Now, if you’ve been investigating all the options for your wedding ceremony, you may well agree with me when I say it’s a bit of a minefield…

The first thing to note is that rules and regulations- or lack thereof, are different in every country, but lets stick with Ireland for now. Again, North vs South- the process is different, two minefields! 

So, lets break it down, lets see if a civil ceremony is for you….First off- what resonates with you most as a couple? A Religious, Registry Office or Civil Ceremony? Lets assume, for the sake of argument, that Option1 is not an option and Option 2 doesn’t really lend that personal vibe that you’re looking for. So, that leaves us with Option 3 and is probably what has brought you here in the first place… 

Well, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are many, many advantages to having a civil ceremony to mark your wedding day but the biggest one, in my opinion, is the ability to do it your own way. As there are little or no rules surrounding a celebration of this kind, there is no need to apply for any special permit or licence to hold the ceremony and for the same reason,as far as location is concerned, the sky really is the limit…but hotels, gardens, beaches and leafy woods are also popular! 

As far as ceremony content is concerned, this is where the bespoke element of what I do really comes to the fore. When it comes to participants, readings, vows, symbolic additions (hand-fastings and sand ceremonies, for example), music and everything in between, it’s completely your choice whether to keep it simple or go all out on it. Civil ceremonies can take place on any day of the week, at any time of the day-or night- and can be as long or as short as the couple need it to be. No restrictions- of any kind. The most important thing is that your wedding ceremony- and indeed the rest of your celebration- is a reflection of you, both as individuals and as a couple. Every wedding/ceremony I create is unique, different, one of a kind. And if wasn’t, I wouldn’t be doing my job…

So what does my service include?

As far as my celebrant services as concerned, from the minute we get your date in my book, I am at your service. However, it’s normally about 6 -8 weeks before the Big Day when we really get our heads together to get your ceremony created. I like to give my couples some of my trusty resources to help the cause- my guide to writing your own vows and a pack of poetry, prose and readings amongst them. And as soon as I’ve got all the info I need from our Big Prep Meet, away I go to weave it all together, working on each one until rehearsal time,which takes place in the days running up to the wedding date.

And then, finally, it’s Your Big Day and there I’ll be – ready to lead you through the ceremony as I wed you to your soulmate.After the knot has been tied and you’ve skipped back down the aisle, I’ll no doubt avail of tea and a biscuit before leaving a presentation copy of your ceremony and any other keepsakes for you to put in your wedding memory box till your anniversary/forever!

In a nutshell, being an independent civil celebrant and event planner means that I lovingly create and deliver bespoke civil ceremonies, including, but not limited to, weddings and baby blessings, renewal of vows and commitment ceremonies.

My job is to take the vision of your dream and make it reality for you, using my knowledge, experience, creativity, resources and contact base.That means working with you from Booking to Big Day to create a ceremony and occasion so personal that it’s unmistakably yours- that you and your friends and family remember a day that was just ‘So You!’