How much does it cost to have a celebrant led service?

My fee for a funeral is £220 and for a wedding it's £500. Both costs include everything* from our first meeting, planning and writing, liaising and checking you're happy with the evolving plan then attending and leading the service on the day.

(*subject to wedding contract)

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Isn't it more expensive to have a celebrant AND a registrar?

Yes it costs a little more BUT you get what you pay for.

A no-frills, 10-15 minute slot at a registry office to do the legal marriage paperwork with a registrar and just two witnesses on a weekday costs between £50-£70. A cermony there, with guests, costs between £200-£600. A registrar will use a standard template and deliver a legal and fairly minimal ceremony.

A celebrant will work with you from the start to create a ceremony which includes every element that you wish to incorporate from personalised vows, parental blessings, rituals (handfasting, sand ceremony, stone blessing etc), poems, songs, hymns, recitals - there really is no limit! 

​Working together we can look at all the possibilities and I can help you decide what works best for YOU. Increasingly, couples are opting for a functional registry office signing followed by a celebrant-led ceremony that is exactly as they want their wedding to be.

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When do we pay you for our wedding?

Firstly we'll chat on the phone. If you're happy to proceed we'll have our first face-to-face meeting. It's at this first meeting where we'll discuss your vision for your wedding day and start to plan each part in detail that I will ask for 30% of my fee within seven days. The remaining 70% will be due 28 days before your wedding day.

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Can you marry us legally even if we are not religious?

Only a registrar or religious leader can legally marry a couple. These days, many people want to focus on the celebration of a bespoke wedding ceremony rather than the practicaility and functionality of completing marriage paperwork in a registry office.

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Are you insured if things go wrong?

Yes. I have £4 million of cover for public liability and £4 million for professional  liability - see below (...but things won't go wrong!)

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Can my cousin sing during our wedding service?

Absolutely! That's the whole beauty of a celebrant-led service, anything goes. It's your wedding, your way. If your dog can juggle, you can incorporate that in the service too if you want!

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Can we get married anywhere?

If not getting married in a church, you must sign the formal paperwork in a registry office (10-15 minutes) or other licensed wedding venue with a registrar.​

The wedding ceremony can take place before (or usually after) the formal signing and it can take place absolutely anywhere, indoors, outdoors, your home, beach, forest etc (with appropriate permission obviously). If your wedding is in a licensed venue, the registrar can do the legal paperwork as part of the  celebrant led ceremony.

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Who should speak at the wedding (or funeral)?

It's totally up to you. If you would like certain people to speak, read or sing, that's your choice. Alternatively I'm very happy to do all the talking and any reciting and reading you may wish. 

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Can you lead dad's funeral in his local church?

No, a celebrant cannot lead a ceremony or service in a religious building.

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I don't know whether to have a burial or a cremation?

This is very much down to the wishes of the deceased or if they didn't make their wish clear, down to the closest surviving relative. In the UK, approximately 75% of funerals take place at a crematorium while 25% are burials, either in a churchyard or local cemetery. I can help you consider both options.

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How do I pay for my loved one's funeral?

My fee will be part of the payment requested from you by the funeral director.

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Is there a discount for a child's funeral?

I do not charge if the deceased is under 18 years of age.

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We want to scatter ashes after a service. Can you help us with that too?

Yes, this is a small add-on and I offer a short ceremony with words but it is very much part of what I can support with. Ashes can be scattered anywhere, with the landowner's permission.

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Is my personal information safe with you?

Yes. I will make notes during our meeting(s) which are called personal information. I do not share personal information. I destroy all personal information relating to weddings and funerals within seven days of the ceremony or service. Confidentiality and integrity are at the heart of my work. 

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You probably still have a few questions so just pick up the phone or drop me an email or Whatsapp message.

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Steve King

07341 313747

steve@lifeandlove.uk