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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2024

Last update: September 2026

Hi from Debs, your Hand On Heart Celebrant, Debra Massey.

❤️ I love creating bespoke ceremonies filled with love, laughter and memorable moments, each unique for every couple!

🩷 In the lead-up to your wedding, I will meet you, with no obligation, simply to listen to your dreams for your wedding ceremony and to see if I can help.

🧡 My background as a published author, experienced national public speaker, and qualified executive coach, means the writing and presentation of your ceremony will be crafted to an exceptionally high standard.

💛 As a previously an award-winning primary teacher, I love including children as well as adult guest participation in creative ways.

💚 From a selection of attached photos, you will see pets have also had starring roles.

💙 Draft scripts, with support for vows and readings, as required, will be interwoven around your personal love story and preferences.

🩵 Many unity symbolic actions, such as handfasting, a leap of faith, and cocktail mixing, can also be included in your bespoke ceremony - to mention but three of endless possibilities!

💜As well as a highly qualified Independent Civil Celebrant, I can incorporate global influences, I am happy to include religious or non-religious content to encompass exciting and interesting enrichment opportunities for each ceremony.

🩷 I am recently qualified for full unscripted pagan ceremonies if of interest.

💫 Please have a look at my recent 5 star reviews!

❤️ No two are the same, and no love story is a repeat of someone else's, so why wouldn't you want a personalised ceremony for the happiest day of your life?

🌈 Having already planned and executed many weddings for brides and grooms including members of the LBGTQ+ community, I celebrate love in every form, wherever, whenever, and however your dream ceremony needs to be.

🌳 From an intimate forest setting for an elopement, to a re-marriage, surprising unsuspecting guests, to fairytale larger and more traditionally set weddings, your day can be your way, wherever and whenever you want it to happen.

🏰 If you have a large-scale event in a licensed setting or a rustic wedding in the countryside, an outdoor wedding in the grounds of a villa or vineyard, we've got this.

🧚‍♀️ Dream big - let the magic begin, in a process which is relaxed and flexible around work and family.

Let's chat further soon!

Debs

  • Woman-owned

Frequently asked questions

Language:

English
French
German

Religion:

Anglican
Baptist
Buddhism
Catholicism
Hinduism
Islam
Judaism
Methodist
Mormon
Orthodox
Protestant
Sikhism
Non-religious/humanist

Type:

Celebrant
Officiant
Master of ceremonies
Toastmaster

Served in

Essex, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire

illustration question

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Reach out about anything you didn't see answered here—no question is too small!

Reviews for Hand On Heart Celebrant

Matthew
Matthew Sent on 12/04/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Sarah and Matt Wedding

From the very first meeting, we knew we’d found someone special in Debs. She wasn’t just our wedding celebrant, she was so much more than that, she became an intrinsic part of our journey and, truly, part of our family. Her honesty, humour, and genuine care shone through every moment of the process. We could be completely ourselves with her, raw, honest, emotional, and she welcomed it all with patience and compassion, which will always be treasured, especially during times of emotional distress that planning a wedding can cause, ours certainly had its fair share!
What stood out most was how she put our family, and especially our children, at the very heart of the ceremony. Every word, every gesture, felt personal and meaningful. She listened carefully to our story and wove it into a ceremony that reflected us perfectly, warm, joyful, fun and full of love.
Her professionalism and meticulous attention to detail gave us such confidence; we knew we were in the best hands. Yet beyond her remarkable organisation and skill, it was her kindness that touched us most. She guided us gently, laughed with us often, and cared deeply about creating something authentic, fun and deeply meaningful.
We can’t imagine our wedding day without her. Debs is someone we will always hold close, and we feel so lucky to have had her not just as our celebrant, but as we hope a friend for life. We would recommend anyone looking for a celebrant to secure the amazing abilities and skills of Debs. Thank you for everything Debs x
L
Lucy Sent on 02/09/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Lucy and George wedding

We couldn’t recommend debs enough♥️, she’s an amazing, caring, organised celebrant who helped create the most amazing ceremony and made our love story feel so personal and also included all of our friends and family. We couldn’t have done it without debs, she made our day stress free and the most memorable day ever. Thank you debs 😊xx
Lydie
Lydie Sent on 18/08/2026
5 out of 5 rating

A celebrant with passion and creativity !

From the moment I met Debra, I knew she was different. She was warm, engaging and passionate, with so many wonderful ideas to make our vow renewal truly individual and special.

We had a very clear theme for our day, Musical Theater, and our ceremony was certainly not going to be run of the mill! It included performances from our family, professional dancers and plenty of singing along the way. Debra embraced every idea and added her own suggestions, advice and creativity throughout.

