Meet Julia – A Wedding Celebrant Helping Somerset Couples Craft Their Perfect Ceremony

Looking for a Somerset wedding celebrant? In this vendor spotlight, Julia Anne shares how celebrant-led ceremonies give couples the freedom to create a wedding ceremony that feels completely personal.

One of the things I love most about photographing weddings is seeing how every couple chooses to celebrate in a way that feels true to them. For many couples, that starts with the ceremony itself.

For couples who might be new to the idea — what exactly does a wedding celebrant do, and how is that different from a vicar-led ceremony?

Think of an Independent Celebrant as a custom designer for your ceremony. We aren’t bound
by legal scripts or religious rules which means that a couple can have a ceremony exactly how
they would like it to be. It is written specifically for them, and it is totally unique to them and their
love story. It is a one-of-a-kind ceremony. We work very closely with our couples, and we get to
know them so that by the time their big day arrives, we are like old friends. This is what enables
the Celebrant to weave the couple’s love story, vibe and vision into their ceremony to make it truly personal.

A celebrant can conduct a ceremony anywhere (garden, rooftop, the woods etc.) and it doesn’t
have to take place in a registered venue. Currently though, in the UK, a Celebrant ceremony is not yet legal. This means the couple need to go to the Registry Office (or have the Registrar come to their wedding venue) to conduct the legal part.

The couple can go to the Registry office for a 2 plus 2 ceremony (them plus 2 witnesses),
usually for around £60. They don’t have to exchange rings, say vows or anything like that. All
they have to say is the statutory legal wording and this usually takes no longer than 10 minutes.
Then they are free to have their Celebrant ceremony in their location of choice with absolutely
no restrictions.

Hopefully though, Celebrants will in the near future be able to perform the legal part as the landscape is changing. The current marriage laws are extremely outdated which the Government has started to recognise, so watch this space.

What first drew you to becoming a celebrant, and what made you think “yes — this is absolutely for me”?

I worked in Human Resources for over 20 years and it was becoming very draining and I was ready to leave the corporate world. I looked at a few alternative careers before deciding to train as a Celebrant – florist, event manager. I even made wax melts at one point, with a view to seeing where it would go. I hadn’t really heard of Celebrants until one day I was at a hospitality day at Cheltenham races and I got chatting to another Celebrant who like me had left her corporate role and had trained as an Independent Celebrant.

That is when I knew it was the perfect career for me because I am a true people person. My experience in HR has seen me work and build relationships with people from all walks of life. I am a great listener and a good empath and I am great at helping people bring their vision to life. I love public speaking and I love weddings because mostly everyone there actually wants to be there (unlike a boring corporate meeting where people are usually yawning their heads off and looking at their watches!).

How does the process of working with you unfold — from your first
conversation with a couple to the moment they say their vows?

We start off by having a free no obligation discovery call. This is for the couple to get to know
me and equally for me to get to know them and to see if we “vibe”. If the couple decide to go ahead, they then book me by securing their date with a non refundable booking fee and this means I will not accept any other bookings for that day. I then set up a group Whatsapp so that we can all keep in touch and send ideas and thoughts to each other.

Then approximately 6 months before their big day, I send them my Couples Questionnaire. This includes a whole host of questions such as how did they meet, what attracted them to each other, who made the first move, what was the proposal like, what does marriage mean to them, what are each others funny quirks and what do they love about each other (this is a brief version!). This enables me to really get to know them and their love story and to find out how they would like their ceremony to feel.

Once they have completed the questionnaire (I usually give them a good 6 weeks to get it completed), we will then meet in person (usually over coffee and cake, or a glass of fizz if they prefer) and we go through the questionnaire in more detail so that I can really get to know them. I’m also watching how they interact with each other, how they are as a couple. How they love each other, so that I can weave this into their ceremony when writing their script.

We begin planning their ceremony in a lot more detail too. We talk about music, readings, symbolic rituals, honouring loved ones, whether they want to write their own vows etc. This helps them and me bring their vision to life and it’s really exciting part of the process because the couple start to get excited and it’s a wonderful feeling knowing that I am helping them to bring their dream ceremony to life.

Then I start to write their script and once completed I send over the first draft. They then give me their feedback (this is the nerve wracking part of the process because I pour my heart and soul into crafting their scripts and I hope they love what I have written as much as I have enjoyed writing it). If there are any tweaks that need adjusting or if they want extra bits added in, we then go back and forth until it is fully completed and absolutely perfect.

If they are writing their own personal vows and need extra help and guidance, I spend time with them individually to help them get started. For some couples, this part can be really overwhelming and they don’t know how to start. But with my advice and guidance, I help them bring their feelings to life so that they are confident to say their vows on the day. Once the final script is approved, I print everything off ready for the ceremony and I also print out their personal vows in beautiful booklets which I take on the day and hand to them in the ceremony.

