but then talk about things that have happened since and how your marriage and love have grown. If there are children or step-children involved, they can read a poem, or get involved in a mini-ceremony such as a Sand Unity, Handfasting, or Time Capsule. A ring warming or blessing is also a lovely touch if you are happy to take your rings off – you can perhaps get a new engravement put on them and re-gift them to each other - this is another way that important people in your lives can get involved.
Also, remember you can do this anywhere you like – you might choose a hotel or other venue, a family member’s garden, a sports club, or a park with a picnic* – your Celebrant will come anywhere and at any time.
* Just make sure you have the landowner’s permission for public outside spaces
Yes I will generally write the Eulogy after having a meeting with you and whatever family members you wish me to meet. We will talk about your loved one, their wishes, their life, their passions and their character and I’ll write the Eulogy based on that, with you getting to make as many changes as you wish until it is perfect. I will then read this at the service unless a family member or friend wishes to do so. If someone else wishes to write the Eulogy themselves, that’s also fine – it’s however you want it to be.
You are welcome to book me directly or you may be recommended to me by your local Funeral Director and if so, they will include my services as part of their pricing. Either way, your Funeral Director and I will work closely together right from the start through to the day, ensuring we are completely in line with your requests.
I hear this a lot – if you choose a Naming Day with a Celebrant, you can have the best of both worlds – a low key celebration in a venue of your choice such as a village hall or a family garden, with a casual ceremonial aspect to kick it off. We can include religious or cultural readings, have Guide Parents or God Parents, get the Grandparents involved in some promises and maybe include something like a wish tree or a sand unity ceremony.