After many drafts, we finally got there and the ceremony ran perfectly. Debra's attention to detail is incredible. She leaves absolutely nothing to chance, from colour schemes and timings to exactly who says what and when. Everything is scripted and crystal clear for everyone involved. She even coordinated calls with our photographer and wedding planner to make sure everything ran seamlessly.

Our day was amazing, and Debra delivered our love story with confidence, warmth and humour. She interacted with our guests beautifully, which was exactly what we wanted.

If you are looking for someone with passion, energy, creativity and incredible attention to detail, I genuinely cannot recommend Debra highly enough. ❤️
K
Karl Sent on 31/07/2026
5 out of 5 rating

A truly bespoke celebration of our love

Debs is a warm, open, intuitive, friendly, kind, considerate, capable and scrupulously professional celebrant. From our first meeting with her, we both knew that she would be able to give us the individual ceremony we both wanted. She absolutely delivered on that. I am in awe of how she managed to pull all the information she gathered together into a wonderful love story, that she told us and all our guests on the day. She held everyone spellbound and set such a wonderful tone for the rest of our day. All of that would warrant a 5 star review, but she offered us so much more. She was responsive and attentive throughout the whole journey whilst being clear and firm (when required!) with her communication. The whole service she gave us was so much more than just the service on the day. Liaison with our venue, brilliant organisational skills and wonderful keepsakes of our special day all came, wrapped up in her special Debs sauce. It is clear that she loves what she does and she made us feel special every step of the way. One of the best decisions we have ever made.
Carolyn
Carolyn Sent on 13/07/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Lee & Carolyn wedding!!

We cant recommend Debs highly enough! Honoured to have had you on our journey ❤️ you truly made our day stress-free and such a happy time! You listened to us and really heard our love story. Fate brought our paths together through a friend and then our beautiful journey began together ❤️ Thankyou for everything, you truly made our wedding a magical day ❤️
C
Charlotte Sent on 26/06/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing!! 🤩🤩

Wow!! This woman is amazing!! 🤩 from the moment we had our first zoom call we knew we wanted Debs to be our celebrant for the wedding. We are both shy people but after talking to her we instantly felt comfortable talking to her. She took her time to understand how my partner and I met and really listened to us both. We have been different work patterns and Debs fully understood this from the start. Any questions or anything we was worried about we were able to talk to Debs and explain every so we understood what was happening. Debs did the ceremony so well afterward most of our guests were saying how lovely it was and so personalised to my partner and I. She is so caring and thoughtful she made sure my partner was okay and before I come down the isle she came to see me to making sure I was okay too. The hand fasting and the oathing stone are so lovely and lovely memories to have of the ceremony 🥰 we absolutely loved having Debs as our celebrant!! We can’t thank Debs enough for everything she did 🥰🤩
Janet
Janet Sent on 18/05/2026
5 out of 5 rating

The Fairy Godmother of all Fairy Godmothers

Paul and I could not have asked for a more dedicated and sincere celebrant for our marriage.
Debs is worth her weight in gold and delivers in every way imaginable.
She is eloquent, gracious, empathetic, humorous and completely present in both mind and body.
She is the fairy godmother of all fairy godmothers.
Weddings can be tricky at the best of times and dealing simultaneously with bereavement, they can be even trickier. Debs smoothed the cobbled path for us and sprinkled it in fairy dust.
She helped us navigate a series of sad events and stayed constant in the run up to our taking of vows.
In conversation we often had to decide who was going to first come up for air as we both have the gift of the gab, but as Paul humorously pointed out – you two never stop talking – it’s as if you are twins who were separated at birth.
Paul and I highly recommend Debs. And her husband Graham is the perfect companion, a charming sidekick and true gentleman.
Thank you both sincerely, from the both of us.
Janet & Paul x
Glenn
Glenn Sent on 11/05/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Outstanding service and so heart felt

Debs has been the most supportive and incredible celebrant. She has gone above and beyond what you could ask for. Debs gets to know you both as people and listens to your love story. Supports you with family dynamics as we all know they appear when weddings pop up. Debs made our ceremony so personal, everyone commented on how amazing she was. There were some tears (happy ones of course) and a lot of laughter. We had a sand ceremony at our wedding to include the children we care about so much and Debs took care of all of this. You will not regret booking Debs for your big day, she looks after you the whole way through, highly recommend
L
Lauren Sent on 14/04/2026
5 out of 5 rating

20th Anniversary Vow Renewal

A five star service from beginning to end. Debs ensured that our day was magical with a personalised ceremony especially tailored to our personalities and family values. Her communication was spot on from the start ensuring that we had all the information we needed and we didn’t worry about anything.

We have two neurodiverse children and she knew just what to say to them and how to include them without making them anxious in anyway. I would recommend Debs to anyone who wants that special ceremony without any hassle.

