You've weighed up the options, talked about it and decided that a celebrant-led wedding is right for you. Well done, you have chosen wisely!
So, what's next?
You can fill out the form here or email me to arrange a chat. I will call you, either on the phone or Zoom (you choose). This is a no-obligation talk for you to see if we click. We'll chat about you, your plans for your wedding, what you've watched on Netflix recently, your favourite kind of popcorn... anything you want. Afterwards, you can decide if you want to book me for your wedding.
We Choose You!
Now the fun really starts!
I'll confirm your wedding date and you'll pay the deposit and we'll officially be doing this. The next thing I'll do is send you a questionnaire to fill out together. I want to know about you in your words. It's the perfect opportunity to order pizza, pour a glass of wine, and delve into the questions.
Once that's done, send it back to me and I can read through your answers. The creative cogs will start whirring in my brain as ideas for your ceremony start brewing. I write every ceremony for my couples based on their love story and the things they enjoy so this questionnaire is the perfect starting point for me.
Then, we chat again. Again, we can do this by phone, Zoom or in person if you're also in Kent. I might ask for more details on your questionnaire (did you tell me a funny story about you? I want context! Have you chosen a particular reading? I want to know why! Did you say you met at a concert? Which one? Who was with you?). I'll offer suggestions for readings and poems you might want to include and explain your options for unity elements. If you want to involve friends, family or fur-babies in your ceremony, I'll help you choose the best ways to do that.
This is when your ceremony truly takes shape.
I Have Questions
After this chat, I'll write your ceremony. Things get real then!
You might have more questions, or an idea might pop into your head at 3 am that you simply have to include in your wedding. That happens. I'm available via email, WhatsApp and text throughout the entire process so contact me and ask. (I can't promise I'll be awake at 3 am, but I'll reply the next day.)
Likewise, I'm available to help if you choose to write your own vows. I can offer suggestions, give you an outline to follow or simply cheer you on from the sidelines.
When I send you the first draft of your ceremony (minus the vows, I like to keep them secret, but if you want to peek, let me know) you get to read it through and give me your opinions. After you read it, you can send feedback or add it to the document itself. We'll speak again, and I can clarify your changes.
Please don't worry about offending me with your feedback. I'm an author: I've had reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and AO3, I'm used to critique!
Three weeks before your wedding day, the final version of your ceremony will be ready. You can make minor changes then, up to two weeks before the Big Day.
Rehearsal Time
If you wish, you can have a rehearsal before your wedding. Some couples have one at the venue on the day before the wedding; ask your venue coordinator if your ceremony space will be available for that. If not, don't despair! We can have a run-through via Zoom or in an alternate space.
If you can't have or don't want a rehearsal, that's fine, too. I'll be at your ceremony venue at least an hour ahead of time, so I can make sure readers or anyone else involved in the ceremony are briefed and know what to do, when.
Your Ceremony
Yay! It's your wedding day!
Relax, I've got this. Your job is simple: get ready, get to the venue, enjoy the day.
After the ceremony, I'll stick around for a short while. I can lend a loud voice to the photographer if you're having trouble wrangling Auntie Mabel into the group shots. Then, I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your day.
A week later, I send you a keepsake copy of your wedding script and your wedding certificate, if you signed one.
And it all starts with a quick chat.