River Jones Celebrant
Beautiful, nature inspired ceremonies created with you, for you
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What Makes Us Unique
In a nutshell
My celebrancy journey started in 1999 when I was asked to do my first handfasting. Since then I've honed my craft delivering hundreds of ceremonies , and since 2014 I've been sharing my passion for this work by delivering training courses for nature inspired celebrants worldwide. I might be the perfect celebrant for you if: you love nature and are planning an outdoor wedding; and if you want your ceremony to feel really special and magical and also totally inclusive, completely comfortable for you both and all your guests and truly YOU. Whilst I've been exploring druidry and nature inspired spirituality for many years, I'm honoured to create really special ceremonies with and for people of all faiths and none.
Why do you want to work with LGBTQ+ couples?
I love working with all kinds of different people - it's an honour and a delight to celebrate love in all its forms!
What is your creative approach to weddings?
I'm excited to create every single ceremony, and always looking for ways to make each wedding special and uniquely fitting for the couple, the place and the gathering. As a prizewinning poet and former teacher of creative writing I love working with words. I pour my heart into the drafts I write for you, and also into the unscripted parts of your ceremony, where I draw my inspiration from you, your chosen place, your special gathering and your moment.
What do you love about what you do?
Being a celebrant brings together everything I love and feel good at - from getting to know people and drawing out their stories, through all the creative processes involved in designing and writing ceremonies, to that special delight of bringing everyone together on the big day. I see our contract as twofold: on the one hand you pay me a fee for which you can expect a fully professional service; on the other hand, you are giving me the priceless privilege of trusting me to be a part of one of the most important moments of your lives, for which I'll give you everything I can to make it the best it can possibly be.
What is included in the wedding package?
I don't do packages as such, but you can expect a minimum of two time unlimited face to face meetings, unlimited extra local / online meetings, an unlimited number of drafts, and liaison with any other people who'll be taking a special role in your ceremony - which can include any or all of the following at no extra cost:
- a telling of your love story which I gather from you and write up - obviously sending you drafts so that you can make sure you're completely happy with it,
- your unique vows which I can support you in writing - perhaps through a nature inspired vow writing ceremony which we could do as part of our preparation together
- special ceremonial elements such as handfasting, jumping the broom, and the wedding communion
- parts that involve any special people that you'd like to be a part of your ceremony
- parts that include everyone, such as inviting all your guests affirm their love and support for you with some big 'we do' s
- variations on traditional elements, such as exchanging rings, declaring you well and truly married and inviting you to share a kiss
- a short nature inspired closing blessing written especially for you, drawing on the inspiration of the setting you've chosen and the journey that has led to your ceremony
- any other content you want such as readings. music etc.
Do you cover more than one wedding a day?
Very rarely - only in exceptional circumstances and if weddings are at least three and half hours apart time wise and no more than half an hour's travelling distance.
Do you charge per hour or per event?
I charge per event. Once I'm working on your wedding I'm all in and will do everything I possibly can to make it as wonderful as it can be.
Do you need specific materials or conditions to offer your service?
Nope.
What forms of payment do you take?
I ask for a deposit of £150 to secure a booking and full fees to be paid at least one month ahead of the wedding.
Where are we?
, ,Preferred Venues
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2 Reviews on “River Jones Celebrant - Same-Sex Friendly Celebrants Wedding Supplier in Brighton, Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom - Gay Wedding Guide”
River could not have made our wedding day and ceremony any more perfect. She listened to our ideas/wants/worries and created us a ceremony that felt so personal. She brings such a warm, comfortable atmosphere to her ceremonies. Us and our guests were so at-ease and were able to just sit back and enjoy it all, everyone knew they were in good hands. It was light-hearted in the right moments and emotional in the right moments. I had endless people coming up to me afterwards and saying ‘Wow River is SO good’. Thank you River for making our day so beautiful, personal, calm, funny and warm, and for making our ceremony better than we could have ever imagined. You are the best!
River did our wedding ceremony 3rd June 2023 coming to South Wales.
Before our ceremony River met with us both to learn our story, writing down significant moments, symbolic memories and sentimental important details of our relationship. She used this to create the most personalised wedding passage during our ceremony. She used the details we told her to let our guests know why we chose and did the things we did for the wedding and she also included personalised moments, such as lighting a candle for our late loved ones. River listened to our beliefs, our values and our important on the symbolism within our ceremony and really inbuilt it in our ceremony so it felt really special.
Practicality wise she made a book for us to read our vows, and the people that did readings for us. This was so helpful not only for the day, but we were able to send our deaf family members, and those who’s first language wasn’t English to read later on.
River is approachable, warm, flexible, practical, an amazing public speaker and her creativity and being full of ideas added so much to our day. After our wedding out of all the suppliers and services throughout the day, River was commented on the most as being brilliant. She speaks clearly and is warm that everyone enjoyed listening to her. She made our guests laugh and tears. She even helped my mum with her speech which I know she was really nervous about (my mum smashed her speech).
I have always wanted a handfasting and a personalised wedding, and she made my wish come true. No matter what type of wedding, I highly recommend River as a celebrant, you won’t be disappointed. She made our day even more special.