Charlotte Simpson Ceremonies

You mean weddings? Hell yes! #youdontneedtoaskhere

A registrar is a government official who performs legal marriage ceremonies in licensed venues. They must use specific contractual wording and they cannot allow any spiritual or religious content in their marriage ceremonies. A celebrant is a very different beast to a government official! A celebrant is a writer, a listener and a performer - trained in the art of ceremony - who will get to know you before your wedding and then create a unique ceremony, just for you - from scratch. Because a celebrant-led wedding ceremony isn’t legally binding, if you choose a celebrant you are absolutely free to do whatever you want (so long as it’s legal and your venue allows it).

A good celebrant-led wedding is as real as it gets because you won’t speak a single word or make a single vow that doesn’t come directly from your own hearts. But it’s not a legal ceremony. Most couples pop to their local register office a day or two before the big day to complete the paperwork. In my local register office, in Cheshire East, the fee for this is £50. You can do it in a few minutes, wearing jeans and t-shirts.

My 2019 fee for a wedding ceremony anywhere in the UK is £950. My fee for destination weddings anywhere in Europe is £1,450. For destinations further afield, just ask for a quote.  All prices are fully inclusive of expenses and travel.

No. A celebrant is a bit different from a Humanist because we’re truly independent. Our ceremonies are about your beliefs; not ours. So, whereas Humanists won’t include anything spiritual or religious in their ceremonies, an independent celebrant will write a ceremony that reflects your beliefs. Many celebrant ceremonies are completely non-religious but we’re also happy to include music, poetry, prayers and rituals from any religion or spiritual belief system - if that’s what you want.

Absolutely! There are dozens of rituals and traditions from around the world you can weave into your wedding ceremony - from jumping the broom to lighting a unity candle or breaking bread together. We can also create new rituals - that are unique to you. Talk to me if there’s a part of your story that you’d like to bring into your ceremony with an original ceremonial act. This could be something as simple as lighting a candle to represent a loved one who can’t share your day with you; or it could be something really innovative and different that makes your ceremony feel more memorable and personal.

Absolutely. There are loads of different ways to bring your own vows into your wedding ceremony and you're in charge. If you want to do it all on your own, that's brilliant. If you'd like me to help in any way, I'd love to.

Everything! Included in your wedding fee, you will get: UNLIMITED CONTACT WITH ME: That's usually a mixture of face-to-face or Skype meetings, phone calls and emails. My lines of communication are always open, so you can share your wedding ideas and vision with me and I can really get to know the two of you. This is the magic that makes a celebrant wedding so special and personal! The contact continues once I've started writing your ceremony script: you'll see every draft and if you want to make any changes or you come up with a new idea, you can have as many rewrites as it takes. Nothing about my service is limited or rationed, because you only get one chance to get your wedding ceremony just right.  A UNIQUE, BESPOKE CEREMONY SCRIPT - WRITTEN JUST FOR YOU: Your ceremony will be fully bespoke. It can be any length, any style, any format and you can include as many ceremony enhancements as you like (no extra charges for handfastings, unity candles, sand ceremonies etc or for me to help you create your own unique vows). Every ceremony I write is different - my style is really your style - but the added value I bring is that I am a real storyteller; so if you'd like me to talk about how you met or your proposal story or the moment when you knew you'd found The One - with my background in creative writing, theatre and radio, I will tell your love story like nobody else could. AN EXQUISITE RECORD OF YOUR CEREMONY: When we work together to create your unique ceremony, we'll talk about what little keepsakes you'd like to help you remember your day. After the hard mental work of writing story-led ceremonies, it gives me great pleasure to hand-make beautiful stationery for all my couples. You'll receive your whole ceremony script, hand-bound in a bespoke, hardback book and, if they're appropriate for your ceremony, I'll also make other keepsakes such as vow books for each of you or a bespoke wedding certificate (not a legal document - but rather a beautiful, commemorative certificate that you can sign at your ceremony and frame afterwards). VENUE VISITS AND WEDDING REHEARSALS: I'm always happy to come and meet couples at their chosen venue and/or to hold a wedding rehearsal if that's necessary (not everyone wants or needs one, but they're a good idea if you're going for something complicated with lots of movement/speakers/interactivity). YOUR CELEBRANT, THERE BY YOUR SIDE, ON YOUR WEDDING DAY: When the big day arrives, I'll be there early to make sure everything is set up perfectly and every detail is double checked. If your venue doesn't provide a speaker system, I'll bring one. I will be absolutely present for you on your wedding day; I'll welcome your guests, make sure everyone knows where they're meant to be and - when we're ready to go - I'll lead your service with warmth, confidence and professionalism.