I am an Elemental Celebrant in Bedford

The Naming Ceremony

This ceremony can be used as part of an important transition and rite of passage to mark a new period in life. It can be as grand or small and intimate as you wish it to be, and is a way of letting go of an old life to begin the new. Price £300.

And the Baby Naming

A beautiful way to honour and introduce this new little person into the family, the community and to the world. Can be done instead of, before or after a traditional christening, my baby naming ceremony is much less formal, and allows the family and friends to play a more interactive and involved role, and is not just for babies! More and more these days the traditional “christening” does not resonate for people, which means children have not had the ritual of officially being named and welcomed into the community and their families, this naming ceremony can be done at any age – in fact with an older child it can be more fun and personal to them as they can be involved in the process. Price £300.

What’s included:

• Initial zoom consultation to connect with you, get to know each other and establish your needs
• An in person chat so I can get to know you better, you can share your story with me and I can talk through the ceremony in depth with you
• On-going support, advice, suggestions and all the little touches that will help make your ceremony a truly personal and enjoyable, fun experience for you, for example help and guidance in being confident reading out aloud to people.
• A site visit to the venue, a walk through and mini rehearsal including any guests or people who will be helping to play a part in your ceremony
• A “melissa”, my assistant who will help to ensure the extra smooth running of your ceremony
• All props for the setting of the circle / scene, multi coloured ribbons / bubbles (if required)
• Readings and vows written on parchment paper and tied with ribbon for you to keep, along with a box or pretty bag with a surprise gift or two in it from me.

The Handfasting / Wedding / Commitment Ceremony

My classic Elemental Celebrants ceremony! Working closely with you as a couple, I can provide a unique unscripted wedding ceremony like no other! I can also offer packages as pre-wedding ceremonies, such as the Couples Incense or Oil Blending Ceremony, (see below).

The handfasting ceremony is a way of a couple declaring their love to one another in front of their friends and family in a less formal, more unconventional way than traditional wedding ceremonies. A handfasting is the historical term for a wedding or “betrothal”, an ancient tradition that our Ancestors would have done to show their commitment to one another in front of their families and communities, often out in a beautiful spot in nature. In modern Pagan traditions, often this was done for “a year and a day”. The couple would declare their love for each other and their intention to be bound together, a piece of cloth or ribbon would be used to bind their hands together – this is where the saying “tie the knot” came from! These ceremonies were performed to bind couples together long before religion and the church came into the picture! and as with most pagan customs, the church incorporated much of the handfasting rituals into their own, so today you will still see the priest or vicar tie or lay the ribbon / cloth over the couples hands to bind them together!

These days couples have much more freedom of choice and wish to express their love and commitment to each other in less formal ways, so we can create something simple and small if that is what suits your needs, you can call it what you wish – a handfasting, a wedding, a commitment ceremony, a renewal of vows.

We can be as light-hearted or as formal as you wish, this is your ceremony. What makes what I offer different is at most wedding ceremonies the guests are merely onlookers, but when you book your ceremony with me, your guests can be participants – taking part in a wedding the like of which they will have never experienced before. There will never be another wedding like yours. It can take whatever personal slant you wish to put on it, from creating your own vows, to adding readings, songs, music – anything you want! Written on scrolls and tied with ribbon for you to keep. Together, sometimes over many months and consultations, we weave the story of your love, bringing your loved ones into the ceremony, creating a truly magical and personal experience. Many handfastings are conducted outside, in nature, but they can be held anywhere you wish!

Price £600 (please note this is not a legally binding ceremony, and the registry office will need to legalise the marriage).

Or you may wish to Renew Your Vows, maybe you’ve been together for some time, and wish to create a meaningful ceremony in front of your family and friends as they are now – maybe you didn’t have the wedding ceremony you wanted, whatever the reason, we can create a way for you to express your love for one another now.

What’s included:

• Initial zoom consultation to connect with you, get to know each other and establish your needs
• an in person chat so I can get to know you better, you can share your story with me and I can talk through the ceremony in depth with you
• On-going support, advice, suggestions and all the little touches that will help make your ceremony a truly personal experience, for example help and guidance in being confident reading out aloud to people and writing your vows.
• A site visit to the venue, a walk through and mini rehearsal including any guests or people who will be helping to play a part in your ceremony
• A “melissa”, my assistant who will help to ensure the extra smooth running of your ceremony
• All props for the setting of the circle / scene, multi coloured ribbons / bubbles (if required)
• The willow hoop and wand or ribbons for the hand tying
• Readings and vows written on parchment paper and tied with ribbon for you to keep, along with a box or pretty bag with a surprise gift or two in it from me.

