Myth-busting: It’s not just turning up and reading a script.
There is a full journey from your first enquiry either by phone, looking at the website, or did you see a social media post that caught your eye. It may have been that you attended a ceremony and wondered who it was at the front of the aisle. It could have been that you spoke to someone face to face at a bridal fayre or funeral ceremony. However you heard about us, we are more than just words that we write or read.
The journey begins with us when we train. An independent does not have any affiliation with religion. I work with people of every faith and none. Whatever you believe, or don’t, you’re welcome here. Your ceremony can include prayers, readings, blessings or traditions that matter to you, be completely non-religious, or sit somewhere in between. For funerals, if your loved one had a faith, I’ll honour it. If they had none, I’ll honour that too. And if the family are mixed, we’ll find a way that feels right for everyone in the room. It’s always your call, and I’ll shape the ceremony around what feels true for you.
As independent celebrants - it means just that. We are independent and not fixed to any particular belief systems.
A celebrant is someone who creates and leads a ceremony around you, rather than fitting you into a template. It starts long before the day itself. I get to know you, listen to your story, and work out what you want the ceremony to say and how you want it to feel. Then I write it, shape it with you, and guide you through every detail so nothing is left to chance.
On the day, I stand up front and hold the space, so you can be fully present instead of worrying about what happens next. I don’t handle the legal paperwork, so for weddings the legal side is arranged separately, but everything about the ceremony itself is designed to shape the life or that of your loved one. Whether it’s a wedding, a naming or a funeral, my job is the same: to make sure the ceremony is personal, calm and honest, and that it reflects the people at the heart of it.
We meet you. We gather information. We write often for 10, 12, 15 or 20 hours or so to get the facts right, heart warming moments, funny stories, moments that matter. The highs, the challenges and all that is in between.
People often question the price. It reflects our training, former transferable skills that are relatable, website management costs, printers, equipment such as additional extras such as flower arches, framed certificates or drone services in my case, memberships, accreditations, directories, CPD ongoing trainings, GDPR and ICO registration and often Celebrants gain DBS credit checks too. Perhaps a few more I have not considered.
Some celebrants have had prior learning at degree level with academia and writing skills. Many like myself have had public speaking training including intonation, inflection, pitch, tone, pace, pause, sliences, projection, emphasis, rhythm, articulation, projection and volume. This will include non verbal cues, body language, posture, facial expression, gestures and eye contact. Including how to start speaking, include middle ground topics and endings. Delivering a ceremony calmly and clearly is essential for a positive day! As a breath coach with NLP training these are skills not everyone has, but not always necessary for delivering a speech or ceremony but definitely helps!
Whatever you believe, whatever the occasion, whatever you choose, a celebrant’s job is to make the ceremony yours. You don’t need to have it all figured out before you get in touch. Start the conversation and we can help with the rest.
Sienna Grace Ceremonies - Independent Master Celebrant - Cheshire & Gloucester
