A Long Road Into This Work
I didn't grow up dreaming of being a celebrant. Not many people do. It found me, slowly, through a working life built on listening to people and through some of the hardest moments a family can go through.
For years I worked as a learning disability nurse, supporting adults who needed someone patient and steady in their corner. I learned British Sign Language and worked as an interpreter with the Deaf community. These days I coach, I mediate, and I facilitate training for teams. The thread running through all of it has always been the same. People. Listening. Holding space while someone works out what they really need to say.
The Turning Point
Within a short stretch of time, both my parents died. Then my mother-in-law. Then my father-in-law. More recently I've lost a brother and a nephew too. I spoke at each of those funerals, and at a close friend's mother's funeral as well.
Finding the right words for someone you love is one of the hardest things you'll ever do. And it's one of the most healing. Speaking at those services helped me grieve. It helped me find some closure. And it quietly planted the thought that I might be able to help other families through the same moment.
I trained as a funeral celebrant through the Academy of Modern Celebrancy, and I'll complete my wedding celebrancy training this year. I'm in my 60’s, I'm not ready to retire, and I want to spend this next chapter doing more work that actually matters.
How I Work
Warmhearted Ceremonies
My style is warm, friendly, and full of a quiet sense of fun where that's welcome. I'm calm. I'm considered. I don't try to be the main event.
I lead with empathy. I make sure every emotion is welcome in the room. I believe every ceremony should feel unmistakably like the people at the heart of it, whether that's traditional, quirky, or completely outside the box. I'm happy to step out of my own comfort zone to help you bring your vision to life.
I'm inclusive by instinct. I'll never make anyone feel left out or judged. And I'll bring a calm, steady presence without trying to take over.
The Person Behind the Work
I come from a big family, so I've been to plenty of weddings and, sadly, plenty of funerals too. Life has given me a solid understanding of what people need when they're feeling emotional, whether that's grief, nerves, or the deep-breath energy of a big day.
I'm actually quite shy by nature. What surprises people is how at home I feel standing up and leading a ceremony. Part of that is my training background, and part of it is the amateur dramatics I've done for years. I belong to a couple of drama clubs and I love the collaboration of putting something together with other people. A ceremony has the same feel for me. We're making something together, and my job is to make sure the story on the day is yours.
Outside of all that, you'll find me walking my dog (twice a day, rain or shine), getting on a train rather than a plane, or rehearsing lines for whatever play is next on.
What It's Like to Work With Me
Most of my clients tell me the same thing after our first call. That they felt heard. That they weren't rushed. That they left with a clearer sense of what they wanted, whether or not they chose to book me.
That's the experience I'm aiming for every time. Whether you're planning a wedding or organising a farewell, what I'm offering is time, attention, and someone who will take your ceremony as seriously as you do.