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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2024

Last update: April 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 notebook

Do you have any questions?

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
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!
Cassie
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
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).
R
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.
Penny
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!
Expensiveyellowconfetti269
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
Marina
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
P
Phi Sent on 20/05/2025
5 out of 5 rating

A Dream Ceremony

We chose Debs to deliver our special ceremony, and are delighted with the care, attention to detail and consideration she gave us. Not only did Debs take time to learn about us as a couple, but she added extra finishing touches to both our printed wedding scripts, vows and certificates. Debs paid careful attention to the needs of our family, ensuring that everyone felt included and involved on the day. Additionally, Debs made recommendations for other providers, like our dog chaperone, which proved invaluable. We would not hesitate to recommend Debs for your special day.
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