Jess May's Special Days
Alternative, Experienced, International Wedding Celebrant
"The minute we heard your voice we just knew!"
"The minute we heard your voice we just knew!"
Jess May
Alternative, Experienced, International Wedding Celebrant
Hello Everybody!
HOW EXCITING!
"...We are writing to say an enormous, immense, gigantic thank you for making our Wedding Day so unbelievably amazing with your kind, loving words, your thoughtful preparation and wonderful ideas. We mean it when we say nobody else on the planet could have done a better job than you and we feel so honoured that you invested your time, effort and heart into our marriage. You are a gentle, creative, caring, fun person with a real sensitivity to those around you. You had all the guests crying one minute and laughing the next in the ceremony. Thank you
Shereen & Eli
CHOOSING A CELEBRANT IS LIKE FALLING IN LOVE
'When you know...you know'
Your Celebrant will just 'get you'.
It's personal
click below
Tell me your story
let's meet for coffee
"How do we know if your'e right for us?"
Lots of couples said the following things when they made the first call, if you saying similar things, make contact!
"We don't want bored guests" ...I hear this all the time...
We just want something informal, relaxed & fun....but meaningful at the same time"
We're getting married outside in our back garden...do you do that?" ...YES, I DO
"We're not really 'centre of attention' people"
'We're having our wedding in a forest...we just want something magical"
"we are a same-sex couple, but we don't want it to be about that, we just want to celebrate 'us' and how lucky we are to have found the right person"
We're 'Spiritual but not Religious'
Would you be willing to fly out to Portugal?"...
YES I DID (twice)
"We want to involve the people we love, is that possible?" Yes it is!
We don't want our ceremony to be all about a God we don't believe in. We want it to be about us and the people we love"
"We wanted someone a bit bonkers, like us...so we called you" (this one involved a broomstick)
I get anxious in social situations, so I don't know how I'll be ...(always fine on the day)
"We don't want cliches, we want something real, something genuine"
You're the right person for us, we can just tell, we don't need to meet you...
We saw you on Youtube and we liked your style
"I'm a performer, I perform for a living, I don't want to do that on my wedding day, we want something intimate and understated so I don't have to worry"
"His Mum and Dad are Hindu, and mine are Roman Catholic...we don't believe anything ourselves...so we've been putting it off...for 14 years!" (THEY DID IT....)
I'm Protestant Irish, and he is Catholic English, we both believe in God but neither of our Churches can marry us...so we're getting married outside instead...We might want some prayers...Is that ok? YES IT IS
"We love the idea of all the people we love best in all the world all being together in one place, we want them to be a part of the ceremony not just onlookers."
We want a Celebrant with a sense of humour
We need a Celebrant who 'gets us'
"So, How did you get into this?"
Everybody's first question
In 2013 the phone rang, it was my niece. "Jess, we're having a wedding. It has to be you that does it!" So, I went and trained at The Fellowship of Professional Celebrants in Hebden Bridge. I did my first wedding on The Portuguese Algarve Coast overlooking sea. I never looked back! Although I did go back and do another wedding there a few years later.
My story?
Like everyone else, I've done lots of different things, but they all broadly involve the things I do best. Creativity, communication, listening, & enabling.
For the past 10 years I have been working in an Arts venue in Central Birmingham in a very diverse cultural context. I have a Theology Degree, with a focus on Contemporary Spirituality, creative enabling for a Neurodiverse theatre, Communication Support, British Sign Language and a huge love of people...mainly!
If you want more detail, give me a call...
Jess May's First Special Day
14th May 2014
Sarah & Peter
Cacela Vehla, Algarve, Portugal
"This is how it all began......"
"Are you a Humanist?"
Everybody's second question
No, I'm not a Humanist
"A good Celebrant is interested in what you do and don't believe rather than what they do or don't believe."
image by camerahannah.co.uk
I am unusual in the Celebrant Community in that I am not affiliated to the Humanists. I am not Atheist, a retired Priest or an Interfaith Minister either. My passion is for telling your story, My own belief is that a good Celebrant is interested in what you believe rather than what they believe. Whether you are Atheist, Agnostic or 'Spiritual but not Religious' . I will make sure your ceremony is about you. If you need to incorporate your traditional texts, beliefs and spiritualities, I can do that for you. I have a deep understanding of how and why people believe and don't particular things and why those things matter. My knowledge is not just theoretical, it comes from many years of experience listening to people's spiritual journeys. My academic background is theological. I have a particular fascination for Contemporary Spirituality in Britain. I am interested in how we find meaning in our lives in multi- Cultural Britain. I am passionate about enabling people to find way of re-interpreting traditions and beliefs which feel authentic for them. If you want prayers, have prayers, garland ceremonies, hymns? have them, and if you want a 'God-free zone' have that...
Some Jess May Special Days
Anywhere you fancy
Back gardens
Image by Amytiphotography
More Specials....
FUSION
WEDDING
Abigail and Jit
Your Special Day
"Claire and Guy called as they were cycling across America to the Burning Man Festival, "we don't need to meet you, we want you to do our wedding. We just know" When you book your Celebrant, make sure you feel like that! and Enjoy your day, whoever you choose!"
Create your Special Day with Jess
