Planning your wedding ceremony?
Answers start here.

Things you may want to know about celebrant-led weddings.
How much does a ceremony cost? What can a celebrant do? And why would you choose a wedding celebrant rather than a registrar.

Read on.

  • A wedding celebrant creates and leads a wedding ceremony that sounds like the two of you.

    That’s because we work closely with you over several months to write a ceremony from scratch about you.

    There are no templates, no prescriptive words. You choose the vibe and energy of your ceremony.


    As an independent celebrant you can also choose any music you like, any readings, any wording, any celebration (limoncello shot anyone?) There are no strict rules around anything.

    Celebrant ceremonies can really set the tone for the rest of your wedding day.

  • You can have whoever you want lead your wedding ceremony.
    Venues don’t get to decide that bit.

    What does need a registrar is the legal paperwork – and that can happen separately, at a register office, before or after your wedding day.

    Venues often say you need to get the registrar booked as, like celebrants, weekend wedding days get booked up quickly.

  • I get it.

    Why have two ceremonies when you could just have one? Especially if one of you is nervous about being centre stage, or you’re trying to find some way not to blow every budget.

    Often it helps to understand that the legal bit and the celebrant ceremony do different jobs.

    I’ve written a blog about this exact question.

  • Not at the moment. But you may have seen things in the news about Wedding Law Reform.

    Currently in England and Wales, the legal bit has to be done by a registrar (or licensed member of the clergy).

    But the legal service which creates the marriage contract can be completely separate.

    What I can do is create a wedding ceremony that contains everything that actually matters:
    your story of what this all means to you both, readings, vows, commitments, ring exchanges.

  • In England and Wales, celebrants aren’t currently authorised to conduct the legal marriage itself.

    Before you can legally marry, you’ll need to visit your local registry office to give notice – confirming who you are and your intention to marry. There’s a minimum 28-day notice period.

    Once that’s approved, the legal wording and signing of the register must be carried out by a registrar (or within a recognised religious ceremony).

    The legal bit itself is brief and costs around £62.

    Then the celebrant-led ceremony becomes the part that actually feels like your wedding.

  • 2026 is looking pretty full to be honest, but send me a message or WhatsApp me on 07799848074 and I will get back to you within a couple of hours.

    Some of the big dates around Bank Holidays in 2027 are starting to fill up, but again give me a shout and I’ll let you know.

    2028 is open for bookings.

  • Any day. Any time.

    Morning, noon or night.
    Weekday or weekend.

    As long as friends and family can get there, we can crack on.

    Your celebration. Your call.

  • Most celebrant-led ceremonies sit comfortably around 30–45 minutes. Long enough to mean something. Short enough that your guests are still excited to get to the party.

    But if you want a shorter, more intentional 20 minute ceremony, that’s absolutely fine.

  • Nope.

    You can greet guests beforehand. Be in the room already. Walk in together. Sit for parts of it. Stand. Move.

    It’s your ceremony.

    We spend time together working out what feels right for you both.

  • One.

    You are my only couple on a wedding day.

    Always.

  • A celebrant wedding ceremony may last for 35 minutes.

    It actually takes anywhere between 20 and 25 hours to create and lead your ceremony.

    Meeting you both, creating every single word of your ceremony, working out your vibe, finding readings, curating your vows and then delivering your ceremony on the day.

    With a registrar you choose one of three standard scripts. Your names are dropped in. They turn up at your venue (or you use their venue), then they disappear onto the next wedding.

    I’m there two hours before, I check in with you, your venue team, I speak with the photographer and then I lead your ceremony. Only yours on that day. No-one else’s.

Planning a celebration of life? Start here.

Things you may be thinking about when planning a Celebration of Life. About whether you “should” do something after direct cremation. About how to make it happen properly.

Read on.

  • Any time.

    There is no deadline. No “too soon”. No “should have done it by now”.

    Some families gather a few weeks later.
    Some wait months.
    Some wait until it feels possible to be in the same room together.

    The right time is when it feels right for you – not when the calendar says so.

  • Not necessarily – it depends what stage you’re at.

    A Funeral Director’s job is to take care of the practical and legal side of things – making sure someone’s body is handled properly and respectfully.

    If a direct cremation has already taken place, that’s usually where their role ends.

    If you’d like to gather people afterwards for a Celebration of Life, you can absolutely organise that yourself and contact a Celebrant directly.

    Some Funeral Directors do have good networks and may suggest Celebrants they work with – which can be helpful. But you’re completely free to choose someone yourself too.

    And honestly, that’s often the best approach.

    A Celebration of Life is about the person you loved – their stories, their personality, their people. Finding a Celebrant who feels like the right fit for them (and for you) makes all the difference.

  • Wherever feels right.

    One of the freedoms after a direct cremation is that you’re not tied to a chapel or timetable. It could be a golf club, a hall, a garden, a hotel – somewhere grand or completely everyday.

    I’ve got a few good venues up my sleeve (big arms), and I’m happy to help you find the right space.

  • I specialise in celebrations of life outside the traditional funeral model – after direct cremation, or as living celebrations.

    My work begins after the formal bit, or instead of it altogether.
    In pubs, gardens, halls, homes, beaches, fields.

    If you’re looking for a chapel service, there are many wonderful local celebrants in the Warwickshire area who create beautiful heart felt ceremonies. Your local Funeral Director will be able to recommend someone, or you can choose a Celebrant directly.

  • A living celebration of life happens before someone has died.

    It’s a chance to gather people, share stories, and mark a life together – with the person at the centre involved in how it’s shaped.

  • Wherever feels right – and wherever is practical.

    If someone is well enough to travel, it can be in a favourite venue, a garden, a hall or somewhere that means something.

    If there are medical needs, it can take place in a hospice, a care home or at home.

    The setting should feel comfortable and manageable.

    I work around what’s possible.

  • First, we have a 30-minute coffee or Zoom to see if I’m the right person to hold your celebration.

    If it feels like a fit, we meet again soon after and spend proper time talking – about your loved one, or about your own life if it’s a living celebration. The stories. The character. The music. The people who might want to be involved.

    Then I go away and write the ceremony.

    If someone in the family would like to give a eulogy, I can help shape it, write it with them, or leave that part entirely in your hands.

    You’ll have the chance to review the script. Some families like to see everything. Others prefer to be surprised. We work in the way that feels right for you.

    On the day, I arrive at least 60 minutes before the celebration to make sure everything is organised and steady.

    Then I lead the ceremony – including friends and family as you wish.

  • Any day of the week. Any time of day.

    You’re not tied to crematorium timetables or fixed slots. Morning, afternoon or evening, weekend, weekday or bank holiday – it can happen when it suits the people who matter most.

Any more questions?

I offer everyone a free 30 min chat. You can ask me anything, and you can see if I could be the celebrant for you.

Fill in the form, give me a call, ping me a message on WhatsApp to 07799848074, or send me an email becky@beckymcelebrant.com.

Whatever is best for you.