Today, as we sit in the height of summer and wedding season, I thought it would be a good idea to let you know what is happening within the wedding celebrant community and what effect the lawmakers are having on us. This past year has been the hardest yet for Celebrants, the wedding community in general and us all. Whilst the pandemic has affected our everyday lives, my zest for weddings has never gone away. I’ve been working hard attending wedding fayres, creating the perfect packages to suit all of my couples and been part of some amazing photo shoots, with some fabulous wedding suppliers. When life gives you lemons – do a lemon themed wedding shoot!!

So your wedding plans are coming along nicely, you have ordered the dress, booked the cake, photographer and the celebrant (hopefully that's me). Now it's time to write your vows! Writing your own vows is a chance to tell your story, give guests a peek into what makes your relationship so beautiful and to share meaningful, sweet words with the person you love. If you've never written before this can be a quite overwhelming. Remembering the day you met, the moment you fell in love and your first kiss, all those amazing memories come flooding back. You now somehow have to put it all into words and share them with your guests. "Arrrgghhh but where do I start?" I here you say! Here are some top tips to help kickstart your vows......

When we lose a loved one, it is never easy. I always find my families are torn between two worlds, a world that their loved one used to fill and the one that now is. Poems help us to grieve and say our goodbyes, with our loved one in mind. Here are a few that I feel reach us all. If you found this useful and would like to find out more than please don't hesitate to contact me at stuart@stuartprimarolo.co.uk

Lets face it, the past few months have been tough, very tough. We've not been allowed to share our lives with our loved ones in the way we want and this has taken a toll on everyone. As a celebrant, I have had quite a few funerals lately where families have told me that they were not even allowed to visit their sick relatives in hospital until it was too late, or that they are shielding, unable to venture out in fear of the virus. We are living in unprecedented times and this really pulls at my heart strings, as no one should have to go through this, especially at such a vulnerable time. At a time when you want to start the grieving process and celebrate your loved ones life, their achievements and their stories, you should be allowed to come together and do this. Instead you are lucky if you can have between 15-30 people at the service and that even depends on where you live. This is especially hard for larger families having to choose who goes and who doesn't and let's not forget there is NO wake allowed, making it harder to reminisce about the good old days.

So, what is a celebrant? A simple question with a not so simple answer. Deciding who will help conduct your ceremony can be a nightmare. Whilst most officials like Ministers, Registrars and Celebrants are similar, many couples will be in the dark about the differences between them, until it comes to booking one. A celebrant is a person who performs or officiates ceremonies, and whilst frequently seen at weddings they can also conduct other ceremonies like vow renewals, naming ceremonies, funerals and memorials. Couples who use a c elebrant will receive a bespoke ceremony which puts them at the heart of their ceremony. No scripts, no templated words, each one is unique. A celebrant isn’t bound by any religion, statute or doctrine, meaning celebrant ceremonies enable us to construct and perform completely personalised ceremonies for every client. Whilst celebrants may have a personal belief, these beliefs are just that, personal. With Weddings, couples should know, you will have to complete the legal registration with your local Registry Office, most couples find that it's a small sacrifice for the that dream wedding ceremony, with no or very little time restraints. If you found this useful and would like to find out more than please don't hesitate to contact me at stuart@stuartprimarolo.co.uk