wedding ceremonies
Hello, I’m Eleanor Willock, the Full Stop Celebrant – an Independent Celebrant from Somerset. I have one job; to make your wedding ceremony absolutely glorious. I create wedding ceremonies, and vow renewals.
In my wedding ceremonies, your love, your beliefs, your traditions, your sense of humour, and everybody you value the most can be included. I will make sure your ceremony will be exactly the way you imagined it, and we’ll create it together.
why choose me as your celebrant
It’s my job to reflect you and what you want in the words and rituals we decide on for your ceremony, so I’m very open to celebrating the lifestyles and diversity of every client I work with.
I welcome all those who want to celebrate their marriage, including LGBTQ+ ceremonies. I’m also a fan of a theme, a vision, a mood-board, and, to be honest, a good challenge.
My style is emotional, engaging, creative and funny (where appropriate). Words of all kinds are one of my biggest passions, hence choosing to be known as The Full Stop Celebrant.
I’m an officiant, a storyteller, a hype-woman and a tour-guide through the story of your big day, all rolled into one. I’ll be wearing a fabulous outfit which, let’s face it, we’re going to make sure fits with your vibe.
I’ll work with you right from the start to find out what it is you’d like to say at your ceremony, and what it is you want your partner, your children, or your loved ones and guests to really see and hear.
With a celebrant-led ceremony, everybody leaves feeling a little bit more loved, and in love, than they did before we started.
CELEBRANT SERVICES
WHAT IS A CELEBRANT?
A celebrant is responsible for the formal part of the ceremony you are planning. They are with you at the heart of the event, and lead the words, rituals and participatory parts of your ceremony. I think an independent celebrant should be the architect of a ceremony that is for you, and about you only.
No standard scripts, no repeats, no fill in the blank rubbish.
A celebrant is also responsible for helping you plan the ceremony itself. If you choose an independent celebrant, this is what really sets us apart from some of our other ceremonial colleagues.
I am open to every thought, tradition, religious custom, music, poetry and questionable dance move on the planet. In fact, I positively welcome them.
A celebrant empowers you to say the things you want to say to each other in a language free from the conformities of traditional ceremonies in a place of worship or a Town Hall.
Differences between a
Celebrant and a Registrar in the UK
At the moment, legal marriage in the UK is something only some religious institutions or government can exclusively offer. If you choose a celebrant for your wedding ceremony, and you want to be legally married, you’ll need to attend the Registry Office for the necessary meeting and official certificate. My clients usually do this a little while before or after their ceremony with me. This process doesn’t apply to any of the other ceremonies I offer, just marriage.
A wedding ceremony conducted by a Local Government Registrar, in the Registry Office, is very different from using a celebrant like me.
You don’t get to choose your Registrar, it’s who is on duty on the day. You don’t get to meet them first. By the time of your wedding with me, we’ll know each other well, after several meetings. That means I’ll be able to guide you through the ceremony with love and laughter, helping you where and when you need it.
A Registrar led ceremony can’t accommodate religious elements, but I can! With me, you can include ritual elements, prayers, music or readings according to your beliefs. You can use the ceremony to blend traditions together. If you’d like any sort of religious element then an independent celebrant ceremony is right for you.
If you’d like to write your own vows or include poetry or readings by others, an independent celebrant ceremony is perfect for you. A registrar ceremony usually has a more set script.
At a celebrant ceremony, you can walk down the aisle and back again in any way you choose. You can do it with whomever you want, including pets. And, if you are observing this tradition, you can be ‘given away’.
Photography for the Full Stop Celebrant by Abigail Oliver. I highly recommend Abigail for your celebration day photos, she’s a master at her craft.