Some couples like to meet again for a further planning meeting or rehearsal and others are happy with a video call. Sometimes we visit their venue together and do a final run through. It depends on each couple.

Then on the big day, I arrive a couple of hours early to ensure that everything is set up as it should be. I liaise with all their other suppliers so that they don’t have to worry about anything going wrong and they can just relax and enjoy their ceremony.

One of the biggest reasons couples choose a celebrant is flexibility — what does that actually look like in practice and what are some of the ways that a ceremony can be adapted?

There are no restrictions on music, readings, symbolic rituals. If each partner wants their own entrance, they absolutely can. If they would like their dog to be a ring bearer, I’m here for it. If they want a sing song during the ceremony or want everyone to exit to the “conga”, I can make this happen!

Couples love a Celebrant because it means they are not being married by a stranger. They can really become like old friends with their Celebrant which means it is so much easier to have the type of ceremony they want and they have confidence in their Celebrant to bring their ideas to fruition.

What are some of the most meaningful or creative elements you’ve
helped couples include in their ceremonies?

I have carried out a ring warming ritual – this is where the wedding rings are passed from guest to guest (usually in a pretty organza type bag) for each guest to hold for a few seconds and infuse them with their love, blessings and well wishes. This means that by the time they reach the couple for the ring exchange, they are warm and filled with love and wisdom that will be with the couple always.

I have also carried out handfasting rituals (an ancient Celtic tradition where the phrase “tying the knot” comes from). This is especially beautiful when I have called up their family members and close friends to come and place ribbons over the couples hands for tying. It’s a very heartwarming and beautiful ritual and is extra lovely because their close friends and family can really feel involved in the ceremony.

What advice would you give couples who are starting to look for a
celebrant — especially if they’re not quite sure what they’re looking for yet?

Shop around and have a few free discovery calls with different Celebrants to see who they gel with. It is really important for the couple to feel that the person carrying out their ceremony is the right fit in terms of personality and vibe as they are trusting that person with one of the biggest moments of their lives.

A good Celebrant will want to learn all about the couple – how they met, was it love at first sight or a slow burn. Who made the first move, what was life like before they met etc. What was the proposal like, what do they love about each other, what quirks does their partner have, why do they love them. What does marriage mean to them etc.

Couples should go with their guts and they will know when they have met their Celebrant because it will feel right.

Many couples feel nervous about writing their vows — how do you
support them through that process, and what are your top tips for writing vows that feel heartfelt and genuine?

For couples who are nervous, I ensure I spend extra time with them individually to help them break down their fears and to get their thoughts on paper. Sometimes couples may need a sentence starter or examples of vows to get them started. Or they may already know what they want to say, but can’t seem to get it down on paper.

Saying their vows isn’t about grand presentations; it’s about forgetting everyone else in the room and talking to their partner as if it’s just the two of them. It’s about telling their partner why they love them and how they want to continue showing them they love them. I’ve had couples promise to continue bringing that morning coffee and dippy eggs in bed to their partner every day. Couples promising to support their partner through every season of life, including football season! It’s all about encouraging them to think of the little every day things they do for each other.

I provide my couples with endless support, ideas and encouragement to really get them going.

Are there any common misconceptions about celebrant ceremonies that you’d love to clear up?

I’ve heard some people call it a “pretend ceremony” because it isn’t legal but it is far from that. A celebrant led ceremony is the most beautiful and personal ceremony and is absolutely real and full of so much feeling and personality.

From your perspective, what really makes a ceremony memorable for guests?

It is all about how their guests feel during the ceremony. If the guests leave a ceremony saying
“wow that was the best ceremony I have ever been to”, then I know I have done my job properly. It’s about starting the celebration in the ceremony rather than the guests feeling that the ceremony is the boring bit and they can’t wait to get to the bar!

Finally — if a couple wants a ceremony that feels relaxed, personal, and full of heart, what’s your biggest piece of advice?

Book a Celebrant! You won’t get any of this with a Registrar (not slating Registrar’s as they do a valued job), however going with a Celebrant led ceremony means the couple really can have everything they have ever wanted and dreamt about. We can make it happen!

If Julia’s approach to creating heartfelt, personalised ceremonies sounds like the perfect fit for your wedding day, I’d highly recommend getting in touch. Her warmth, enthusiasm and genuine passion for her couples shines through in everything she does, and it’s easy to see why so many couples trust her with such an important part of their celebration.

You can find out more about Julia and her celebrant services on her website, or follow along on social media for ceremony inspiration and a behind-the-scenes look at her work.

Website: celebrantjuliaanne.co.uk

Instagram: @celebrantjuliaanne

Facebook: Celebrant Julia Anne

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