How does it work?

Hold on, what is a Celebrant again? >>>

I am! This is me, learning about your amazing wedding plans!

WHAT WILL I NEED FROM YOU?

Information and guidance, and story!
You lead the way at all stages of the process, after all, it's about you!
Have a think about what kind of ceremony you'd like. Energetic, funny, emotional, compassionate? All of the above?
Would you like any symbolic actions? Would you like any readings? What about music? This is the kind of info I'm looking for, as well as the below:

MY PROCESS

Initial Meeting

If you have sent me an email*, the we'll arrange a video chat.

This is a chance for you to have a look at me and for me to ask you a few basic questions around the ceremony.

What kind of ceremony? What do you have in mind already? What kind of tone would you like? Why now, and why me?

That kind of thing.
Basically we create a foundation and get to know each other a little better. It is the start of the process of sharing your story!

Then if you think we could get on and you're happy with what I've said, we'll go ahead with the booking!

I'll send a booking form for you to fill in which is then converted into an Initial Payment Invoice.

Once this is paid, the date is yours!

Then we arrange a time to meet at the venue, and get into the planning session.

Planning Session

This is where we meet up in person if we can, or digitally once again if needs be.
If we are in person, usually I like to try and meet at the venue. You can show me what you are thinking and tell me why this place. This gives me a chance to get my head around the space and start thinking about how everyone will move around it.
Then we sit down for a proper chat and we get into the details.
Then we get into the nitty gritty of logistics - how many people, what kind of time, are you having children or animals involved, do you have specific colour schemes? That kind of stuff.

I will usually ask you for 5 stories then - 3 funny, 2 sweet.

This, along with other chats along the way, gives me the insight into you as a couple and will help create and form the heart of the ceremony!

Writing

So this is where I vanish for a bit. We can chat back and forth about anything you like, but I won't start writing until around two months before the ceremony, depending on your date!

I do this because we all change our ideas over time, and I want to write a ceremony that will fit the person walking down the aisle, not the person who contacted me two years earlier!

So two months before the wedding, I will send you an invoice for the Balance payment which will be 50% of the overall figure, plus anything else you have decided to add along the way. This triggers the writing process, and usually we'll meet up again at the venue or digitally, we go through the outline and everything that has changed.

The off I go to write, and we swap drafts of your ceremony until we are all happy :)

On the Day

I will get there nice and early to make sure everything is just the way you want it.

I will have made contact with the relevant people in charge and will make sure that everything goes as it should. I will also meet your guests for you, hand out anything you need me to, welcome them in and keep them up to date on how we are getting on.
If you have any readers or people taking part in the ceremony, I will also have a chat with them to make sure they are happy and have everything they need.
I can also be around to help with anything else you might need on the day!

From movement, to music, to readers or doggy ring bearers, I'm here to make it all happen smoothly.

And then the ceremony itself will take place!
Afterwards, I'll head off quietly and leave you to celebrate .

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

There are lots of things to think about, travel, insurance, even clothes!
Below I outline my Ts & Cs as well as the legal stuff in a nice easy to digest way. You can also view the booking form below for a full breakdown in proper legal terms.
If you have questions don't hesitate to hit the contact button!

Contact

Booking Form

Don't worry, it's not this much intense reading...

Legal Stuff

So, the headline on this is that the ceremonies I provide are not legally binding. They cannot be made to appear legally binding, nor can I use the words of a legally binding ceremony.
In the case of a Naming Ceremony, Renewal of Vows or Commitment Ceremony, you would expect no legality anyway, so this applies specifically to Wedding Celebrations and Civil Partnership Celebrations.
So, you will need to have a Registrar Ceremony first to legally register your marriage or civil partnership.
But these are not your wedding. This is the formal legal bit, and you are not required to exchange rings or do any kind of ceremonial actions.
I recommend a 2 by 2 ceremony with the registrar. This is a simple ceremony involving the couple and two witnesses in a register office. Think of it as no different to registering any other kind of life event, such as a birth of a death.
Because it is a legal requirement, it means the words used are incredibly inflexible, which means you will have the same ceremony as everyone else. It is not personal to you in any way. So treat it as what it is; the legal bit, and then you come to me for all the stuff you will actually remember.
So in brief, you have to register your marriage or civil partnership with a registrar, and then we do the ceremony afterwards.
When booking your 2 by 2 ceremony, you may need to dig around a bit. Local councils and register offices don't advertise them very clearly, so don't be afraid to get in there and dig around to find what you need.

