How much does a bespoke celebrant-led wedding ceremony cost?

For wedding ceremonies, vow renewals and commitment ceremonies within a 50 mile radius of York I charge £1200. I am happy to travel further afield than this - please do get in touch for a personalised quote. I’d love to hear your plans and share my wedding expertise.

For elopements or intimate commitment ceremonies within 50 miles of York I charge £900. I add a small mileage fee for ceremonies more than 50 miles away.

What does this include?

Before the big day:

• An initial meeting before you book, to check I’m the right celebrant for you and find out about your aspirations for your wedding ceremony

• My couples questions, helping you to reflect on what matters in life and marriage and telling me about your love story

• Access to my stash of favourite wedding readings, poems, and vows, and personal recommendations

• Support in writing your own vows (I have a secret technique that elicits wedding-vow gold from even the shyest of partners)!

• An in depth ceremony planning meeting either online or in person in York (I love in person meets)!

• Creating a ceremony script that is equal parts hilarious, romantic and authentically you, containing all the details needed to fill you with confidence that your ceremony will run smoothly, allowing you to relax and enjoy it!

• As many script edits as necessary to make it perfect. I aim to complete scripts 2 weeks before your wedding day to give you time to approve them

• A rehearsal either online or in person a few days before your wedding, to ensure you feel confident on the day and to meet properly (if we haven’t already)!
  
  

On the day:

• Arriving at least 1 hour early so I can check the ceremony space, liaise with venue staff, photographers and any guests involved in the ceremony

• Providing music cue sheets and ensuring musicians know when to play during the ceremony

• Providing props for symbolic actions such as handfasting ribbons, my loving cup quaich or printing a bespoke ceremonial certificate

• Delivering your wedding ceremony with my signature warmth and humour

• Being flexible regarding timings on the day - I only ever do one wedding ceremony per day, so I needn’t rush off afterwards!

• Having the time to chat to you and your guests, and congratulate you.

Afterwards:

• Providing a beautifully presented copy of your wedding ceremony script

• Making a donation the The Woodland Trust to plant a tree in your honour

• I’ll be your cheerleader for life if you let me - I couldn’t be happier to receive life updates on what happens next for you both!

I’m not the cheapest wedding celebrant around. My fees reflect my years of experience as a wedding celebrant, the attention to detail and time I give every couple, and the amount of creativity required to develop a truly unique wedding ceremony from scratch. Often you can find a cheaper celebrant by picking someone less well established, and I am happy to recommend celebrants who are starting out.

What’s your process?

Send me an email (rachael.bowers@humanist ceremonies.org.uk) or book a quick chat with me to discuss how I can help create your memorable, personal and joyful wedding ceremony.

We can meet up over a coffee or online if it’s more convenient, and I’ll ask about what matters to you in your wedding ceremony and the kind of feeling you want your guests to experience. I’ll talk you through different options, making suggestions that I think you’ll love. I won’t overwhelm you with every possible detail, but I’ll help guide you to a wedding ceremony vision that’s curated just for you.

If we’re a good match, I’ll send you a short booking form and ask you to transfer a booking fee.

Closer to your wedding, I’ll send you my couples questions that help me understand your hopes for your wedding and your marriage, and your love story. Once I have received these back, we’ll meet up again to plan your ceremony. I’ll probably ask extra questions about your relationship too, gleaning details that make your ceremony evocative and meaningful. I’ll create a draft script and share it with you at least two weeks before your wedding.

Do you perform wedding ceremonies for LGBTQ+ folks?

Heck yes! Queer love is magical and deserves to be celebrated twice as hard!

My family is religious. Will they feel comfortable in a Humanist wedding ceremony?

Everyone is welcome at a Humanist wedding, and I always welcome guests and make them feel part of the ceremony. Incorporating cultural rituals allows you to reflect your identity within a non-religious wedding ceremony. So far I have incorporated a Persian Toorh ghand ritual, a Greek Stefana or crown ceremony, and a Chinese tea ceremony into my weddings - but I’m always keen to learn more about weddings from different cultures.

Feedback from my couples and their guests tells me that even the most apprehensive parents and wedding guests are won over after they have experienced one of my wedding ceremonies!

How much time do you spend at our wedding on the day? Do you then go to other weddings?

I only ever attend one wedding per day - any more than that would be too stressful! I want to be able to invest all of my energy, enthusiasm and passion into one wedding ceremony. This means that if you’re running late on the day of the wedding, I can be fully flexible. I usually arrive an hour before the ceremony begins, and stay for your drinks reception.

Will it feel like a real wedding?

Ah, when we share your love story, using symbolic elements that amplify your love and make everybody watching feel part of your wedding ceremony, it will feel like the realest wedding you have ever attended!

How far will you travel for a wedding ceremony?

Try me! Whilst most of my wedding ceremonies take place in York, Yorkshire, Leeds, the Lake District and nearby, I am happy to travel further afield. Get in touch if you would like to invite me somewhere new - I love to travel, and a wedding is the perfect opportunity!

What if you get sick on the day of our wedding?

As part of the network of Humanists UK celebrants, I know that if I were unable to perform your wedding ceremony, one of my equally highly-trained fellow celebrants would step in on my behalf.