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In September 2020 I decided that I needed a career change and whilst I love my teaching job, delivering meaningful lessons during lockdown was very challenging.
I redirected my efforts into retraining and I became an independent wedding celebrant. Since then, I have grown my Instagram following from 0 to 500 and I have written blogs, taken part in photo shoots, created meaningful content for my website and most importantly I have officiated wedding blessings for my lovely couples in Cornwall and Devon in 2021 and my book is beginning to fill up for 2022 and 2023; and I even have bookings for 2024.
However, whilst I am immersed in the celebrant world, some people I speak to do not know what a wedding celebrant is; I thought I should tell you a little about what a wedding celebrant can do to make your special day extra special.
Independent celebrants are becoming an important part of the wedding planning service.
My name is Sabine and I am a passionate and fun-loving celebrant who is enthusiastic about creating bespoke ceremonies for your most important life events. I love to meet couples like you and love making sure that you have the most amazing and joyous celebration you could dream of.
I am a Cornwall-based celebrant, living near Perranporth on the North coast. Perranporth is famous for its 3-mile-long sandy beach! I have lived in Cornwall for the last 21 years accompanied by my lovely husband Andy and our 2 amazing daughters. I am very open to travelling, if you would want me to join you in another region or abroad.
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers for those who do not know what a celebrant can do to make your ceremony extra special.
WHAT IS A CELEBRANT?
A Celebrant is someone who officiates the welcoming of a new child into the family, all the way up to saying goodbye to a loved one. A celebrant will help you honour anything you want to celebrate or commemorate; any meaningful milestones of life. A celebrant can help facilitate all these rites of passage for you. However, I only officiate happy occasions like marriages, baby naming and anniversary celebrations or anything else where you want to celebrate love and joy.
Now, if you have your hearts set on marrying somewhere a little different, like your back garden, on a train, on a boat, in an enchanted forest or even on the beach, you should choose a celebrant to help you to ‘tie your knot’ just the way you want.
CAN A CELEBRANT LEGALLY MARRY US?
This might be the first question you want to have answered...
In England & Wales, right now, to legally marry you, you will still have to attend a Registry Office and have what is known as a registration of marriage, or a 2+2 ceremony. This is a very basic ceremony between you as a couple, with 2 witnesses and is normally held at your local registry office. No rings or vows need be exchanged and once you have repeated the contractual words after the Registrar ( not many words to reflect your commitment to each other ) and signed the register, you are legally married. This can happen before or after the wedding celebration with your celebrant leaving you to hold the celebration of your commitment and love for each other wherever and however you want!
Remember the ceremony with the Registrar is just a registration and can be viewed in the same way as when you register a birth after the baby is born. You can then have a celebration like naming ceremony or a religious christening.
SO, WHAT WILL I DO FOR YOU?
This is my favourite question!!!!!!
I create bespoke ceremonies for couples at their chosen venues or outdoorsy places. You don’t need to have an enormous budget to hold the wedding that truly reflects you as a couple, all you need is imagination and a celebrant. And no particular structures are needed with an independent celebrant to officiate the ceremony under either, making unlicensed venues are a real possibility with an independent celebrant. I offer 3 different packages for my couples.
From a handfasting to tie the knot or jumping the broom and involving your family members and friends in the back garden, to a lavish ceremony on the shores of your favourite lake or beach; I can accommodate you and your wishes for a bespoke ceremony.
There are plenty of symbolic elements and rituals that can be included into the ceremony, such as: jumping the broom, handfasting, sand ceremonies, cocktail mixing, rose ceremony, tree planting to name but a few… With me, no two ceremonies will ever look the same…and then when you add your personal love story into the mix, and it’s shared with your family and friends, it will inevitably have people laughing, crying, and awwwing along with you. Sometimes your loved ones find out things about you they did not know!
Your ceremony is designed and created for you and with you. From your music choices to the personal vows and readings, the ceremony is yours.
Right from the start I take notes and spend time just thinking about how to structure the ceremony. I love to have face to face or zoom meetings with you throughout the time to continue planning, shaping and creating your ceremony.
Nearer the time of the ceremony, we will plan a rehearsal at the venue, if possible, to ensure the flow of the ceremony. This is included in the price.
I am happy to help with your vows, should you need it. We can work on them together and I’ll even print them off for you so you don't need to worry.
I’m always at your venue at least an hour before the ceremony, doing my last- minute checks and preps and won’t be rushing off because I never book more than one ceremony in a day.
I make sure that you’ll have the most memorable day…all starting with the bespoke and personal ceremony that captures your love story and personalities and your journey so far…
Holly Collings Photography
HOW’S IT ALL GOING TO WORK WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING?
At this moment in time, I have absolutely no idea where things are taking us, all I can say is that I WILL find a way for you to celebrate your love for each other. After all, Covid can not stop couples falling in love!!!
And as a Celebrant I’m already getting my creative head on to consider a plan B and C!
We can still mark the date with a commitment celebration in front of family and friends and still make it unique and memorable for all the right reasons. Your videographer and photographer can even still work wonders with a visual record of the day! We could consider a zoom celebration and we can embrace the technology which we have at our disposal.
Recently, ceremonies have become smaller and more intimate and they are taking place outside or in tipis or marquees… BUT just think of the scope for the right kind of symbolic ritual for these ceremonies, or the settings you could choose. We all need to think outside of the box as we move tentatively forward into 2022 and beyond.
We will be holding weddings, we will be celebrating love, we just need to get a little bit more creative in how we do that…and this is where your celebrant will come in.
So now you know what a Celebrant does would you want to get in touch to see if you want to work with me?
I offer free no obligation consultations and I look forward to discuss your plans for your special day with you and I am sure I can add the special something to make your day extra special.
Warmest wishes,
Sabine
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