Cherish Ceremonies | Judy the Celebrant designs beautiful bespoke ceremonies for your life events. Weddings, vow renewals, baby namings, funeral services.

Blog posts in the 'Celebrant' category

Let’s talk about death in the Street… January 20, 2014

Every now and again, a soap opera will come up with a storyline that takes your breath away. Like millions of people, the Coronation Street Roy and Hayley story has been gripping as Hayley ( a transgender male to female character) faces her end of life diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, and argues with her husband Roy […]

Writing a Ceremony November 29, 2013

Filed under: Celebrant, Readings

When designing a ceremony for a wedding, a vow renewal, a baby naming, or a funeral, I always start with a blank sheet of paper. Always. Not everyone does – Registrars don’t, and priests don’t. They have set texts and formulaic layouts and every ceremony follows the same pattern. You can’t change it round, you […]

Autumn – a time of beauty in loss and renewal November 13, 2013

Filed under: Celebrant, Funerals, Symbolism

Autumn…. So full of metaphor, which gives me inspiration when I am writing funeral ceremonies. I know the fog of grief that descends can make it can seem as though – just like when we lose a loved one – everything is shutting down: the long hours of darkness, leaves falling, birds migrating, blossom all but disappeared, there […]

Funeral Celebrant – my promise to you November 11, 2013

Filed under: Celebrant, Eulogy, Funerals

The Cherish Pledge As a trained and responsible Funeral Celebrant, I promise that: I will make contact with the deceased’s next of kin as soon as possible and practicable I will visit the next of kin at their home (or other location) to discuss the funeral ceremony I will make no distinction on […]

Christenings on the decrease October 23, 2013

Filed under: Babies, Baby Naming, Celebrant, General

Despite all the interest in HRH Prince George’s christening today, generally, the number of church christenings is falling year on year. In figures published by the BBC, one in 3 children was baptised in the Church of England in 1980 (when HRH Prince William was christened). By 2011, the figure had fallen to just over […]

Wedding Ceremony – Same old stuff, or something unique? October 17, 2013

Filed under: Celebrant, Weddings

Are you just one of the crowd? Will your big day be like everyone else’s? Same tired old ceremony, where the registrar has probably never seen you before? Or are you looking for a personalised, bespoke ceremony for you and your partner, with a celebrant who only does one ceremony a day? You’re in luck! […]

Another lovely testimonial October 9, 2013

Filed under: Celebrant, Weddings

I adore my role as a celebrant. And to get wonderful notes from people who have used Cherish-Ceremonies is the cherry on the icing on the cake. I recently had the privilege of working with Jacqui and Brian, a lovely young couple who live in Dublin, but who chose me as their Celebrant for their […]

‘What is a Celebrant?’ asks the BBC October 8, 2013

Filed under: Celebrant, Funerals, General, Radio, Weddings

Excitingly, I was invited onto BBC radio this week, to talk about my gorgeous job as a Celebrant. You can find the start at 45 minutes in, and it ends just a little after the Rod Stewart song “You’re in my Heart” is played for me. I hope you enjoy it! http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01gv96q

National Poetry Day October 3, 2013

Filed under: Baby Naming, Celebrant, Funerals, Readings, Vow Renewal

I love National Poetry Day – I used it as an excuse to read through some of my favourite poems. Here is one of them via an Audio Boo, called The Trees, by Philip Larkin. I love trees too! I think this poem would be suitable for any occasion, as it has a sense of […]

Fancy Dress Funeral! September 30, 2013