Frequently Asked Questions
This list gets longer and longer with every passing day, but given you're a curious bunch that was probably to be expected! And, if you have a burning 'infrequently asked question' which you'd like an answer to you can always get in touch at chloe@celebrantofcuriosity.co.uk
Humanist Weddings
1 / What is a humanist wedding ceremony?
A humanist wedding is a non-religious, personalised ceremony that celebrates your relationship, your values, and your story. It's crafted entirely around you, with no set script or restrictions.
2 / Is a humanist wedding legal in England and Wales?
Not yet! But (and it's a big one) they are in Scotland and Northern Ireland and they're currently (in September 2026) consulting on legalising them in the rest of the UK.
All that really means is that the legal paperwork happens separately at a register office, and your humanist ceremony is the meaningful personal celebration.
3 / Why choose a humanist celebrant instead of a registrar?
Registrars have quite strict limits on what can and can't be included in legal ceremonies, and so a humanist celebrant can offer a more bespoke, story-driven ceremony where we have complete creative freedom to work in rituals, readings, and other personal touches that really bring the ceremony into your wider plans for the celebration.
4 / Can we include religious or cultural elements in a humanist ceremony?
Yes! There seems to be a common misconception that if you hire a humanist your only option is a 30 minute Richard Dawkins lecture. I promise, this could not be further from the truth!
Would I lead a group prayer? No, because it isn't my place to.
Will I lead a group in quiet contemplation and reflection? If you'd like!
Will I hand over the microphone to Aunt Beryl so she can do a religious reading that is important to you? Absolutely!
We can include readings, music, or symbolic gestures from a wide range of religions, traditions, and cultural backgrounds if they're meaningful to you.
Everyone is welcome at a humanist ceremony.
5 / What elements are involved in a ceremony? Can we write our own vows?
It is very much your choice! Ceremonies can include a lot of traditional wedding elements, or very few. We can include symbolic rituals such as handfasting, we can have family and friends do the speeches in the ceremony (honestly, as a person who dreads wedding speeches, I think this works fantastically!), you can write your own vows or love-letters to each other. I'm there to guide you through all of it.
Sussex, UK, & International Travel
6 / Do you work as a humanist wedding celebrant in Sussex?
Yes! Sussex is my home base, and I regularly create ceremonies across Brighton, Lewes, Eastbourne, Worthing, Chichester, and the South Downs.
7 / Which Sussex wedding venues do you work at?
One of the great things about humanist ceremonies is that because we aren't restricted to 'Licensed' wedding venues everywhere can be a venue for the right couple! I work at botanical gardens, historic houses, I adore museum and library weddings, as well as barns, woodlands, the South Downs landscapes, and even the beach!
If you're looking for hints or tips for venues do get in touch and I have loads of suggestions depending on what you're looking for, ranging from places like Kew Wakehurst to Charleston House and so many more!
8 / Do you travel across the UK for weddings?
Absolutely! I really see humanist wedding celebrancy as my vocation and so I happily travel for the couples I work with. I create ceremonies throughout the UK, whether that's comparatively close to home in Kent and Devon or further afield in Wales, Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds, or where I grew up in Yorkshire. I love travelling for couples who feel drawn to my curiosity-driven style.
9 / Do you charge travel fees for UK weddings?
No. My fees are all inclusive, so there aren't any additional costs for travel within the UK.
10 / Can you officiate destination weddings outside the UK?
Yes! I am very happy to travel internationall to create ceremonies abroad, and I can support couples with logistics and symbolic elements.
Working with Me
11 / What makes Celebrant of Curiosity different from other celebrants?
I am deeply involved and intentional in my approach to ceremony-crafting. I work with a small number of couples each year, because creating a truly personal ceremony takes time and I want to give each couple the kind of attention and creative space that simply isn't possible in any other way.
During my own wedding planning I also found the amount of time I spent feeling like I should be doing something but not knowing what because all my suppliers took a deposit and then said 'okay, we'll be in touch 3 months before' very strange! I won't do that. I'm here as much or as little as you need me, every step of the way.
12 / What is your ceremony creation process?
We'll meet and we'll chat, and we'll meet and we'll chat.
Unlike most celebrants, I ask lots of questions but I don't use a 'questionnaire'. I don't believe that the stories which matter can be captured in tick-boxes or short written answers, and instead I'd much rather sit down and have proper meaningful conversations.
To support this I provide all of my couples with a gorgeous printed Almanac, a collection of activities, prompts, reflections, and adventures for you to explore together between our meetings. Couples often tell me this becomes one of their favourite parts of wedding planning.
