wedding celebrant cumbria

 

Love Knows No Boundaries
 Wedding Ceremonies In Cumbria, the lake district, & southwest scotland

What Can You Tell Me About Your Wedding Ceremonies?

Firstly, it may be important to you to know about the style of ceremony created by me.

I am able to be flexible about the style as people differ widely in their beliefs and requirements.

If conducted in a humanist style, there would be no mention of the divine, Spirit, God etc, or any reference to an alternative reality that exists outside of this one. Your friends and family are your witnesses and what is valued in our world is upheld and recognised. It would still be possible to have readings of divine or religious poetry or from the scriptures of one of the faith paths.

You might prefer a more religious style if one or both of you practices a faith, or if you belong to families where religious beliefs are important. So, you could make your vows ‘before God’, and include traditional prayers, readings and even hymns if you would like to. 

Alternative spiritualities can also be accommodated with appropriate elements as desired. I have officiated a number of ceremonies as a wedding celebrant in Cumbria and South West Scotland, and I am here to discover the perfect ceremony for you.

Over time I have found that couples’ preferences for the type of ceremony they would like can be very varied, according to their style and beliefs.

Do We Have to Use Set Words in Our Ceremony?

There are no set rituals or words used by me to celebrate and consecrate your marriage, and this means that you have the freedom to create a ceremony to suit you, and I am here to help you do that.

At your wedding you can celebrate your own individuality, and also be married in a way that harmonises those particular cultures that have formed and influenced each of you and your families and friends.  Sometimes this is very important, if for example the two of you come from very different backgrounds or cultures.  Whatever is important and distinctive about your life and your relationship, you can have a ceremony that reflects that and truly feels meaningful and personal to you.

Can We Have Just A Simple Ceremony?

Your wedding can be a brief, straightforward, no-fuss ceremony that is perfect for a couple who tends to see their wedding as a private and personal affair, with the understanding that perhaps ‘less is more’. However, your vows, the blessing and a reading may be personalised, and you can include prayers and mentions of particular family members or friends. A ring blessing is usually included too and, of course, the ‘Pronouncement’ that you are married – this is an important condition of your legal wedding in Scotland, and if in England, when you will take part in a separate legal wedding process, we will of course still be making something important of the thrilling nature of this event!

 

Can You Conduct a Legal Marriage?

Your Marriage in England

The marriage ceremony that I create and hold for you in England will not be your legal marriage service. It will be a ceremony of celebration and/or blessing and the great thing is that it can take whatever form you wish, formal or informal, in whatever venue – a hotel, in your or someone else’s home or garden, or out of doors in some other natural setting – wherever you like and with as many or as few witnesses and guests as you like!

To make your marriage legal you will need to attend your local register office on a separate occasion, and there you will exchange some formal words of commitment with your partner and sign the marriage register along with two witnesses.  You will be required to give notice at the register office at least 28 days before your marriage and take certain documents with you to show evidence of your name, age and nationality, and give proof of your current address.  If you have been divorced or widowed you will also need to take the relevant documents demonstrating your status and eligibility for marriage.

For further information on Marriage in England, please click here to download an information sheet.

Your Marriage in Scotland

As an Interfaith Minister I am categorised by the Registrar General of Scotland as a Non-Conformist Minister who can legally conduct your wedding in Scotland.

My responsibility is to ensure that legal requirements are met within the ceremony regarding the vows and commitment you make to each other.  After the vows are made, I will pronounce you married, and then ensure that the marriage papers are signed correctly by yourselves and your witnesses.

However, you will be responsible for ensuring that all legal requirements are met regarding the registration process for your marriage.  This involves each of you filling in a M10 form and submitting it with the necessary documentation to the Register Office closest to the venue where the wedding will take place.  From this information, once processed, your Marriage Schedule will be made up.  This is the Schedule to be signed on the day and it should be picked up in person by one of you from the local Register Office within 7 days of the ceremony and returned to that Office (by you or someone you can rely on) within 3 days afterwards.

