So you’ve booked me: now what?

First things first: welcome. I’m really glad you’re here, and even more glad you’ve chosen me to help you shape one of the most important moments of your lives. Thank you.

Now that you’ve registered with Humanist Society Scotland and booked me as your celebrant, that’s our mutual commitment made. No deposits, no scrambling for invoices at the very start: just a shared understanding that we’re doing this together.

This page is here to explain what happens next, how we’ll work together, and what you can expect from me (and what I’ll expect from you). Think of it as my friendly, human version of a contract—clear, calm, and designed to keep everything running smoothly so we can focus on what really matters: your ceremony.

My role (and my promise)

My job is to create a ceremony that feels true to you, beautifully written, thoughtfully structured, and delivered with warmth, confidence, and professionalism.

I don’t do off-the-shelf scripts or copy-and-paste love stories. Why would I? As a novelist and published author of over 20 years' standing, I love writing. It's my life breath, and there's no way I'm delegating that to a proforma or AI algorithm, despite what my fondness for the em-dash might lead you to believe. Your ceremony will be written from scratch, shaped around your values, your voices, and the life you’re choosing together.

Everything below exists to protect that process—and you.

How we’ll work together

Now that we've had our initial conversation, you should be looking out for my Wedding Ceremony Questionnaires, which I will send to you approximately three months before your wedding date. There are two of these: a Wedding Ceremony Workbook and a Wedding Homework document. The workbook tells me the logistics of your wedding: who's coming, where it's happening, what symbolic gestures you'd like to incorporate, all that good stuff. The homework on the other hand is the cornerstone of your ceremony. It gives me the raw material—the memories, the tone, the important people, the things that matter—from which I craft your story. Thoughtful answers really do make a difference, so take your time and give me as much detail, stories, anecdotes, embarrassing moments etc. as you're comfortable sharing. I'll need it back within two weeks to give me time to write the first draft of your ceremony.

Writing your ceremony

Once I’ve received your completed questionnaire, I’ll get busy writing your ceremony. I don’t normally send couples a draft beforehand – partly because I want you to experience it properly for the first time on the day, rather than reading it on a laptop two months earlier, and partly because by then I’ll know you well enough to turn all that homework into something that sounds and feels like you. If there’s anything I’m unsure about, or anything I think we need to explore a little more, I’ll arrange a call with you.

Of course, if you’re a control freak like me and the thought of not knowing exactly what I’m going to say fills you with horror, just tell me! I’m very happy to send you a draft if you really want to see it. But otherwise, trust me and enjoy the surprise.

Around two months before your wedding, I’ll send you an invoice for 50% of my fee, along with a nagging email reminding you that it’s time to apply to the registrar closest to your venue for your all-important marriage paperwork. Remember: no paperwork, no marriage! So it’s absolutely vital that you get your application to them in good time and bring the paperwork to your ceremony. Honestly, I can’t emphasise this enough. If I could triple-underline it, I would.

About a month before the wedding, I’ll get back in touch to make sure all the practical details are nailed down – music, readings, vows, who’s involved and anything else I need to know – and I’ll send you my final invoice for the balance due (the remaining 50% of my fee plus any agreed expenses). Any last-minute changes should ideally reach me with at least one week’s notice, so that neither you nor I are having an unnecessary nervous breakdown in the final few days.

In case you need it, here's a reminder of what everything costs.

Here's what our journey looks like

I know: there's a lot to take in. So here's a simple illustration to summarise it all:

Travel & practicalities

Based in beautiful Argyll, I travel throughout Scotland for weddings and other ceremonies.  My travel costs are outlined in this blog post.

For venues more than 100 miles away, I strongly recommend an overnight stay nearby to avoid any risk of delays. While I always allow contingency time, I can’t be held responsible for lateness caused by traffic, weather, or other circumstances beyond my control. Let's talk this through if you have any concerns or questions.

If plans change

If you need to reschedule, I’ll always make every reasonable effort to find a mutually agreeable alternative date. And in the extremely unlikely event that I’m unable to conduct your ceremony due to exceptional circumstances, Humanist Society Scotland will arrange for another experienced and trusted celebrant to step in, ensuring all your ceremony details are passed on with care and clarity - this is part of our promise to you. You will not be left unsupported.

The important bit

All of this exists so that, when your day arrives, you don’t have to think about logistics, wording, timing, or structure. You get to stand there, take a breath, look at each other, and trust that the ceremony is being held with care, intention, and skill.

If questions pop up (and they will), or if you find yourselves thinking “Can we do this…?” ... the answer is almost always let’s talk about it.

I’m really looking forward to creating something meaningful with you.

Now then — shall we begin? 💛