This high-touch process means that ceremonies are curated from a depth, nuance, and genuine connection, so that you feel like you're stepping into a world built entirely around you. ​
13 / Can you create unique rituals just for us?
Absolutely! We can draw from pre-existing rites and rituals such as handfasting, candle ceremonies, and tree planting or create personalised rituals based entirely in your story, balues, hobbies, and heritage.
14 / Do you offer non-traditional or quirky ceremony ideas?
I am a walking, talking, whimsical ceremony ideas machine! I love designing ceremonies around unusual objects, curiosities, scientific metaphors, literary references, pets (whoever said never work with children or animals had clearly never seen how cute they look in bow ties!). I've produced escape-room in an envelope games which needed solving to unlock the wedding favours. If there's something you'd like to try, even if it's just a vague idea, I can absolutely help gfind the shape of it for your ceremony.
Practicalities & Booking
15 / How far in advance should we book a celebrant?
Most couples book 9 - 18 months ahead, especially for peak summer dates. Short-notice bookings are sometimes possible, especially for smaller weddings or elopements.
16 / What happens during the initial consultation?
We'll have a chat about your hopes for the ceremony, your venue, your ideas. It's a relaxed conversation to see if we'll be a good fit for each other and for you to ask any questions you have about me!.
17 / What's included in your fee?
All of our meetings, my bespoke celebrant's 'almanac' guide tcomplete with prompts and activities to take the two of you through your wedding planning journey, support writing vows and selecting readings, ritual design, your bespoke ceremony script with any revisions you request, travel across the UK, ceremony delivery and ongoing support throughout planning!
18 / How much does it all cost?
My fees for ceremonies in 2027 and early-bird 2028 bookings are currently £1,250 which includes all of our preparation meetings, support with your own preparation, as well as the almanac guide, travel, delivery of the ceremony and rehearsal if you'd like one, and a keepsake presentation script.
I've also been known to waive my fee entirely for a very limited number of dates each year which are gorgeously weird and wonderful.
About My Couples
19 / Do you work with LGBTQ+ couples?
Yes. As a queer celebrant it would be a little bit odd if I didn't! I joyfully create ceremonies for queer couples and celebrate all identities, relationships, and family structures.
20 / What kind of couples do you work with?
Truthfully, if you're even a little bit curious about a humanist ceremony you're already pretty interesting in my book!
But to give you a bit more of an idea, the people who find my way to me are often:
- Fellow lovers of a good rabbit hole, whether it's historical, or about folklore, science, art, boardgames!
- Drawn to places filled with stories: museums, libraries, archives, old houses, botanical gardens. We'll get on well if you enjoy a weird or wonderful space. Somewhere to feel connected to the world around us and the long-line of people we share it with.
- Non-traditional in spirit, even if their wedding might look traditional on the surface.
-Thoughtful about their relationship, reflective, and excited to collaborate.
Elopements, Vow Renewals, & Curious Extras!
21 / Can you create humanist vow renewal ceremonies for couples celebrating anniversaries or milestones?
Yes! Personally, I didn't do my own 'big celebration' until 5 years after the registry office bit and so that spent a long time being called a vow 'newal'. I adore crafting vow renewals. Whether you want the focus on your journey, your growth, new promises for the years ahead, the significance of new friends and family in your lives, we can piece it all together!
22 / Can you create humanist elopement ceremonies in Sussex or across the UK?
Yes! I create intimate elopments in Sussex, the South Downs, and UK-wide , with a focus on the significance of your day and the atmosphere you'd like to foster.
23 / Can we hire your classic Land Rover for our wedding?
Yes! My restored classic Land Rover can be hired for wedding, elopements, vow renewals, and photoshoots. It's ideal for rustic vehicles, South Downs landscapes, woodland ceremonies, and couples who love a characterful vintage vehicle! It can be used for arrivals, post-ceremony drives, scenic photo sessions, transporting wedding part members, or just because (I think!) he looks lovely!! It's very popular for outdoor and countryside weddings.
24 / Do you provide on-the-day coordination or on-the-day wedding event management?
Yes! I used to work in operations and events and so I'm very comfortable liasing with suppliers, managing timings, guiding guests, and handling logistics and questions so that you can relax and enjoy your day.
25 / Can we combine celebrancy, puzzle games, Land Rover hire, and event management?
You can! I have found that having a trusted point of contact (who isn't you!) is a really valuable addition for a lot of couples, and given you'd like your close friends and family to enjoy the day it's hard to know who to ask. We'll all know each other really well by the time your ceremony rolls around, and so combining celebrancy and coordination can mean that you get to relax without feeling like there's another stranger or point of contact you're having to juggle!