Payments Policy

It's pretty straightforward. Basically, on the day you decide to book me as your celebrant I will give you a booking form which will give details such as the date, time, location etc. Once this is signed, I take a 50% Initial Payment in order to hold the date.
It also covers the initial meeting at the Venue (face to face) or a digital meeting if needs be, during which we will create an outline and a proper plan for the ceremony.
This initial payment is non-refundable, so make sure you're sure! The Initial Payment needs to be paid within one week of the signing of the booking form or the date will be considered open once again, though most opt to pay it on the day of booking to avoid faff!
Then, once we get a little closer, usually a two months before the date, I will take the remaining balance of the payment. This triggers the writing, and will cover another meeting as well as the subsequent writing and delivery of the ceremony.
I cannot hold the date without the initial payment, and I cannot writing the script until the final payment has been made.
There are sometimes occasions when extras may be required. Certain symbolic items, a specific costume, a hotel room or travel expenses. If they are known when we book then I will add them on at that stage, or if they are added later I will add them on at the end. You will have itemised invoices for all payments, so it should be very clear.
If I already have an item that may be required, such as a ring cushion or a specific costume then I can hire these out at a lower rate for use during the ceremony. Again, this can be built into the price.
This will also include mileage and travel expenses if the apply. Please see the travel section below for more information.
Payment should be made by bank transfer to Studio Armstrong, which is the company that deals with all my Creative Writing and Educational services I provide. It still me, just under a different name!

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations do happen, and I will always do my best to be as sympathetic and accommodating as possible. I have no specific cut-off for cancellations, I just ask that you give me as much notice as possible.
As stated above, the initial payment is non-refundable so if you chose to cancel I cannot refund that.
In the event that the ceremony is cancelled after the final payment has been made, I reserve the right to refund or keep this final payment. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and if a refund is due it may not be for the full amount paid.
I will need to take into account the time I have already spent on the creation of the ceremony up to that point, as well as the time that would have been allocated to your wedding that may have prevented me from taking another.
Usually in these circumstances a partial refund of the final payment will be due, so the time spent writing and researching is still covered, but the nearer to the date we get the less refund will likely be due.

Travel & Accommodation Policy

I am absolutely happy to travel to wherever you would like the ceremony to be held! From Scotland to Australia, I am good to go.
I charge 20p per mile travelled, though this may shift as the market does.
In the event of an overnight stay, my policy is to build the price of any expenses into the fee. If it is known at the time of booking I will build it in then, or if it occurs later I will build it into the final payment.
Alternatively, you may have accommodation already that you can offer, or you may wish to book something yourself. However you want to do it, it all works for me!

Availability

This is really easy, I'm always happy to do a ceremony!
Christmas, New Year, Bank Holidays, Weekends, Weekdays! You name it!
There will be an additional fee of £75 for days like Christmas called a "Festive day Fee," which I will include in the expenses, but I am open to it all.
Of course, there is a first come first serve element to this. If the day has been taken and a deposit has been paid then I won't be able to cancel one ceremony for another.
The only other thing would be a late booking fee. If you book up to one month before the wedding, there will be an additional £75 "Late Booking Fee."
This basically allows me to rearrange whatever needs to be rearranged to make sure I have the time to write the ceremony!

Insurance

As a member of the Association of Independent Celebrants I am full insured!
I can make copies of my insurance information available on request, and if you are interested in the overview of the insurance you can click the logo below and visit the Association website!

Intellectual Property

In making your booking, you acknowledge that the copyright and all other intellectual property in respect of the ceremony and all documentation or other materials used in or relating to the ceremony belongs to myself. You are licensed to record the ceremony for your own personal use and enjoyment, but you are not entitled to use it otherwise or publish the whole or any part of the ceremony or its materials without my express written permission.

HOW DOES IT WORK?