Once you have made your application you will be guided by the Registrar. However, you cannot start this process until 3 months of your marriage date, and it must be done by at least 29 clear days beforehand.  I believe this information to be correct as of April 2019, but please remember it is your responsibility to ensure that the legal requirements are met, and you will find it helpful to make yourself aware of what will be required as soon as possible.  For further information here is a link to the National Records of Scotland Office (http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/registration/getting-married-in-scotland/how-do-i-go-about-it).

One difference between the laws regarding marriage in Scotland (compared with the law in England) is that it is the person who is authorised to conduct the marriage, and not the premises.  This means that you do not necessarily have to hold your wedding in Scotland in a place that has been particularly designated as a wedding venue (known as ‘approved premises’ in England) if you choose me (or another authorised minister of religion) to conduct the ceremony. It gives you more freedom of choice as to the location of your wedding, and I would be delighted to conduct your ceremony out of doors or in your home or wherever you might choose (with the permission of the owner of the land/property, of course).


wedding celebrant in cumbria, Diana Raven

If you have any more questions about my wedding celebrant services in Cumbria and Dumfries & Galloway, please get in touch.

 

 

"We’ve had a lot of comments from our guests praising the ceremony and we want to thank you for helping us along with our personalised vows. It really meant a lot to us to be able to include that personal touch."

 

 

Same Sex Marriages

Love knows no boundaries, and I am pleased to offer same-sex couples a wedding ceremony that is meaningful and spiritual. Love, and the conscious human relationship that mirrors our relationship with the divine, is at the heart of the teachings of all the world’s major religions.  Yet somehow, sadly, ‘religious’ conditions and proscriptions seem to have taken hold in those institutions meant to nourish our spirituality, and it is a source of sadness for many lesbian and gay couples that the religious groups that they have a history and an affinity with, do not offer the same opportunity to celebrate and formalise this important life event to same-sex couples that they do to heterosexual ones.

I can create for you, whether you are straight, lesbian or gay, a spiritual or humanist ceremony for your marriage to match the desire of your heart. If you would like further details about my services as a wedding celebrant in Cumbria, the Lake District and South West Scotland, please contact me.
 

"Thank you so much for giving Angus and Neil such a splendid start to their life together and one which they will never forget."

Can we hold a rehearsal?

Normally a rehearsal is not necessary as I would include ‘stage directions’ in the ceremony script, and any questions can be discussed by telephone or even on the day itself. Photographers are usually very experienced at managing the logistics of a wedding ceremony and might be able to give you some advice.  However, if the venue is somewhere you are staying over the weekend, or are able to visit on the afternoon before, I would recommend a walk-through with the bridesmaids, best man and the other key ‘players’ if you are able to get them all together in advance.

If you would like me to be present at your rehearsal, I may charge a little extra for time and travelling.

 

Can you tell me something more about yourself...?

I will of course be there on the special day to conduct your ceremony, and to support you and your guests.  I normally aim to be at your venue between 30 minutes up to one hour beforeheand, depending on how far I will be travelling. 

My supportive presence is certainly one of my strengths and I have received many favourable comments on the serenity and calmness my presence gives to the occasion!  However, this is not my only strength – I am also able to be spontaneous and humorous … and it is sometimes even appropriate to be funny!  Other appropriate skills and strengths I bring to the role of celebrant, is a well-tuned sense of occasion and drama, a clear speaking voice, a pleasing manner and appearance (I have a choice of outfits and stoles, and what I wear can be discussed), and a wealth of life experience and wisdom that impacts in its own way on the occasion.

Please do feel free to contact me to discuss your thoughts and ideas regarding your ceremony and if you have any questions regarding my wedding celebrant services in Cumbria and the South West of Scotland. 

Get in Touch

 

 

 

 

more ideas

 

Many different customs have developed over time to reflect society’s understanding of the commitment of marriage.  You will certainly be declaring your love for each other, and your intention to remain true and faithful, but many couples also include small rituals to symbolise their union.  Most ceremonies include the exchange of rings, but you could also include one of these popular options.