The Couples Incense or Oil Blending Ceremony

This can be done as part of a wedding package, or a stand-alone ceremony that you can do as a couple to create a meaningful bonding experience. Using my skills as an aromatherapist and herbalist I will guide you in a sacred ceremonial way whilst you as a couple create a personal aromatherapy scent or loose incense blend that will remind you of your love / the moment / a specific time or to prepare you for and use in your handfasting wedding ceremony.

You will come to the cabin where I will have created a beautiful space for you to sit, with nibbles and drinks. I will guide you into a relaxed state to connect with your intention, and will finish with a beautiful sound bath to fully ground and relax you.

This is a wonderful ceremony to do a few days before the wedding, when nerves are frayed and tensions are high as it truly brings you back into the moment and aligns your energies once more together.

This space and time can also be used for finishing off or writing your vows and readings – away from all distractions.

Price £120. (this ritual can also be done for an individual, in sacred space, to create a personalised incense or aromatherapy blend for any occasion, prices will vary so please contact me to talk about your needs)

The Hoop & Wand Ceremony

Traditionally in handfastings, ribbon or cords are used to bind the couples hands together. This can be something the bride (or the couple) weave together themselves, or buy pre made, either option I can help with, but as part of my handfastings I offer the Hoop & Wand Ceremony instead of the traditional plain ribbon.

The hoop is the symbol of the feminine, the land, Mother Earth, the Goddess and the wand the masculine, Father Sky, the God. The bride can decorate her hoop, decorating it how she chooses, or leaving it natural. The groom can go out onto the land, to find his “wand”, or have one created for him, by a local craftsman using wood harvested from the land mindfully and with sacredness, again, he can decorate it how he chooses, in ways that are personal. In same sex ceremonies we use two hoops, two wands, or an infinity symbol woven from willow can be incorporated! I have connections with local artisans and craftspeople who make the hoops and wands for me, using locally and sustainably sourced materials.

Then during the wedding ceremony, the guests can come and decorate the combined hoop and wand while the couples hands are bound, with beautiful blessing ribbons, bestowing love and good wishes onto the happy couple – weaving powerful love magic and leaving them with a thing of beauty that will last for years to come and be and eternal momento of the special day! This can also be adapted to incorporate any kind of blessing / wishing tree/jar etc that you may wish to have. (price for this will vary depending what you choose to do, and we will discuss this as part of your consultation)

Jumping the Broom Ceremony

This was done to signify the couple taking the next step on their journey together as equals and to mark the fact that together, with their family and friends supporting them, they can overcome any obstacle. I did this for my own handfasting (see pic), and it was truly a magical moment, and one we won’t forget! As with the hoop, the bride, or the couple together, can buy their own broom, decorate it as they wish, to keep, or can use one that I can provide. It certainly is a wonderful sight!

I incorporate the broom jumping ceremony as part of my handfastings free of charge, and so can be omitted if you wish.

The Cake and Mead Ceremony

This is done after the wedding ceremony, and the jumping of the broom, using locally made mead and pieces of cake (or individual cupcakes) the two beloveds – one holding the chalice and the other holds the platter – offers each of the guests to drink of the mead, with the words ‘’May you never go thirsty.’’ Then each guest is offered the cake with the blessing ‘’May you never go hungry.’’ The mead is made by my own beloved husband, in sacred ceremony, timed with the moon phases, with magical intention, and infused with loving energies. The cake can be made by a baker of your choice or I can use a local artisan baker. Prices vary.

The Passing Over Ceremony / Memorial Service / Scattering of Ashes Ceremonies

The Passing Over Ceremony (Memorial Service)

This is a most beautiful, meaningful, and healing ceremony. It can be done before or after a funeral, or at any time after the death of a loved one as a memorial ceremony. Funerals are often cold, stilted affairs, that are very much regimented in their format, and especially in these times, where people are not able to gather in family and friend groups to show and share their grief, the Passing over Ceremony can provide a way to express how much that loved one truly meant, in a much more personal and intimate way. A small family or friend group can sit together in a healing nurturing space and share their memories together, with no time constraints and afterwards I will guide you on a guided visualisation as you journey with your loved one to say goodbye. It is a deeply moving and healing experience.

This ceremony can also be done to honour the passing of our animal companions.

There is no time limit on when this ceremony can be done to honour the death of a loved one, and so even many many years after losing someone deep peace and healing can be achieved from this.

This gentle ceremony can be given in small groups, of up to ten people, but also as a one to one, working alongside other healing therapies to release and heal trauma, grief and unresolved emotions.

