Unique Award Winning ‘Special Days’
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What is a celebrant?
Choosing to work with a Celebrant for your ceremony will start conversations…
Find out more about what I do and how I’d be happy to help you.
My approach
I have a unique approach as a celebrant. You can find out more about
My voice
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My approach
Reviews
See what people have saved about the celebrant services I offer…
…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
Some recent reviews
Johanna Cope
16:27 23 Nov 21
I've worked with Jess May a few times in my job as a wedding coordinator and seen her officiate many a wedding, so when... it came to planning my wonderful Grandma's funeral, she was the only choice. She helped us plan such a lovely celebration of my Grandma's life, she was so kind and patient, listening to us share our memories. Jess delivered such a beautiful, warm service, thank you.read more
Becky Thorn Sietsma
21:18 22 Nov 21
Jess was Celebrant for our wedding and our first child's naming ceremony. We'll be calling on her again soon we... hope!We searched high and low to find the right person who could help to bring together all our strands of life and journey, some conflicting, and weave together to form a beautiful, inclusive ceremony. One of the best moments of my life. So pleased I made that first call.read more
janice Martison
12:01 06 Nov 21
Couldn't think of anything/anyone more perfect. Jess made the day so very special. Her tribute was filled with warmth... and sensitivity and loved by all of the family. Thank you Jess. 🌻 xread more
Florence Goodrham
11:01 06 Nov 21
Jess was incredible at my friend’s wedding renewal! She was wonderfully understanding of some sensitive, emotional... aspects to the ceremony and made such an effort to create a perfect story of their lives together to tell at the renewal. She fully understood them as a couple and did everything to fit in with their theme (Beauty and the Beast). She was also lovely to talk to and so passionate about her job! I can’t recommend her enough! Thanks Jess 🙂 xread more
Lou
22:17 03 Nov 21
Having watched a friends funeral officiated by Jess online I just have to say how impressed I was.The funeral service... was without doubt the loveliest I've ever seen. Jess was sensitive, caring and seemed to have made a huge effort to find out as much about Tom, not just his life but Tom as a man, as a friend and a husband. Watching it I would have thought Jess knew Tom and the family beforehand. Jess had sent messages and even joined a Facebook page to find out more about what seemed to be Tom's greatest passion before the funeral as well as obviously speaking to Tom's widow. I've never seen that level of care and attention before. Tom was an online friend to me but even so I think he would have been as blown away by Jess as I was.read more
Matthew Keogh
06:56 26 Oct 21
Jess recently delivered the eulogy at my mother’s funeral who had died somewhat unexpectedly after a long fight against... cancer. Having suddenly found myself in a position of dealing with organising the funeral as well as grieving, I was dreading delivering a eulogy and all the difficulties that brings in making sure all those affected in the immediate family have the opportunity to say what they want. Jess clearly laid out what she would need from us in composing a eulogy, picking out memories and feelings that were important for us to share and reached out to speak to all of us affected, whether that be close family or friends and ensured we were all heard.She was so supportive, even to the extent of recommending a great local florist for the flowers. What Jess delivered was exceptional. Her eulogy managed to paint an eloquent and personal portrait of my mother as if she’d known her for years. It was my mother’s wishes for a church service and I was concerned the church might not want us to use the services of a celebrant. Jess worked closely with the church to ensure that they were clear about the service she would provide and took note of what the church might wish for an order of service.Having Jess deliver the eulogy ensured we were able to pay tribute in the way we wanted to without the fear of not being able to speak ourselves on the day. We had so many lovely comments about the high quality of her eulogy from family, friends and the church and throughout the planning and subsequent funeral, Jess provided a huge amount of support at such a difficult time. Can’t thank her enough for making such a tough time one that celebrated my mum’s life with such a fitting tribute.read more
Laura Lynch
22:05 17 Oct 21
Jess was the celebrant for a recent family funeral. She helped us navigate through a difficult time with ease. She... worked with us to create a very special final send off for a much loved, greatly missed person. Thanks Jess.read more
amanda owen
14:45 12 Oct 21
Jess was a magnificent MC. She acted as a guide and mentor (Who knew that we didn't actually have to have a service at... the crematorium but could go to a venue of choice and have a bespoke ceremony?) We did it exactly the way we wanted under her caring, sensitive stewardship. At a most traumatic and distressing time, Jess (and Fran and Carrie from A Natural Undertaking) helped us navigate our way round the system and create something authentic to my husband's life well-lived and his family and friends. Thank you Jess for everything you did from our initial call to the final moving goodbye x♥️👋🎶read more
Nathan Talbot
10:27 11 Oct 21
Great support and attention to detail in the planning of the day. Was always available to go through ideas and make... suggestions, so that everything ran smoothly on the dayread more
Jasmin Grimshaw
15:31 24 Sep 21
