Yes, I am authorised to conduct legal weddings in any location of your choice. This can be in a recognised wedding location, a beautiful garden or at a beauty spot you both love. The choice is endless! 

You certainly can write your own vows, and this creates a much more personal touch. You can read these yourself, or I can turn them into questions on the day – you never know just when nerves or emotions will take over. I’m happy to help and offer advice on this. 

Readings, rituals and cultural traditions are all parts of the ceremony I particularly enjoy including. These can be completely personalised and tailored to your ceremony. I can even incorporate different languages to add a further personal touch on the day. I love a challenge!

Children absolutely can and should be involved and I’m all for that. I am great with kids and can help them to relax and prepare for doing a reading or a poem at the ceremony. I always try to meet any children before the ceremony, to put them at ease and at least see who I am. I always include a copy of any readings in my script, just in case they are needed when last minute nerves kick in. 

Well-behaved pets can, of course, be part of the ceremony and I have seen many ceremonies where dogs have the role of walking the bride down the aisle or carrying the rings. You know your pet best and can decide if they can carry out a role at your ceremony, or simply just be there to watch.

For weddings and for funerals, it is very important to have a meeting as soon as possible, to decide whether I am the right fit for your ceremony. After that, for weddings, another meeting 6-9 months before the ceremony is customary to gather information about you as a couple and find out exactly what kind of ceremony you are looking for. Advice can be given on readings, poetry, rituals and anything else you want to include on your special day. You can meet with your celebrant as often as you need to, or communicate by email, phone or text message. Meetings usually take place in a neutral location, making it a bit more relaxed and less formal. 

When planning a funeral, there is usually one home visit with the family, during which I gather information about the person who has passed away and discuss the right ceremony to suit you and your family. This meeting can also take place at the Funeral Directors, if that suits you better. Further communication following this meeting can be done by email, phone or text message.

Of course you can. It is customary to let the family see the script before a funeral takes place and this gives them the chance to make sure all the details are correct. I always send my script to families advance, as it also gives them the opportunity to read through what will be said on an already emotional day. 

Not all couples getting married want to see the script before the wedding and they really enjoy the element of surprise on the day. It is entirely up to each individual as to whether they want to read my script ahead of the big day, but I leave this decision entirely up to individual couples.

Absolutely! You need to pick a Celebrant who is on the same page as you and that might not be me. You wouldn’t go to a concert without having heard the artist sing, so why should it be any different with me? We might just be the perfect match, but that’s up to you to decide.

Should I be too unwell to conduct the ceremony on the day (highly unlikely, but something to be prepared for), a Celebrant from TLC will conduct the ceremony on my behalf. The script will be the one we prepared together, but it will be performed by someone else. This very rarely happens and it would take a lot for a Celebrant to be unable to conduct a ceremony. IF this were to happen, it would be up to the Celebrant to make the necessary arrangements. 

A funeral ceremony is typically 20-25 minutes, as there is a tight time frame to stick to, especially at a crematorium. A double-length booking can be made to accommodate a very large attendance at the crematorium.

Wedding ceremonies can last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how much is to be included and how many people are taking part. Your wedding planner at your reception location will advise you on any time restrictions and how long ceremonies usually take. Outdoor, less formal ceremonies tend to be much more flexible timewise, although the weather can play a large part in these kinds of ceremonies. This is always worth considering, especially in Scotland.