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."
New app launches to simplify one of marriage’s biggest admin headaches
Changing your name after marriage can mean updating details with countless organisations, from banks and subscriptions to official documents and employers. New app Name Change Navigator aims to make the process easier, guiding newlyweds through each step from one platform. Founded by Rebecca Dainton, Head of Product at Flutter UK & Ireland, the app was created to reduce the stress and mental load associated with name changes. It supports a range of naming journeys, including traditional surname changes, double-barrelling, blended surnames and other choices following marriage, civil partnership, divorce or personal identity changes. The launch comes as younger generations increasingly rethink traditional naming conventions, with technology offering a more streamlined approach to this often-overlooked part of newlywed life.
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From best mates to distant relatives: Brits reveal the wedding gift hierarchy
How much should you spend on a wedding gift? It seems the answer depends on just how well you know the happy couple. New research from One4all Gift Cards has revealed that almost half of Brits (49%) would spend less on a wedding gift if they were not particularly close to the couple. The relationship came out ahead of travel and accommodation costs (38%) and paying for a hen or stag do (28%) when it comes to factors influencing how much guests are prepared to spend. For those closest to them, Brits consider an average of £77 per person to be an acceptable wedding gift. The most popular amount was between £50 and £100, selected by 43% of respondents, while 36% believe spending up to £50 is perfectly acceptable. Just 5% would spend more than £200.
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Revealed: England and Wales’ most common wedding anniversary date as August accounts for nearly one in six
1 September is the most common wedding anniversary date, with an average of 1,557 marriages taking place on the date, new analysis has revealed. The research, from drinks and gifting retailer Bottled and Boxed, analysed 22 years of marriage registration data from the Office for National Statistics to identify the dates when couples across England and Wales are most likely to be celebrating their wedding anniversaries each year. Every date in the top 10 falls between late July and early September, showing how heavily the most common anniversaries are concentrated in late summer. August is the most common month for wedding anniversaries, accounting for 15.7% of all marriages analysed, with an average of 1,254 couples married per day.
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Marriage law reform: what the Government’s proposals could mean for couples
Planning a wedding is fun, stressful, time consuming. Couples want a ceremony that reflects their taste, is reflective of their love for each other and feels unique. The current restrictions in place can sometimes fetter that. Long-awaited plans to modernise weddings law in England and Wales could give couples far greater freedom over where and how they marry. It is hoped that they may be part of a much wider transformation of family law which is going through the biggest shakeup in decades.
