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A Sense of Occasion

Sussex based Independent Celebrant and a member of, both, the Association of Independent Celebrants and the Fellowship of Professional Celebrants.
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Services we provide

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About A Sense of Occasion

In life there are many milestones on our journey between birth and death and they all deserve their own creative, authentic and inclusive way to share them with friends and loved ones. My promise to you is that I come without judgement, but I leave behind memories. About me…….

If you are like me – love the outdoors, find rambling castles and crumbling barns both theatrical and amazing and have an idea that your wedding just needs to be held in these sorts of places then it looks like we could be a couple/celebrant match.

That said, hotels, gardens and any venue that is as true to your dreams as it can be, is good.

So what do you get when you chose me? …… I have always been a people person – I love watching people, eavesdropping on the conversations around me and creating the lives they live in my imagination.

I can be funny, quirky, and when the event requires it, serious, most importantly, for you, I can be the person who helps you navigate some of the most important stages in anyone’s life.

I fell into this Celebrant life after 30 years as a social worker – and the best bit about that job was talking to people about who they are and what life was like for them – finding the true person and their life story, and sharing what they want other’s to know. So very similar to what I do now.

I am based in Newhaven, East Sussex which is very near to Brighton, but I am happy to travel if you need me to.

If you are after a motorbike loving, aging rock chic with a penchant for unusual places to celebrate life and love then I am probably the person you need to speak to.

Choosing the right celebrant is a bit like getting on a dating app and I would really love for you to find me as the right celebrant for you – I could be your swipe right. Contact me without obligation, and you will see why we should be working together.

Paula Black, Independent Celebrant

Packages

Our Story

I was for 30 years involved with families and children, learning about their lives, talking to them and writing about them - so when I came to retire I gathered up all of those skills and found that they matched pretty well with the roel of Celebrant.

Our Team

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It is a me, myself, and I team, but I do have a supportive husband and family and I network with some of the amazing colleagues who have become good friends over the years.

Experience

I started my Celebrancy journey in December 2022. I would still consider myself quite new in the the role because I believe that it takes time for your reputation to build up , and I aim for quality not quantity, so you can be sure that all of my scripts are 100% authentic and not copies from other services. I have been nominated by couples in the 2025 and 2026 TWIA (The Wedding Industry Awards) and have been a regional finalist both years. I was also nominated in the Good Funerals Awards in 2023.

Typical Clients

I love barns and outdoors weddings, I am very adaptable between brollies and wellies for woodland venues. However, it is more important to me to be true to who you are as a couple when creating memories for your wedding. I will work with you and your suppliers so we have all the i's dotted and t's crossed to give you a seamless space to just enjoy your very own love story. It can be fun, it can be humerous, it can be themed - but it will always be about you. I will happily discuss handfastings, sand rituals, involving the elements and the spirits of those who have gone before. Pretty much nothing is off the table - excpet reptiles and nudity!!!!

Credentials

I am a member of the Fellowship of Professional Celebrants who trained me as a Wedding and Family Celebrant and also the Academy of Modern celebrants who trained me to conduct Funerals. I am a member of the Asociation of Independnt Celebrants and undertake additional Continuing Professional Development training maintaining a keen interest on the developments of the Wedding Law Reform and the role Independant Celebrants may have in the future regarding legalised weddings.

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