I’m based in High Peak, Derbyshire. As the Three Shires Celebrant, my fees cover ceremonies within Derbyshire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire. I’m lucky to have close family in Bedfordshire, Rutland, Bath, and Berkshire, and I’m very happy to travel UK-wide and overseas for destination weddings. I’m a French speaker, which comes in handy for ceremonies ‘en France.’

An independent celebrant is a professional officiant who crafts and conducts highly personalised, bespoke ceremonies, such as weddings, vow renewals, and funerals, without being tied to religious or governmental institutions.

A celebrant gets to know you months (sometimes years!) before your big day. They listen to your story and then produce a beautiful ceremony that's unmistakably yours. Instead of following a script or ticking legal boxes, a celebrant focuses on the heart of the day – your connection, your journey, and the tone you want to set for the rest of your celebration.

A celebrant can lead a ceremony anywhere that feels meaningful, include anything from favourite songs to religious or cultural traditions, and produce a ceremony written entirely for you, weaving your love story into every word through a tailored script. You can choose any time of day and add beautiful symbolic elements like handfasting or candle lighting to make the moment even more heartfelt.

As your celebrant, I will only do one ceremony a day. Registrars, on the other hand, often officiate several weddings back-to-back, which puts pressure on everyone to keep proceedings to time. We can also do a rehearsal the day before, giving everyone a chance to run through the walks, where to stand, and what happens when. It doesn't have to take long but it really helps to clarify everything and settle the nerves!

In England, celebrant-led weddings aren't legally binding (yet – the law is being reviewed). You'll need a quick registry office signing separately, usually costing £50–£70. You can do a 2+2 ceremony. Most couples do this a few days before or after their celebrant ceremony.

For funerals, vow renewals, and naming ceremonies, there's no legal element anyway.

Couples typically handle the "legal admin" by completing a basic, low-cost statutory registration at a local registry office before or after the main ceremony. Alternatively, on your wedding day, you could have your celebrant ceremony with your guests first. Then, plan an activity for your guests whilst you plus two witnesses have your short civil ceremony with the registrar.

Anywhere you like! Unlike legal weddings that need to take place in a licensed venue, a celebrant wedding can take place anywhere. On a beach, aboard a boat, in your garden or at your favourite restaurant – the possibilities are endless!

I take a 50% deposit to secure the date and booking. The remaining 50% I ask to be paid no later than seven days before the wedding.

For funerals, the funeral director will include the celebrant fee in their final invoice to the family, and collect the money, and then pass it on to the celebrant.

Yes – as a member of the Academy of Professional Celebrants (APC), I have full personal liability insurance and indemnity insurance.