Celebrant Hire in North Yorkshire

Yorkshire-based experienced (ex-Registrar), insured & award-winning Celebrant crafting bespoke ceremonies for life milestones, like a wedding, vow renewal or baby naming - ‘I Do’ Your Ceremony, your way!

What do you need to know from an organiser in order to provide a comprehensive quote?

Part of my Celebrant service (and included in my fee) is a dressed-down walkthrough ceremony rehearsal at the venue, involving just the key people. As this is usually the late afternoon or early evening on of the eve of the ceremony, I limit my travelling time so I’m fresh and on top form on the big day! Therefore it is important to know the specific venue location in the quote so I can ascertain if it is within my driving time range.
I create a unique ceremony script for each couple, personalised to their wishes and matched to their personalities. However, if the couple have a specific vision, strong ideas or beliefs, it is helpful for me to be given some guidance as to the ceremony style they wish to achieve, to ensure this would be well-matched to my delivery so I can maintain authenticity.
In a nutshell, I’m a relaxed, fun and mature Celebrant, but not a quirky, wacky one!

What advice would you give to a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

My advice to couples would be to view their ceremony as the focal point of their event (certainly not the boring bit to be endured before the fun begins!) They should be willing to invest a good deal of energy into finding the perfect Celebrant they ‘click’ with, so they can co-design a unique, bespoke ceremony that is memorable and meaningful for them. Therefore the chemistry between them and the Celebrant is crucial and should be the main thing to consider, beyond the budget. For instance, if a couple want some semi-religious or spiritual content, check the Celebrant is not a Humanist and is an Independent Celebrant as I am. Definitely explore a Celebrant’s website and social media to gauge if their level of experience and if the feedback from clients is warm and appreciative, as this is an indicator of the strength of the professional relationship created. What real couples think is much more important than what the Celebrant says about themselves!

Please tell us a little bit about how and why you started the business.

With a long, successful former career as a primary school Headteacher, I have decades in a professional, people-focussed role involving public speaking and the confident, engaging management of large or small gatherings. I take pride in putting others at ease, with genuine fascination in people and their stories.
In 2017 I sought greater work-life balance through a career change and trained as a part time Registrar, performing Civil Marriages. Having performed scores of ceremonies in this role I became very frustrated that I had no opportunity to get to know the couples and every ceremony sounded very similar. I wanted to provide a much more personal, bespoke service, so I realised that becoming an Independent Celebrant was the way forward! I have completed a Diploma in Celebrancy (NOCN level 3) and in 2019 I created my own business, ‘I Do’ Your Ceremony. Since then I’ve been privileged to create and perform over 100 weddings or vow renewal ceremonies and have been honoured to be a regional finalist in the 2022 Wedding Industry Awards! It is SO satisfying to write a unique ceremony for each couple and help them to be at ease during their ceremony. Forget ‘rabbit in the headlights’ - they all say how much they enjoy a personal celebration of their love story so far!

Please tell us about a booking you've had through Add to Event, how did it go? Would you recommend us to others?

I’m thrilled to be contacted by a couple via Add to Event because I can see if they’ve had several quotes and it’s gratifying to be one they think is right for them! It’s helpful for them to be able to compare from a range of quotations that meet their brief, so I would definitely recommend couples use this platform to assist their search for the perfect professionals for their celebration. Having said that, I make it clear that our introductory chat or zoom call following a successful bid is without obligation because a Celebrant is such a critical supplier who sets the tone of the day.
One of my most satisfying bookings through Add to Event was a wedding with a couple who found me in 2019 but then had to postpone their wedding 3 times due to Covid restrictions. In 2022 they finally made it and by then had a baby, so we combined it with a naming ceremony - it was just perfect!