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About
On Hitched.co.uk since 2024
Last update: December 2025
Hello from Hand On Heart Celebrant, Debra Massey.
I love my job creating bespoke ceremonies filled with love, laughter and memorable moments for my clients!
In the lead-up to your wedding, I will meet you face to face, 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, mean the writing and presentation of your ceremony will be crafted to a high standard. As someone who was previously an award-winning primary teacher, I love including children as well as adult guest participation. 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 being fully qualified as an Independent Civil Celebrant, therefore able to incorporate global influences, I am happy to include religious or non-religious content to encompass exciting and interesting enrichment opportunities for each ceremony.
Please have a look at my recent google reviews: https://g.co/kgs/NykaZEg
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 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 remarriage to surprise unsuspecting guests, to fairy tale 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, have a look at the photos here to see what your Hand On Heart Celebrant can offer you on your day. I also have an outdoor wedding in the grounds of a villa for a summer wedding and another in a vineyard, already booked for 2025. I have excellent contacts with suppliers to meet your other needs if you are looking for inspiration.
Dream big - and do get in touch, as I would love to bring those dreams to a reality.
Let's chat further soon!
Debra Massey, your Hand on Heart Celebrant is based in Hertford, Hertfordshire.
- 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
Served in
Essex, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire
Do you have any questions?
Reviews for Hand On Heart Celebrant
Marina Sent on 01/06/2025
5 out of 5 rating
Exactly what we hoped for and more
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect celebrant for our wedding day. From our very first meeting, Debs made us feel completely at ease, taking the time to get to know us and understand our story. The ceremony was heartfelt, beautifully delivered, and felt truly personal — exactly what we hoped for and more.
She guided us with care and professionalism through every step of the process, offering helpful suggestions while always making sure our wishes were the priority. On the day itself, Debs spoke with warmth, sincerity, and just the right touch of humor, creating a joyful and emotional atmosphere that resonated with us and our guests.
Many of our friends and family commented on how moving and meaningful the ceremony was. It was a moment we’ll treasure forever, and we’re so grateful to Debs for playing such an important role in it.
Thank you for making our special day truly unforgettable.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Richard & Marina
25/05/2025
She guided us with care and professionalism through every step of the process, offering helpful suggestions while always making sure our wishes were the priority. On the day itself, Debs spoke with warmth, sincerity, and just the right touch of humor, creating a joyful and emotional atmosphere that resonated with us and our guests.
Many of our friends and family commented on how moving and meaningful the ceremony was. It was a moment we’ll treasure forever, and we’re so grateful to Debs for playing such an important role in it.
Thank you for making our special day truly unforgettable.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Richard & Marina
25/05/2025
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 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..!
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 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!
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!
Cassie Sent on 29/08/2025
5 out of 5 rating
Joseph and Cassie’s Wedding
Debs truly is an amazing celebrant guided us through the whole process and made us feel at ease every step of the way. She truly made our day so special and all our family and friends absolutely loved her. She made a fantastic bond with our little boy who was very nervous and anxious about speaking or standing with an audience and made him feel at such ease on our special day whilst still making sure he was included and still a big part of our ceremony which was so important for us. Along with suggestions that we hadn’t thought of such as lemoncello being part of our ceremony toast to celebrate the new Mr and Mrs. I could not recommend debs enough and we are so grateful for all her help and support on our big day. Xxx
Kama Sent on 29/08/2025
5 out of 5 rating
Harry and Kama’s wedding
My husband and I got married in July and were lucky enough to have Debs as our celebrant. I first met Debs a year prior to our wedding while she was hosting a wedding at my works location. A beautiful day in the woods for the lucky couple and a laugh with Debs after a dog smashed part of the display, I asked Debs for her contact details as we knew we wanted something similar for our big day. Throughout the year building up to our big day, Debs was amazing, keeping in contact, ensuring everything happened in the way needed and in time for the big day. It was such a pleasure to share our story with Debs and she relayed this perfectly to our guests on our big day. As we got engaged in Denmark, we wanted to include a Danish tradition or something Danish. Debs helped us to decide on creating an adapted version of a wishing tree, with individual LEGO, flowers created by each guest with a messaged tagged for us to keep forever. She went above and beyond to ensure our special day was very special indeed. Debs even handmade an oath stone for us to use as a memento to remain in our wedding location forever (we tossed this ceremoniously into the lake).
Rosanna Sent on 26/08/2025
5 out of 5 rating
A ceremony full of love, laughter and personal touches!
We were so lucky to have Debs as our celebrant for our wedding in May. From the very beginning she put so much care and effort into making our ceremony truly personal and meaningful. She went above and beyond to make sure every detail reflected us as a couple – even including our beloved dogs, who are such a big part of our lives, and ensuring our daughter was right at the heart of it all.
Debs even created beautiful bespoke stationery for the ceremony, which made everything feel extra special and unique to us. Her kindness, patience, and calm manner really shone through from start to finish, helping us feel relaxed and present in the moment.
We had so many comments from our guests about how lovely and heartfelt the ceremony was, and that is all down to Debs. She has such a warm and thoughtful way of connecting with people, and we couldn’t have wished for a better celebrant. She truly made our day unforgettable.
