Why have a Wedding Celebrant?
Michaela and Gareth choose David as their wedding celebrant at Sandburn Hall, Flaxton, Yorkshire. Their personal wedding ceremony was perfect for their beautiful Yorkshire Barn Wedding. Photo: https://abbiesizerphotography.co.uk/
Embarking on your wedding planning journey can be more enjoyable with a celebrant to look after the start of your amazing day.
A celebrant will not only work with you to craft a personal and meaningful ceremony for you that reflects your personalities and values. Your ceremony can also honour any traditions you want to include, without restrictions. Your celebrant will also advise you on the best way to complete your legal marriage bit.
I'm David Willis, an Award-Winning Wedding Celebrant with Acorn 2 Oak Ceremonies. I'm thrilled to share with you how I or any other celebrant can make your special day truly extraordinary.
Chantelle and Josh chose David to be their wedding celebrant in a stunning private garden in Shropshire. Their fun and memorable wedding ceremony involved all their family. Photo: https://www.puddle-duckphotography.co.uk/
Who Am I?
As the most recommended Wedding Celebrant in England on Hitched.co.uk, I specialize in crafting beautiful, personal, and meaningful wedding ceremonies for couples across the North of England, the East Midlands (also down South in the Thames Valley which is where I am originally from).
As an experienced celebrant, I know how to create a wedding experience that is not only fun, dignified, and romantic but also reflective of your love, relationship, and dreams.
Married for 28 years, I have three adult children, a dog and 9 chickens. I love working with children and animals! I was a secondary school teacher for 23 years, senior school leader and headteacher. I now love travelling the country, officiating weddings for diverse couples from across the globe.
You can learn more about me, my approach, my award-winning online testimonials (on Hitched, Bridebook, The Celebrant Directory & Google) and my social media across my website: www.acorn2oakceremonies.co.uk/weddings
Izzy and Hiten chose David to be their wedding celebrant at King’s Chapel, Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Their fun and personal wedding ceremony blended their values, humour and honoured Hiten’s Hindu family heritage. Photo: https://lucykingphotography.co.uk/
Why choose a wedding celebrant?
Couples who choose a celebrant to conduct their ceremony on their wedding day rather than a registrar are drawn to the unique and personal touches celebrants bring. Every couple is different and so is every celebrant-led wedding ceremony. You will get the opportunity to get to know your celebrant as they also get to know you. They will look after your ceremony proceedings and advise you as you plan together your own bespoke and memorable ceremony. Your celebrant will liaise with venue co-ordinators, musicians, photographers and videographers so that the start of your amazing day feels perfect, relaxed and enjoyable.
Amelia and James chose David to be their wedding celebrant at Tipis at Whatton House, Leicestershire. Their ceremony celebrated their love of each other, their love of nature and the outdoors. Photo: https://www.mcauleypaulphotography.com/
The Legal Stuff Made Easy
Navigating the legalities of marriage can be stressful, but fear not—your celebrant will make sure you’re covered. Celebrants, like me, can guide you on how to book your legal marriage ceremony with registrars for as little as £57. You don’t have to have your “statutory marriage ceremony” locally. A short drive to a neighbouring council area can sometimes be really useful because there are some amazing customer-friendly registrars, and unfortunately, many that are unhelpful. It can feel like a postcode-lottery. Your celebrant can point you in the best direction. Many couples opt to have the legal bit done before or after their wedding day. This way, their wedding is relaxed and stress-free. Want to run late? No problem! With a celebrant-led ceremony you can ensure a relaxed start to the big day. Registrars, however, can be less accommodating of delays.
For those where budget is not an issue, couples can still have registrars visit in the afternoon, conducting the legal marriage ceremony in a licensed room with immediate family while all your other guests enjoy drinks and nibbles elsewhere.
Holly and Jack chose David to be their wedding celebrant at Hodsock Priory, Nottinghamshire. They wanted a fun and memorable ceremony featuring their dog as ring-bearer and a toast with their favourite tipple. Photo: https://www.flyonthewallphotography.co.uk/
Budgeting For Your Ceremony
The average wedding celebrant fee in the UK is £750 but varies in different areas, just like the costs registrars charge to visit a licenced venue. You can expect more experienced celebrants to cost more than newly trained ones.
I offer a range wedding ceremonies to suit different budgets and preferences. My ceremony fees range from £497 - £997. Again, check out my website: www.acorn2oakceremonies.co.uk/weddings to see the difference between the different types of ceremony and what the exact prices are. I include an hour’s travel on the day from my home in South-West Sheffield in my ceremony fees. It is best to check with me the exact location of your venue so I can give you an accurate quotation for additional travel, without obligation.
Rupinder and Sunny chose David to be their wedding celebrant at Hanbury Wedding Barn, Staffordshire. They wanted a beautiful and romantic ceremony which included a Celtic handfasting to honour Sunny’s home town of Glasgow. Photo: https://howelljonesphotography.co.uk/
How does the process of booking a Celebrant work?
After booking your venue, don’t delay, sort out your ceremony next. Your options could very quickly narrow if you delay and given that your ceremony starts the biggest (and probably the most expensive) day in your life…you want the start of your celebrations to set the tone, standard and expectations for everything else.
1. Check the availability of a range of celebrants you think feel affordable
2. Arrange a 30 minute video call with them to chat and ask questions. You need to see if there is a good personal match with your celebrant. Do they instantly make you feel at ease and confident and do they “get” you? Some celebrants offer a wider range of services than others.
3. You can normally expect to pay 50% of the celebrant’s ceremony fee as a booking fee.
4. You will be sent a “Welcome Pack” with terms & conditions, and a questionnaire to get things started.
5. About two months before your wedding, you will have your initial ceremony planning meeting. This is normally at about the same time that many couples are having planning meetings with their venue co-ordinator to finalise guests and menus. Your initial meeting with your celebrant can be online or at the wedding venue if it is possible.
6. As you approach your wedding day, the celebrant will share with you parts or all of the wedding ceremony they have written for you.
Naomi and Tom chose David to be their wedding celebrant at their festival style wedding at Horseshoe Lake, Sandhurst in Berkshire. Photo: https://howelljonesphotography.co.uk/
Contacting David
If you're wanting to embark on this incredible journey with me, I'd love to hear from you! Availability can be limited, especially during the popular Spring and Summer dates, so it's best to get in touch early.
Use my website to check my prices, availability and to book a mutually convenient video-call with me so we can chat and you can ask any questions you have.
Alternatively, give me call, text, WhatsApp me or DM or email me at david@acorn2oakceremonies.co.uk
Wishing you joy and love on your wedding adventure.
David Willis, Wedding Celebrant