Prices from £200 for a group, £90 for one person

 Scattering of Ashes Ceremonies

Many people opt for cremation, according the Cremation Society, there are now more than 420,000 cremations a year, 70% of all deaths – but did you know that thousands upon thousands of unclaimed ashes are in funeral directors around the country? Or are kept up on top of or in the back of wardrobes?! This is an excerpt from the page of The Natural Death Org, a brilliant resource for all things death related and one I highly recommend. “Around the country almost every funeral director will have the mortal remains of a number of people shut away in their ‘Ashes Cupboard’ – people whose families have been unable or unwilling to decide what should be done with their ‘ashes’. In living rooms, garages and wardrobes throughout the land, the ‘cremains’ of thousands of people sit waiting to be finally disposed of, perhaps awaiting the death of their surviving partner before they will be buried or scattered together.”  I can help you plan a beautiful and fitting ceremony to help you put your loved one (be that person or beloved animal companion) to rest.

What is an ash scattering ceremony?

An ash scattering ceremony is the act of releasing the ashes of a loved one. Scattering the remains of a loved one is an important moment and part of dealing with grief, as well as honouring them and their energy in a respectful, loving and fitting way. It does not matter if the person died recently of many years ago, I can work with you to help you create a ceremony befitting of them. We can make it as small or large an occasion as you need it to be.

There are so many different, unique and personal ways of doing this, from a casting ceremony, where the ashes are scattered to the element of air, to a raking (earth) ceremony – where the ashes are worked into the earth, possibly with seeds – to a water ceremony, with the ashes being given to the element of water. These are just a few of the ways that your loved ones ashes can be released – obviously in ways that protect and honour the environment, using biodegradable urns and being mindful of damaging any plant life. With words, readings and memories shared and read as you wish.

The scattering of ashes is discouraged by the Cremation Society in public popular beauty spots….here is a list of their “cremation etiquette”… “please avoid scattering ashes; On mountain tops, where ashes can affect plant life. In rivers, near places where people bathe or fish. Less than a kilometre upstream of where water is taken for drinking. On windy days, when ashes affect people living and working nearby.”  By booking someone to handle your ceremony, you can take the worry out of that.

Because these ceremonies are so personal, prices will vary, please contact me to discuss your needs.

Letting Go Ceremonies

These work in a similar way to the passing over ceremony. Often, when we have great change or upheaval in our lives, we are just expected to “get on with it” / “move on”. But being able to mark transitional times in our lives, whether that be moving house, changing careers, divorce, or any other area of our lives where we have experienced loss or change, can ease the flow into that new phase of life, by acknowledging the old, letting it go, and allowing the flow of new positive energy into our lives. Generally done as a one to one, but can be adapted for group work.

Price from £90

Croning / Saging / Eldering Ceremonies

In our culture, old age is seen as a burden, as something to be feared and shunned, but our ancestors, and still in other cultures, honoured and venerated the aging process, and the elders. It can be incredibly empowering to create ceremony and ritual to honour these important passings of time in our lives. Rather than looking to our old age with dread, we can celebrate and acknowledge the gifts that come to us – the wisdom, the patience! These ceremonies and rituals can be created individually or within a group, honouring the contributions you have made to your friends, families, communities, and welcoming the new role that awaits as valued wise elders. Price from £100.

The Unbinding Ceremony

This is a way of formally and with sacred ritual dissolving the vows made at the handfasting. Marriages break up, but honouring the love that was shared, together taking the time to un-bind the wedding hoop is a healthy way of a couple formally and ritually ending the relationship. It is usually a private ceremony just between the couple, and can be an incredibly healing thing to do, and can release the energy from that relationship, allowing new energy to flow in.
Price from £100.

House and Land Blessings and Clearings

All places and spaces, whether inside, outside, modern or ancient have energy patterns and forms flowing within, around and through them. A land blessing is usually performed in the area before a ceremony is due to start there, a house blessing is good to do when you move into a new property, to clear the place of any old stale energies that may be lingering from previous occupants or emotions, and call new fresh positive energies in. We are all energy, our emotions can leave imprints on a place long after we have gone, by performing a house or land blessing we are honouring the spirits and energies of that place, and creating a space where the new energies can flow smoothly and easily. Using all the skills that I have built on over the years, connecting with the spirit of the place, using sound, Reiki energy, herbs and oils, sigils and crystals. Prices from £150.

Birthdays

Birthdays are one rite of passage we are all familiar with – and as we mark these special events more people are choosing to honour them in uniquely different and personal ways. Take this Boho festival inspired special birthday celebration that was held in a magical woodland called Hawthorn Grove – the cermony was stylish but simple, with the emphasis on fun and family connections.