Debs even created beautiful bespoke stationery for the ceremony, which made everything feel extra special and unique to us. Her kindness, patience, and calm manner really shone through from start to finish, helping us feel relaxed and present in the moment.
We had so many comments from our guests about how lovely and heartfelt the ceremony was, and that is all down to Debs. She has such a warm and thoughtful way of connecting with people, and we couldn’t have wished for a better celebrant. She truly made our day unforgettable.
Penny Sent on 14/07/2025
5 out of 5 rating
Simply wonderful Celebrant!
Oh where to start?! Debs is an absolute delight, we nearly missed out as she was booked up, but following up on a later recommendation, thankfully, she was flexible enough to fit us in the schedule based on the progress made with other weddings that month. Her professionalism is outstanding, always making sure that she protects the service and support provided to her couples. As it turns out we were quite late getting organised with circa 3 months til the wedding when we booked our Hand on Heart Celebrant. Eek!
Debs was both inspiring and supportive of us in producing or deciding on the material needed for our ceremony. Providing ideas, constructive feedback, and importantly deadlines - to keep us on track. Coming up with the content is not as simple as I thought. She guided us all the way.
There were some great ideas for focal points in the ceremony, including a Sand Ceremony which is quite unusual from what we heard, being two families coming together with younger children, this was a great symbolic gesture involving everyone. The kids loved it!
The order of events, stage directions, walk-through at the venue, everything meticulously planned by Debs. Even down to finding a coordinating outfit so as not to clash with key guests.
On the day, arriving in good time to say 'hey' to us, deal with questions, reassure, give a lovely hug... it all went perfectly. We've had such amazing feedback, it was exactly what we dreamed, and it was all brought to life by Debs, our wonderful Hand on Heart Celebrant.
Image credit: © Nicki Shea Photography –www.nickisheaphotography.co.uk
- there's another amazing supplier, we really had the dream team!
Debs was both inspiring and supportive of us in producing or deciding on the material needed for our ceremony. Providing ideas, constructive feedback, and importantly deadlines - to keep us on track. Coming up with the content is not as simple as I thought. She guided us all the way.
There were some great ideas for focal points in the ceremony, including a Sand Ceremony which is quite unusual from what we heard, being two families coming together with younger children, this was a great symbolic gesture involving everyone. The kids loved it!
The order of events, stage directions, walk-through at the venue, everything meticulously planned by Debs. Even down to finding a coordinating outfit so as not to clash with key guests.
On the day, arriving in good time to say 'hey' to us, deal with questions, reassure, give a lovely hug... it all went perfectly. We've had such amazing feedback, it was exactly what we dreamed, and it was all brought to life by Debs, our wonderful Hand on Heart Celebrant.
Image credit: © Nicki Shea Photography –www.nickisheaphotography.co.uk
- there's another amazing supplier, we really had the dream team!
Expensiveyellowconfetti269 Sent on 04/06/2025
5 out of 5 rating
Absolutely amazing!
Thanks to Debs we had the perfect ceremony. She guided us through every part of it and made it so personal to us. She also included our children which made them feel so special. Debs also kept in contact from the start which was so reassuring and is so easy to talk to. We would recommend Debs 100%! She made our day so special. Thank you Debs xxx
Yasmin Sent on 02/09/2024
5 out of 5 rating
A beautiful multi-day and multicultural service!
My husband and I had the most magical wedding thanks to Debra. Our original celebrant had to cancel 6 days before our wedding, and on extremely short notice Debra agreed to be our celebrant and essentially saved our wedding! From the outset, Debra's warmth, professionalism and speedy communication put me at total ease and I was comforted knowing our wedding was in good hands.
We had a multi-day, multicultural wedding involving a traditional Western wedding and a South Asian wedding celebration, and Debra delivered two beautiful services that my husband and I now count as the best days of our lives. Numerous guests remarked on how beautifully the ceremonies had been delivered, with my bridesmaid even telling me that Debra's delivery and the care she lavished over our days had inspired her to look into a career as a celebrant herself!
Debra provided us with a two bespoke, personal services with unwavering dedication and respect to the representation of both cultures. She coordinated our services with precision and led both a handfasting and ring warming ceremony with effortless grace. She is a fantastic orator and brought a passion and joyfulness that was felt by all guests at our wedding. And on top of that, her warmth and sense of heartfelt investment in ensuring our days went perfectly was deeply appreciated.
We could not recommend Debra more, anyone would be lucky to have her as their Celebrant.
We had a multi-day, multicultural wedding involving a traditional Western wedding and a South Asian wedding celebration, and Debra delivered two beautiful services that my husband and I now count as the best days of our lives. Numerous guests remarked on how beautifully the ceremonies had been delivered, with my bridesmaid even telling me that Debra's delivery and the care she lavished over our days had inspired her to look into a career as a celebrant herself!
Debra provided us with a two bespoke, personal services with unwavering dedication and respect to the representation of both cultures. She coordinated our services with precision and led both a handfasting and ring warming ceremony with effortless grace. She is a fantastic orator and brought a passion and joyfulness that was felt by all guests at our wedding. And on top of that, her warmth and sense of heartfelt investment in ensuring our days went perfectly was deeply appreciated.
We could not recommend Debra more, anyone would be lucky to have her as their Celebrant.
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