RD Ceremonies is a new celebrant based in Surrey

RD Ceremonies is a new celebrant based in Surrey.

The owner, Rebecca Douglas, tells us: "I have always loved weddings, even as a little girl. There is a photograph of me, age two, looking longingly at a bride, and I could turn anything into a veil or wedding gown when playing dress-up. However, it would be a while before I became a bride and even longer before I chased my dream of working in the wedding industry. 

"Friends and family often told me I should become a celebrant when hearing me give readings at weddings. This started playing on my mind, but the timing was never right. I knew I had the skills, I trained as an actress so I am confident speaking in front of people, I’ve worked as a PA in the city so I am very organised and, until recently, worked as a primary school teacher so I am open, approachable and empathetic. These qualities would help me in this role, but my passion for weddings, helping people and putting on a good show eventually encouraged me to start my own celebrant business. 

"After returning to work from maternity leave, I realised I couldn’t ignore the desire to work in weddings anymore, so I started my celebrant training. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed writing and relished immersing myself in creating ceremonies for various events. I had a celebrant at my own wedding, as to me, the couples love story, and the ceremony is the most important part of the day. I didn’t want my wedding to be like everyone else’s and say the same words everybody else does, I wanted my day to be different and stand out in people’s memories. That is the beauty of having a celebrant lead your wedding as firstly you can get married anywhere, opening up endless possibilities for couples, but more importantly, the ceremony can be completely bespoke and tailored to you.

"I like to work with my couples to tailor the ceremony to their wishes. Most of the things people want to include in their wedding, for example, the vows, the rings and the first kiss are all ceremonial and not needed legally. Therefore in our consultations, you may decide that you want vows but not the rings and replace that with handfasting, or you might be two families joining together and decide you want to involve your children in the ceremony, so choose to do a sand ceremony or all say vows to each other. Some people choose a celebrant so they can involve their pet or their favourite film and have a themed wedding. There are also no restrictions on songs or readings either. 

"I work with you to create your love story. It can be completely light-hearted or more traditional, but the words I write are written for you, so you can guarantee that your ceremony is completely unique. I like to keep in contact with my couples throughout the writing process, making any changes necessary. It is really exciting when you get your final copy as everything starts to feel more real and that bit closer. 
Working in the wedding industry is every bit as wonderful as I thought it would be, and I get so excited for every one of you. So, if you want your ceremony to be personal and unique to you, then get in touch. I cannot wait to hear from you."

To find out more, visit www.rdceremonies.org.uk