Nicolette
Nicolette Sent on 01/04/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Simply the best

We feel incredibly lucky to have found Deb's as our wedding celebrant. From the very first meeting, at a wedding fair we connected instantly it felt like it was ment to be. She has really helped to reassure us during what can be such a busy and emotional time, especially with me being unable to hand over control easily.
Throughout the entire planning process, Debra has been nothing short of amazing. She took the time to truly get to know us and our family and to understand our story, and use that information to help shape a ceremony that felt personal, meaningful, and completely “us.” Her warmth, professionalism, and genuine enthusiasm made every interaction a pleasure.
Debra was always available to answer questions, offer guidance, and calm any nerves we had along the way. Her attention to detail and dedication really shone through, and it made such a difference knowing we were in such capable hands.
On the day itself, she helped Ed to steady his nerves and spoke him through each step helping to calm him down. She delivered a beautiful ceremony that we and our guests will never forget. It struck the perfect balance of heartfelt, engaging, and memorable. We couldn’t recommend Debra more highly. If you’re looking for someone who truly cares and will go above and beyond to make your ceremony special, she is absolutely the one.
K
Kerys Sent on 01/02/2026
5 out of 5 rating

From the Bottom of Our Hearts; Thank You, Debbie

We met Debbie at the Chelmsford Wedding Fair and instantly felt a connection, so we booked her there and then for our New Year’s Eve wedding. From the very beginning she was everything we could have hoped for; organised, supportive and always one step ahead, which gave us so much confidence and calm throughout the whole process.

Our day was truly perfect and looking back, so many things made it special, Debbie was absolutely one of them. She didn’t feel like a supplier at all, she felt like part of the family. Debbie made everything feel so natural and relaxed, even putting my very nervous husband completely at ease.

Thank you for everything, Debbie; you are so much more than a celebrant. Thank you not only for creating such a beautiful ceremony, but for guiding us, keeping us organised and helping us write vows that felt truly us. We would recommend Hand on Heart Celebrant from the bottom of our hearts and sincerely hope we get to attend another wedding one day where Debbie is the celebrant.
Sam
Sam Sent on 03/12/2025
5 out of 5 rating

The Sams super personal and inclusive ceremony

Debs went above and beyond to help us create a truly personal wedding. We had an unconventional ceremony as 2 lesbian brides. Our party and guests are all neurodiverse and Debs worked with us so the day went as smooth as possible. She engaged with our children before hand so they knew the plan and were comfortable, created a certificate for them and our tiny dog (who was the ring bearer) to sign. She came up with brilliant ideas with an oathing stone and love letter exchange. She was wonderful and reassuring throughout the whole process, allowing us to message her when we needed. She checked in, amazing with time keeping and helping us stay on track. She worked really well with our venue and photographer to ensure everyone knew the plan. Honestly couldn’t have picked anyone better for our wedding! Would highly recommend for an inclusive ceremony. She is a so warm and kind, thank you Debs x
Sam
Sam Sent on 01/10/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Smiles all Round

Debs is so lovely. She's got so much energy and takes so much care in how things go on the day. We worked together on a wedding shoot recently, and even then, had meticulously planned some very sentimental vows that brought a few tears. Would thoroughly recommend her, hand on heart..!
K
Katy Sent on 23/09/2025
5 out of 5 rating

The Celebrant every Bride needs

I cannot articulate my sincere gratitude to Debs for everything . We met Debs at a wedding show which we had booked that we nearly didn’t attend. The stars aligned and this is where the dynamic of our day changed for the better. The instant reassurance was greatly appreciated as I was such a nervous and overwhelmed bride. I managed to change things to how I wanted it to be and we booked Debs. Her patience, dedication, care and passion was palpable. Debs you were my guardian angel during the whole process and I am so thankful we met you and you were a huge part of our day. Thank you for being simply incredible. We both adore you so so much.❤️
Tim
Tim Sent on 15/09/2025
5 out of 5 rating

A truly wonderful celebrant

We first met Debs at a wedding fayre and immediately knew she would do a wonderful job at our wedding. Debs is full of joy and radiates positivity in her enthusiasm for her role.

Communication in advance of our wedding was clear and structured - Debs kept us on task and on time in a polite but necessarily firm manner.

On the day Debs absolutely delivered. We have had so many comments from our guests about how beautiful our ceremony was - and that is thanks to Debs. Debs was able to pick up on some details of our love story that made her part of our ceremony even more beautiful.

Debs also put a lot of effort into the little details which made it all the more special.

We *highly* recommend Debs to deliver a highly personalised ceremony full of love and joy.

Thank you Debs!
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Hitched Wedding Awards 2026 Winner
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