Richard The Celebrant

A Viking-themed wedding where the couple wanted me in full Viking dress — fur, tunic, the lot. Five minutes into the ceremony, the sole came off one of my Viking boots. I carried on regardless, gave the assembled guests one extra reason to laugh, and the bride and groom now have a story they tell every dinner party.

Honestly though — every wedding is memorable. Each one is a couple I've spent months getting to know, telling their story in their words, in front of the people they love most. There's no such thing as a forgettable one. ❤

Warm. Heartfelt. Polished. Funny. Relaxed.

A couple I worked with last year described it as "more than a job" for me — and that line has stayed with me, because that's exactly what it is. I'm proudest of the fact that, five years and 200+ ceremonies in, it still feels that way. Not just a job. Not a routine. A genuine privilege every time. ❤

Stop trying to please everyone. The single biggest source of pre-wedding stress I see is couples worrying about an auntie's opinion, a stepfather's feelings, a friend's expectation of where they'll sit. Make decisions for the two of you. The people who love you will love whatever you do. The ones who'll grumble were always going to grumble — about something. Your day, your way. ❤

Pea the pug. One eye, four legs, infinite charisma — and the most committed ring bearer I've ever worked with. He waddled down the aisle on cue, sat patiently throughout the vows, and accepted his post-ceremony belly rubs with the dignity of a head of state.

The couple loved him to bits, the guests fell apart laughing, and the whole ceremony was warmer for him being in it. Pets at weddings: always a yes from me. ❤

My process has three phases: knowing you, writing it, delivering it.

Knowing you starts with a free no-pressure Zoom or coffee, then — once you've booked — a longer story-gathering call where we talk through how you met, your families, the proposal, the in-jokes, the loved ones you want to honour, the tone you'd like. I take dozens of notes.

Writing it is the bit I disappear for. I write a fully bespoke ceremony script from a blank page (never a template), send you a first draft around 6–8 weeks before the wedding, and we refine it together until every word feels right. Unlimited revisions, no extra cost. Vow-writing help is included whenever you want it.

Delivering it. I arrive long before guests do, soundcheck, steady the nerves of anyone who needs it, and deliver the ceremony with warmth, structure and humour. Afterwards, you keep the printed keepsake script in a folder and your signed commemorative certificate.

Every step included in the fee. ❤

A couple from New York. Bamburgh Castle. Three days' notice. A room full of genuine Game of Thrones costumes from the show.

They flew over to elope — just the two of them, in one of the most cinematic settings in Britain — and asked me to write and deliver the ceremony in 72 hours. I did, and it remains one of the most extraordinary days of my career. Sometimes the unusual requests are the ones that produce the most beautiful weddings. ❤

Honestly? You can't make a wedding day completely stress-free — emotions run high, weather happens, dogs run off with buttonholes. What you can do is make sure the ceremony part is the bit you don't have to worry about.

Here's how I do that: a fixed fee with no hidden extras, unlimited meetings and revisions so nothing feels rushed, a first draft sent 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding, vow-writing help built in, and direct liaison with your venue so you don't have to brief anyone twice.

On the day I arrive long before guests do, soundcheck, steady anyone who needs steadying, and deliver the ceremony with a calm, experienced pair of hands. Whatever the day throws at us — and it'll throw something — your ceremony will feel exactly as it should. ❤

Honestly, this is one of the most legitimate worries any couple has — and one most suppliers brush past. So here's the real answer.

In 200+ ceremonies over five years, I've never missed a wedding. I've turned up with a cold, with a dodgy back, with one Viking boot — but I've turned up. The ceremony is the one part of your day that absolutely cannot be rescheduled, and I take that responsibility seriously.

If something genuinely catastrophic happened (a hospital stay, a road accident the night before), my plan is straightforward: I have a network of trusted Fellowship of Independent Celebrants colleagues who can step in at short notice. Your fully-written ceremony script is already with you — they'd deliver your ceremony, in your words, on your day. And in the unlikely event that nothing could be arranged in time, your full fee would be refunded.

It's a question worth asking — and one I'm always happy to answer in detail at our first chat. ❤

Generally no — and there's a good reason for that.

You'll have read your full ceremony script weeks before the wedding day, so you know exactly what's going to happen, in what order, and roughly how long each part will take. There are no surprises. The "rehearsal" anxiety couples sometimes carry is usually about not knowing what's coming — and once you've read every word of yours, that anxiety disappears.

The technical bits — the music cues, the timing, the moments to pause — are my job, not yours. All you need to do is walk down the aisle, look at each other, and say "I do."

If something genuinely needs walking through (a complex blended-family entrance, multiple readings with specific cues), we'll cover it in our planning calls. And if you really do want a venue rehearsal, I'm happy to arrange one — there'd be a small additional fee to cover the extra time and travel. ❤