 

  • Drinking together from a quaich or loving cup – read more about
     
Drink a Toast to Your Spouse in the Traditional ...
April 28 2014

Another popular wedding ceremony ritual is one where the couple drink to each other from a tradit...

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  • The holding of a handfasting, where you are symbolically ‘tied’ together with a single cord or ribbon or strip of tartan – or even seven!?
Handfasting
April 15 2016

Handfasting is the origin of the phrase ‘tying the knot’, which means ‘to get married’...

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There is plenty of scope for personalisation in the way that the ritual is enacted, a choice of vows, the blessings over the rings, the final blessing, the reading/s, scope for a musical interlude, or for someone to offer a tribute. This ceremony would be expected to last 20-30 minutes, or longer if you are including music. 

Further ideas might include…

  • The creation of a tribute for you both. By this I mean a short exploration of who each of you is as a person, an individual, and what the focus of your life has been up to this point. This is a good opportunity to take stock and in some sense acknowledge, appreciate and honour what has been achieved to date, in the knowledge that life will be changing for you now when you become part of a ‘married’ couple. 
  • A handfasting may include further elements of a pagan wedding, such as the jumping of the broomstick, a blessing for the Lord and the Lady, and/or the drawing of a sacred circle for you and your guests with the calling in of the elements.
  • A sand ceremony (mingling different colours or textures of sand symbolizing the two of you).
  • A ring-warming ceremony (where the guests ‘warm’ the rings, or other items, for example pebbles or shells, with their own good wishes and love).
  • The exchange of crowns or garlands or other gifts in addition to the rings.
  • The exchange of vows you have created yourselves, or personal declarations of love and any support that is required with this (bearing in mind that your vows may need to fulfil legal requirements)
  • The breaking of glass, commonly done at a Jewish wedding and containing multiple layers of meaning.
  • The inclusion of a procession with musical instruments, drums and flags including the guests before or after the ceremony (perhaps more appropriate out of doors!)
  • A blessing for you as a couple with a willow wand, or by the sprinkling of flower petals or rice; or other special blessings or prayers of blessing.
  • The creation of a minister’s address – traditionally this would be a short talk specifically to the couple. Sometimes couples ask me for something more general, perhaps thought-provoking, perhaps entertaining, to provide an interlude during the ceremony.  Examples of titles of these are The Wedding Charge, The Wedding at Cana, Rites of Passage. These were composed for more formal weddings but if the setting is less formal I can do something more spontaneous.  I would stress that each ‘address’ is created specifically for the couple and the day.
  • Something I haven’t thought of? … the possibilities are endless!
 

A fully bespoke ceremony might last 40 minutes or even longer, although I would probably advise you against including too much, in the interest of making the ceremony coherent and meaningful. I have had plenty of experience of conducting weddings as a wedding celebrant in Cumbria and South West Scotland, and can help you to decide what would work best.

Fees

I am very proud of my creative skills and the life experience I have had of writing, speaking and performing and this is why I am able to offer a ceremony that is really unique and special for you. Each wedding is different, and will be created personally for each individual couple and conducted by me in person. Fees are calculated after a preliminary discussion with you (without obligation) and depend on your requirements, and any travelling involved.  As a guideline, my basic fee is around £400 for weddings held at the weekends and may be a little less for weddings held in certain venues at Gretna Green where there may be time restrictions in place. 

Apart from travelling, and perhaps accommodation (if your wedding involves a journey for me of more than 100 miles) further fees might be charged for hiring microphone equipment if your ceremony is out of doors; for creating and printing a certificate of Marriage Blessing (for weddings in England); or for holding a rehearsal.

I may be able to negotiate my fee or offer a discount in certain circumstances.

You will be asked for a deposit of £100 on booking which is non-refundable but deductible from the final invoice, which will be sent 3 weeks before your wedding day.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

 


 

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