Weddings

Photography by Anne Schwarz Fine Art Wedding Photography

Let me create your unique, beautiful wedding ceremony

Imagine a different kind of wedding ceremony. It’s so personal to you, completely authentic, romantic and funny. You hear your love story retold in an original way and all the words, music and readings are exactly what you want, with no restrictions. When you look around, your guests are listening intently, loving every minute. You feel confident, so happy and relaxed. Your ceremony is a beautiful celebration of your love for each other, and this adventure into the future. It’s exactly as you dreamed it would be.

Afterwards, your family and friends will tell you how ‘you’ it all was. They came away knowing you better. There were no bland, boring bits, no cliches – just a sparkling ceremony, full of romance and happiness.

This is my promise to you: a beautiful, bespoke ceremony – perfect for you.

I specialise in creative, inclusive wedding ceremonies – personalised from start to finish. I’m inspired by who you are: your story, your quirks, your talents and your interests – however niche! You’re free to revel in wedding tradition or go totally off-piste and do your own thing. Whatever you decide, your wedding will be a one-off, created and delivered by me.

I’m here for you at every step, to advise, listen and share ideas. On your wedding day, you’ll know me well so you’ll, so be able to relax and be in the moment together.

Your ceremony will be everything you can imagine, with a host of new options you didn’t even know were possible. You’ll remember it with happiness forever.

But don’t take my word for it. Please read what my lovely couples say …

“If you do anything today...book Alicen to perform your ceremony. Even if you aren't engaged yet! Honestly we can't praise her enough. We didn't want a normal standard (boring) ceremony. We wanted to have fun and our guests to have fun. And we all did. Alicen - you were amazing from start to finish."

Shakira and Greg, Moor Farm, WeymouthImage by Laura Dean Photography

“Alicen really got what we were about. We wanted a down-to-earth and light-hearted ceremony. Everyone was in stitches at one point and she really engaged with our guests, so much so (and we're not even exaggerating) we had countless of people say how amazing she was and they even bring her up to this day.”

Kate and Luke, Court Farm Standerswick

“What you can’t imagine until it’s over is the enormous joy, personality and lightness of touch she brings to your day. If you both want an day you will never forget with a celebrant at your side who delivers an exceptional, personalised service from the heart … look no further … she is a gem!”

Mark and Richard, at home, SandbanksImage by Paul Underhill Photography

We loved it - so personal and it it meant so much more than an off the shelf service. Even Ryan's Nan said it made a nice change from the regimented way of doing things! You have been great and very understanding of our worries and made us both feel it was very easy to get to know you.

Kate and Ryan at homeImage by Emma Herrod Photography

“Thanks for all you did to make our wedding so special! It was so personalized to us and exactly as we envisioned. Thinking back on the ceremony just makes me so happy. We're so appreciative of you and how open-minded you were to all of our requests. You are amazing at your job and we're so happy we chose you as our celebrant.”

Emily and Arash, Rockbeare Manor, ExeterImage by Nova Photography

“Alicen... she's just brilliant. She made our ceremony the most beautiful and moving occasion. She is genuine, her words heartfelt and she is a truly lovely person who got to know us and was sensitive to our needs.”

Wendy and John, Came House, Dorchester

“I would use one word to describe what Alicen brings to a wedding and that is JOY. What she does is so special. A deep understanding of the couple – and in doing so – helping us understand each other even more. She helped us fall a little bit more in love with each other.Thank you Alicen for giving us the best day of our lives."

Gillian and Simon, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa

“We cannot recommend Alicen enough - she is an absolutely wonderful celebrant and really made our wedding day (and the run up too) special. She spent time listening to us, really got to know us as a couple and delivered such a warm, fun and personal ceremony which all our guests commented on!”

Kay and Tom, barn wedding, Langport

From the day that we contacted Alicen she made us feel completely relaxed and definitely eased our stresses. She put so much effort into getting to know us and our families which made our ceremony unbelievably personal. Thank you for making our day so special!

Abigail and Dave, Hope Farm, DorsetImage by Laura Dean Photography

Alicen was absolutely superb and the best addition to our wedding. We couldn't have asked or a better celebrant!! She was soo attentive and captured our relationship so well - our guests thought she had known us for years. She really got to know us and created our vision of the ceremony perfectly - it was funny, personal and like no other wedding.

Loxley and Jamie, Buckland House Gardens, Glastonbury Image by Wayne Reid

“Highly recommend choosing Alicen for your wedding! She has been able to capture the spirit of our day so well, is extremely communicative, and all round just a lovely person to chat with and bounce wedding ideas with. We’re really impressed at the level of detail she’s taken to understand our cultures, backgrounds and personalities. She’s also really funny and just what we were looking for for our celebrant.”

Xinmei and Josh, Danesfield House, MarlowImage by White Stag Wedding Photography

"Everyone commented on how wonderful the ceremony was. How funny you were and how special it was. Thank you SO much for the incredible role you played in our wedding."

Nicola & Craig, Came House, DorchesterJim Johnson Photography

What's different about a celebrant wedding ceremony?

A celebrant ceremony is fundamentally different to a church or a register office ceremony. It’s 100% personalised to you and original. It reflects who you are and everything you love.

A celebrant wedding ceremony means …

Being true to yourselves with a ceremony that’s all about you and different from anyone else’s.
Setting the tone and style yourself, with complete creative freedom.
Expressing your own wonderful, personal vows: the most beautiful moment in your ceremony.
Enjoying the sight of your family and friends, completely engaged and enjoying the ceremony from start to finish.
A celebrant who you know and like. I have your backs – all the way. You can contact me anytime about your ceremony. I’ll help with advice and useful info on readings, music and local suppliers.
Benefiting from my expertise and understanding of people and weddings. I know what you and your guests need to feel relaxed and comfortable. I’m very sensitive to issues around mental health, disability, accessibility and language barriers. My weddings are LGBTQ+ friendly and inclusive.
Your ceremony will be of the highest quality, written and delivered personally by me.
A celebrant wedding means loving every moment of your ceremony, sharing it with family and friends and remembering it with happiness.

How a celebrant wedding works

A celebrant isn’t licensed to do legal marriages in England, so to be legally married, you need to book this with your local register office. You might choose to do this the day before or afterwards. There’s also the option to have the registrars come to your venue, if it’s licensed.

The simplest legal ceremony is typically available midweek and is inexpensive. You pay more for a bigger ceremony room, on a Saturday, or for the registrars to come to your venue. To book your legal ceremony, contact your local UK register office or the equivalent abroad.

I know this might seem a bit confusing but as an ex-registrar myself, I can answer your questions, so you’re clear about your choices.

Only a celebrant can offer you the time and expertise needed to create a fully personalised, original ceremony, with no restrictions or rules.

How I work with you

When I plan your ceremony I ask you lots of questions to make sure I know exactly what you want and also to find out what makes you tick. Creating your ceremony is fun and many couples also find it insightful.

My wedding ceremony fee includes:

all phone calls, emails and meetings including face-to-face and online
creation of the ceremony concept
writing and editing of a full, bespoke script
writing your vows or helping you to write your own
ongoing contact with you and the venue co-ordinator
leading the ceremony on the day
a presentation copy of the full wedding celebration script and certificate
travel costs – within a 20 mile radius of DT6 (beyond is charged at .45p per mile).

My 2023 fee is £700 and my 2024 fee is £750.

Next steps

Does a celebrant wedding sound good to you? If so, let’s have a chat! This is your chance to ask me questions and see if I’m the right celebrant for you, with absolutely no obligation.