PlANNING YOUR CEREMONY
Free Consultation
This will be around a 30 minute meeting (often longer once we get chatting!) to share information. It can be done face-to-face, via video call (such as Zoom), or telephone.
I'll find out some key information about you both, and ask what you're looking for in your ceremony. Don't worry if you haven't got many ideas at this stage; I'm happy to make suggestions if you want them! I'll tell you about what I can offer as a celebrant and hopefully I'll match with what you're looking for.
If you decide to book your ceremony with me, I'll do a little happy dance, then I'll reserve your date and take a deposit. If you haven't got a date or venue, I'll wait until you do before booking you in.
Welcome pack
Once your booking is confirmed, I'll send a welcome pack which will include:
- a planning questionnaire for the two of you to fill in together, before our first planning meeting
- a couples' questionnaire sent to each of you to find out a bit more about what you love about each other (no peeking!)
- access to the clients' page of my website, where you'll find links to resources to help write your vows and choose readings.
First Planning Meeting
This is best done at your venue where possible, but I'm happy to meet at your home or your favourite bar or café . We'll discuss the planning questionnaire that you've filled in, and I'll guide you throiugh any areas you're not sure about.
We'll discuss what you want to include in your ceremony, such as symbolic actions, readings, music and vows. We'll talk about the key people you want involved in the ceremony. We'll also discuss logistics such as seating, entrances and exits.
After this meeting, I'll send a draft schedule for your ceremony. I'll start working on my script too. If you're writing your own vows, now is a good time to get started; I can help you with this if you wish.
Draft script
Once you've made your second payment, I'll send you the first draft of your ceremony script, and vows if required. Ideally this will be at least three months beforehand to allow time for revisions.
It's important that we get the details right, so I'll ask you to check things like the spellings of names, the wording of readings, and the version of songs that you'd like to use.
You can make as many revisions as you like up to the final planning meeting, either by phone, email or face-to-face.
Script review meeting
Once you've had chance to look at the script, we'll meet up in person to go through it. Remember that it's a work in progress and will probably go through several revisions between now and the big day.
If we haven't met at your venue yet, now is a good time. I can help you with your vows, readings and other ceremony content if you need it.
We may need another meeting before the final one - any excuse for a day out!
Final planning meeting
This will take place around a month before your ceremony and will give us chance to talk through the schedule, script and vows, and revise them if needed.
If you've got friends and family involved in the ceremony, it's a good idea for me to meet them beforehand to make sure we're all familiar with the details. Plus I love getting to know people!
After the final planning meeting, I'll prepare the final version of your ceremony script, which you'll receive a copy of afterwards. I'll also send a copy to your venue and photographer so that they know what's going to be happening.
Your final payment will be due one month before the ceremony.
Don't worry if you need to make any last-minute changes; life is full of surprises! As long as they're not major revisions, I can include them right up until the big day .
Final review and sign-off
A week or two before ypur ceremony, we'll have one last meeting. As you'll probably be crazy busy by this point, I'm happy to do it via a phone or video call.. I'll ask you to complete a sign-off form to confirm you're happy with everything in the final version of the script and schedule.
If you do need to make any last-minute changes, don't worry. One of my couples asked me to announce in their ceremony that they'd sold their house the day before the wedding!
I'll be right there at the end of the phone if you need me up until the big day. And I'll bury a sausage for you the night before!
Rehearsal (optional, fee £75)
This can take place around two to seven days before the ceremony and is a chance for you and any friends and family involved to 'walk through' key parts of the ceremony with me.
It won't include everything; we'll save the magic for the big day! But it will help everyone involved to know their cues and where they need to be.
A rehearsal isn't essential but it could be useful if you have a large number of people, or if any of the wedding party are nervous about the ceremony. It's also a good opportunity to practice using microphones if you've opted to. We can make last-minute revisions to my script and your vows at this stage.
The ceremony - your big day!
Photo Credit: Aaron Cole Photography
On the day itself I'll turn up early and check out the venue. I'll liaise with venue staff and suppliers to make sure everything is in place. If you have a wedding planner or coordinator, I'll let them get on with their job and won't step on their toes!
I can meet with you (separately or together) before the ceremony to go through the final details, answer any last-minute questions and calm any nerves.
A typical ceremony will last around 30 minutes, but I can adapt the length to suit you. After the ceremony, I'll bid you farewell and let you get on with your celebrations (unless you want me to stay!) I'll present you with a souvenir script and certificate - and big hugs of course!