Wedding Celebrant in France
Who is your celebrant in France?
All that effort that you’re putting into your wedding day in France – choosing your unique flowers, finding your venue, your dress. But what about the most important part of your day, your wedding celebrant?
Do you want to have something pre-formatted, such as you’d have in a traditional church or civil ceremony? Or would you like to have your wedding ceremony written just for you by a sympathetic experienced celebrant? I’ll introduce you as a couple with the history of your romance, your fads and foibles, enthusiasms and eccentricities woven into the script as much (or as little) as you like.
Your English-Speaking Celebrant
I may describe myself as a “professional English-speaking celebrant”. But I promise you I’m much more than that! I will really lift your wedding into something extraordinary in a way that no venue or dress can do. You’ve found your ideal setting in the vineyards, lavender fields and olive groves of the South of France, but your ceremony should be the star of the show. It’s what everybody has travelled there to witness. If you’re thinking, “well, not really, they’re there for a party”, that’s because until now every marriage ceremony has been the same.
We’re going to change all that.
There are many reasons that you may decide to have your celebrant-led wedding in France.
❖ You want a personalised wedding ceremony. One which is unique to you and which everyone will remember as the highlight of your day.
❖ All your family and friends will be together for a whole weekend (or more!)
❖ Although you’d like to get married somewhere special to you in France, having your legal ceremony there is too complicated.
❖ Warm, dry weather is part of your ceremony dream!
❖ Picture the châteaux, vineyards, olive groves and lavendar fields of the South of France! You’ve also always known that your wedding ceremony will be somewhere extraordinary.
❖ Your guests – and you – desreve amazing food and wine (Yes, I imagine you can do that in your own country…but the wine…!)
Allow me to be your wedding celebrant in the South of France. Together we will make your celebration a ceremony with words and deeds fit for the occasion.
Mysterious involvement of two, whole, separate people
Into something altogether strange and changing, new and lovely…
Rowena Edlin-White
Are you ready to choose your wedding celebrant to create a unique ceremony?
Alternative Ceremonies for Couples
Commitment Celebration
Some couples decide to formalise their relationship without becoming legally married. I can help you create a beautiful Commitment Ceremony which will leave no-one in any doubt of your dedication to each other.
Renewal of Vows
Celebrate your love by renewing vows which you have written with the hindsight of a happy marriage. How better to celebrate than to bring friends and family together to witness such a special occasion? Whether you want a small intimate affair or a grand celebration, let me guide you through a ceremony to reflect your life together.
FAQ’s on wedding ceremonies
Do I have to have lots of symbolism in a “celebrant” wedding?
Only if you want it, your wedding will be absolutely beautiful without. Much of the beauty of a great ceremony derives from the words spoken. Most people have some sort of symbolic gesture, for example, an exchange of wedding rings. However, there’s an enormous range of extra touches we can put in your ceremony from the very simple, like a hand-fasting, to elaborate cocktail making! Some bring all of your friends and family into the ceremony, some just a few family members or friends. My experience as a celebrant can help you decide exactly what’s right for you.
Can a wedding celebrant in France deliver the legal ceremony?
In France (and Wales and England), you have to have a licenced registrar – or minister- led marriage ceremony in order to be legally married. Most couples who have their ceremony with me complete the legalities of their marriage a few days before their “wedding day”, which they have with me. Some have been married already in another country. Think of it as separating the legal from the ceremonial, just as we do in many other walks in life (baby-naming/christening, funerals). On one occasion, we held the wedding before the legal ceremony since it was a surprise for the bride (It’s OK, she loved it!).
Do we have to have the legal ceremony?
No, but understand you won’t then be legally married. However, what you will have done is commit yourself to another in the presence of those who are dear to you; you will have had a very meaningful “wedding ceremony”, or if you prefer, “commitment ceremony”. Equally moving is a simple commitment ceremony within which two people commit themselves to each other with no witness present but me.
Will you help us renew our vows in the south of France?
Yes, please, I’d love to. It would be a very similar process to a wedding ceremony, but with more to talk about compared to most. By the way, we can have a “vow renewal” without actually “re-inventing” your vows if that’s what you’d prefer. Years spent together as a couple can be celebrated beautifully through reflection and/or through symbolic gestures.
Do I have to/can I write my own vows?
Yes, you can, no you don’t have to. Everyone is different, some love the idea and dive in. Others are keen but terrified at the thought of it. I can guide you in this, or simply write them for/with you. However, I will want your input as to what’s important to you. If you want simple vows which are traditional in nature, that’s OK as well.
Do you have a LGBTQ policy?
I’m happy to join any two people in their wedding vows. I believe that love is love, whatever your belief, orientation or ability.
Can I hold my ceremony anywhere in France?
Yes. Absolutely anywhere you want to. Assuming, of course you have permission from the land/building owner, no license is necessary. I even come with my own PA system for those outdoor wedding ceremonies.
How much notice do I need to give you?
I created the surprise wedding mentioned above in a week. However, I suggest a little more notice than that for all our sanity, and to reserve the date. I tend to only attend one ceremony a day, so if anyone (not me, I hope.) is late, there’s no problem.
Can I have a hymn or a prayer at my ceremony in France?
Yes. I personally have no problem with this. A friend of mine said she’d been disappointed that her daughter hadn’t had the hymn that she and her own mother had sung at their weddings, but it wasn’t allowed in the civil ceremony. Shame I hadn’t been a celebrant back then.
How does the process of having a “Treasured Ceremony” in France work?
Once you’ve decided to employ me on your day, you reserve the date through paying your deposit. I’ll send you a questionnaire to get you thinking about what you’d like for your ceremony. We can stay in touch by email (or any other means) after this, for instance if you want to discuss any aspects of the ceremony. About three months before your big day, I’ll contact you to arrange to meet in person or online if we live far apart. Then, we’ll dig much deeper into you as a couple and as individuals. We often land on some appropriate symbolism as a result of this discussion and go into the details of how this will be done.
After our meeting, I write your script then send you a copy for approval. You can make as many changes as you like as often as you like. If you’d like a rehearsal, this can be arranged, though I’ve yet to have a couple who felt the need to have one. On the day, I’ll create a presentation script for you to keep, and ensure that any props we may need for symbolic gestures are in place.
I promise today to be your best friend, your companion and your number one, the Han Solo to your Leia.
I will be there for you through the good times, amazing times & awesome times. But importantly the difficult times
I vow to love you no less than I love the dog
I promise that I will never take you for granted, and always hold your hand
You are everything I always wanted, but all the things I never knew I needed. Simply put, loving you altered my chemistry.
Let's create special memories together
Get in touch to start our journey to the perfect ceremony