We choice Jess after meeting with a few celebrants and we just knew she was the one for us. She took the time to get to... know us. Supported us throughout covid and postponing. She arranged an zoom wedding for us on our original date with all our family there to celebrate that day from different living rooms across the UK. We finally had our day last weekend, and Jess delivered a cemeory I will remember forever. Having all the elements I wanted and more. Although we have been married since May I now feel married as I spiritually married my husband last weekend with the support of Jess. She is just amazing I dont have words to describe her , she just amazing. All our guests loved her and the cemeory. All the comments we got where about how lovely the cemeory was and how jess had captured the sense of us. Jess will continue to be part of our lives. We can't thank her enough for making our day so special.read more
Charlotte Jayne
12:29 14 Sep 21
Jess was a celebrant at my nans funeral. She is absolutely amazing !! Me and my family are so grateful for the amazing... send off for our nan and thats down to you jess . Thank you so so much🌸🤍❤️ xxxxxread more
Anna Davis
10:13 07 Sep 21
Jess performed a beautiful wedding ceremony for my partner and I in July 2021. When I approached Jess I had already had... to reschedule my wedding three times due to Covid-19 and was feeling quite low about the whole thing. Using a celebrant wasn’t something I had considered before but I had found her on Instagram, heard her wonderful voice and what she stood for and knew she had to perform our ceremony.Right from the start, Jess brought back the excitement into wedding planning and created an amazing experience start to finish. Even during the initial planning meeting, she asked questions to my partner and I about our hopes, dreams, motivations and values and really helped us to realise more about us as a couple and appreciate even the small things that made us fall in love in the first place.She was completely centered around us, dedicated to making sure we had a personalised and meaningful ceremony where no ideas or requests were off the table. She wrote an amazing speech that our family and friends were blown away by and bought me to tears, it was like she had known us for years rather than weeks. Jess created a ceremony that was so magical, we will treasure it for the rest of our lives.read more
christy matta
17:40 14 Aug 21
Well, where can we even begin to explain how wonderful Jess had been throughout the whole wedding planning through to... the day. Due to Covid, we were worried that a switch in venue and location was a compromise but Jess helped us and inspired us to feel excited once again and even helped us realise that it wasn’t a compromise at all, but a new exciting theme!From meeting in person , to WhatsApp tips and advice (even up to the night before the wedding!) she was an absolute star and a rock throughout the planning of a “Covid age” Wedding. Restrictions there one minute, then not , then the possibility of more issues, she helped us through it all.The ceremony was incredibly personal, she took the time to get to know us, and celebrate our relationship and even made us realise one or two things about us too!The biggest compliment I got was a guest enquiring as to how long we had known Jess for because “you must have been friends for a long time!” But this was down to the excellence and attention to detail Jess puts in to the planning and preparing of the ceremony right through to the day.Jess, thanks so much for making our small wedding so personal and entirely celebrating me and my husband and what makes us us. You were fantastic, I couldn’t recommend you enough. If you’re looking for a unique , extremely personalised ceremony by the most wonderful person, choose Jess!Christy & Stef.read more
Guy Arthur
15:58 08 Aug 19
We couldn't recommend Jess more highly! We'd spoken to a few different celebrants on the phone before coming across... Jess, and instantly knew that she was perfect - Jess genuinely listened to us for ages on the phone, and when we met in person, and really got to know us, and she clearly cares about what she does. Very personal and human and genuine - which is exactly what we wanted from our ceremony. Jess struck the right balance with everything, from the tone to the length, to her advice to us throughout. So many people came up to us after the ceremony to say how great they thought Jess was, and we felt and still feel super proud and lucky that she was there for our wedding 🙂read more
Shereen L. W.
00:34 18 Jul 19
Eight months before the wedding, we met up with Jess over lunch to discuss our initial visions for the ceremony and... were extremely moved by how intently she listened and put forward ideas to fit our values and wishes for the day. As neither of us are religious, it was important for us to write our own vows and for the ceremony to reflect us as people, whilst also being inclusive to our many friends and family members who are religious. Jess found this balance perfectly! On the morning of the wedding (our wedding started in the afternoon), Jess arrived early to run through a rehearsal (amidst the wedding-morning-running-around!) and had wonderful suggestions for how we should use the space. We got married outdoors and set up the guest seating in a circle around the wedding arch, and Jess was eager to ensure that everybody could see, hear and feel part of the ceremony. She recommended that we stand as part of the circle to say our vows, and then move to the centre for her speech, poetry readings from our family and friends, and finally the exchange of rings. We had not thought about moving around the space at all and this wonderful detail turned out to be a perfect example of the thought and care that Jess puts into her role as a celebrant.The first time we heard Jess’s own speech (apart from the vows which we had written) was during the ceremony itself and we started tearing up at the first syllable! She welcomed everybody warmly, spoke loudly so that all of our guests could hear clearly, made us all laugh when we were sobbing through the ceremony, and wrote such a beautiful, personal speech for us as a couple! Every one of our 150 guests said how much they enjoyed the ceremony and how it was completely true to who we are!read more
Finding a celebrant is like falling in love.
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