What does a wedding celebrant do?
What is a celebrant ceremony?
Are you based in Yorkshire and looking for a ‘wedding obsessive, love story enthusiast wedding celebrant,’ to curate your wedding ceremony of dreams- then look no further.
My celebrant-led ceremonies are one-of-a-kind. They are unlike any other religious ceremony or standard, registrar-legal ceremony, that you will probably already be familiar with. My ceremonies firmly plant themselves into the hearts and minds of you and your loved ones; I embrace everyone at your wedding ceremony with a never-ending hug of happiness and warmth. I love to spread positivity, joy and heartfelt stories at your ceremonies but above all, I love to celebrate you and your love story. This is why your guests will be raptured by the ceremony and will, quite frankly, think it’s the best wedding they’ve ever been to!
The process of working with me as your celebrant to plan your dream wedding ceremony, is a fun one. It normally starts with a low-key, friendly and informative chat where I get to know a bit more about you and vice-versa. Once you have booked me for your big day, I send you a detailed but personalised questionnaire which delves into you and your love story and here after, the magic begins to unfold. My ceremony planning process evolves into a collaborative partnership between you and me where we breakdown your aspirations for wedding vows, readings and symbolic enhancements and plan how we can make them a reality.
To find out more about how I help plan your dream wedding ceremony, have a read through my previous blog post…
A real bonus of having me as your independent wedding celebrant, is that I go above and beyond for all my couples. I enjoy nurturing and supporting you both so that, in time, I become more than just an officiator of your ceremony; I become someone you trust and can rely on. Here’s what my brides have to say:
“To add to her official role, Michelle was also super supportive and helpful in terms of calming me down when I had the inevitable bridal meltdowns, and dealing with the event manager when I was too stressed and busy on the day and right before the day. She was completely invaluable throughout the process”
It’s the most wonderful feeling being a part of your special day. I love to offer you a reassuring hug as you both arrive to the venue. I know I have the greatest honour and privilege to tell your story with your close family and friends, and I want to put you both at ease.
So let’s take a more in-depth overview of what I actually do on your wedding day, aside from just officiating your ceremony:
What to expect from Michelle Park Celebrant:
On your wedding day-
I get there early!
Ok, I’m a stickler for being on time - I really don’t like being late. Hate it actually! It drives my husband a little bit crazy at times because he’s the total opposite.
As a wedding celebrant, this personality trait has huge benefits; I always get to your chosen wedding venue an hour early.
I like to be there to greet your wedding venue coordinator or planner and liaise with florists, photographers and videographers. In this hour before your ceremony, I’m shuffling chairs around ensuring there’s a place reserved for those that need one and triple checking everything is set out as it should. I’m reading through my script, testing the microphone and organising props that might be required for the ceremony. I’m also one of the first people your guests will meet on the day. I welcome everyone, help show them to their seats and generally mingle amongst your loved ones.
I also take it upon myself to seek out your guests that are reading in the ceremony, your parents or close family members that you’ll have told me all about and make sure the grooms men and woman are doing their jobs!
“I would highly recommend Michelle as a celebrant. She did a fantastic job at the wedding I went to this weekend. She greeted us as soon as we arrived and made us feel very welcome and at ease”
Best of all, I’m there to greet you when you arrive! I’ll welcome you, calm you and reassure you. I’ll then take my place, ready to guide you through a ceremony that will, at this point, already be really familiar.
2. I begin with a welcome
It’s really important to me to take a moment to welcome your guests in the ceremony itself and acknowledge key family and friends who have journeyed far and wide to be there. Perhaps there are guests who have been invaluable with the planning and preparations or guests that that have flown across continents to be there.
Similarly, there may be important family members or loved ones that have passed away. Guided by you and what’s right for your family, we can honour them at the start of your ceremony; there are so many beautiful ways to do this.
If this is something especially important to you, please do get in touch to find out more on how I can curate a ceremony which is sympathetic to the unique circumstances of you and your family.
3. I explain the format of the ceremony:
I’m very aware that lot’s of your guests won’t have had the privilege of a celebrant-led wedding ceremony before so I do like to acknowledge that in some way. Normally, I’ll briefly talk through the format of the ceremony. This of course, is different for every couple. That’s because your ceremony is completely bespoke; together we will have curated a script which tell yours story in an authentic way incorporating traditions and symbolism important to you.
There will often be readings or poetry, sometimes music and a song; symbolic enhancements such as hand-tying, sand ceremonies, tree planting and so much more.
I’ll encourage you to include wedding vows and promises to one another and I’ll jump out of the photographers way when you seal those vows with a kiss
4. I’m not rushing off:
Unlike registrars, I only ever commit to one wedding a day. This means I offer flexibility in terms of the time of day you can get married and the length of your ceremony.
Typically, my ceremonies last about 30-40 minutes but again this is down to you and every wedding I officiate is different.
Most importantly, it means I’m not dashing off right after you’ve said ‘I do’ to go and officiate another ceremony. I will hang around immediately after your ceremony has concluded to ensure everything is as it should be, maybe smile for a picture or two and quietly slip away allowing you to crack on with the rest of your celebrations.
About Michelle Park Celebrant
I live in between Leeds and Bradford and I’m available to officiate wedding ceremonies in Yorkshire and beyond, wherever I’m needed.
I love my job and I never take it for granted; getting to know my lovely couples and curating their wedding ceremony of dreams makes my heart sing.
I offer a no-obligation discovery call and you can find the link to my calendar below-book yourself in and let’s talk; I’d be privileged to tell your story.
