I spent 35 years supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health challenges, and physical needs. I raised three brilliant children as a single parent. I learned to ring church bells in my forties and watched hundreds of couples get married from the bell tower. I joined a choir, then started my own wedding band. I took up beekeeping and now have eight hives. Last year, at an age where I'm supposed to be "slowing down," I climbed to Everest Base Camp.
And then I thought: You know what?
I'd love to help people get married. And say goodbye to people they love. And welcome new people into the world.
So I trained as a celebrant.
Why Celebrancy Felt Like Coming Home
For twenty years, I rang the bells at my local church while couples got married. It felt like having a personal invitation to everyone's wedding—I loved that. But fewer people were choosing traditional church weddings, and I knew they were getting married somewhere else, in their own way.
Then I started singing at weddings and funerals with my choir. I saw how music and personal touches transformed ceremonies from something formal into something real. I wanted to be more involved. I wanted to be the person creating those moments, not just observing them.
Becoming a celebrant lets me combine everything I love: working with people, telling stories, writing poetry, being outdoors, celebrating difference, and making people feel valued and happy.
I went from zero hives to eight in just a few years. Beekeeping connects you to nature in the most intimate way—you're caring for creatures, working with the seasons, producing something beautiful and useful. It's nurturing and magical.
My bees produce gorgeous honey, and I've found ways to weave this into ceremonies. Honey tasting and sharing for wedding ceremonies, symbolizing the sweetness of life together. Unity candles made from my own beeswax. Bee balm made to my own recipe as gifts. I even practice "telling the bees"—an old tradition where beekeepers inform their hives about major life events like births, marriages, and deaths.
There's a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier about this tradition, and it's one of my favorites. The bees are part of my story, and they can be part of yours if you'd like.
Poetry, Song, and Stories
I rediscovered my love of writing poetry through this work. When I was young, I was always making up songs, rhymes, and silly stories. Now I write personal, humorous poems for my couples and families—poems that capture their quirks and their love in ways that ordinary words sometimes can't.
I'm also a singer. I perform with my band at weddings and functions, and I've been in musical theatre productions. While singing isn't a standard part of my celebrant package, if your ceremony needs a particular song or musical moment, we can talk about it. There's something incredibly moving about live music in an outdoor ceremony.
I promise to listen properly. To capture your story accurately and beautifully. To help you create a ceremony that feels authentic, whether that's deeply moving or hilariously fun or both. To be organized and prepared, so you can relax. To make everyone feel included and comfortable, regardless of their needs or backgrounds.
Most of all, I promise to help you celebrate the real you. The quirky, wonderful, imperfect, glorious version of you that your people love.
Ready to Work Together?