The extra special celebrant-led wedding ceremony at Nancarrow - of one of our own!

Mary and Matt’s beautifully relaxed, heartfelt, celebrant-led ceremony took place at one of our favourite venues, Nancarrow, on Saturday 10 May 2025…

And it was a deeply romantic and moving affair, made even more special because we had the honour of marrying the newest celebrant on our team at Celebrant in Cornwall!

The Background

Mary first contacted us in early October 2023 and confirmed her booking shortly after. And we discovered that Mary and Matt are one of those wonderful couples who knew that a registrar-led ceremony did not offer the flexibility and personality they wanted for their special day. They were happy to complete the legal paperwork in a simple ceremony a couple of days in advance, allowing them to have a personal, fun, and celebratory wedding ceremony with someone they trusted. When I asked Mary why she chose our services, her enthusiasm was clear: "The videos and photos on your website made us completely drawn to you and your style. We instantly knew we would have a wonderful, personal ceremony with you and we are so excited to work with you going forward."

A Twist of Fate: Becoming a Celebrant

Then something even more exciting happened, one year later, in October 2024. Mary had been following us for a while on social media and was aware that Lisa was a trainer and mentor for students at a leading celebrant training organisation. Then on listening to one of our podcasts about wedding celebrancy, she contacted us to say that she was thinking about training to become a celebrant herself, and she was really keen to learn with Lisa! And despite living in Exeter at that time, she and fiancé Matt were planning to move to Cornwall in the near future.

And that is how it all started… Mary started her intensive training with us a few weeks later… and received her first booking in early 2025. Which is when we put her training on pause so we could fully focus on planning her wedding with Matt! 

From Student to Bride

And what a wonderful journey it has been since. Mary and Matt got a lot of joy out of the planning process, really taking the time with their questionnaires and, as we suggested, making a date for coffee and cake to chat about their responses with each other. The three of us then met to talk together, another really lovely opportunity, particularly for me to get to know Matt better. 

As is often the case with couples who are fully invested in their ceremony, their ceremony was such a pleasure to write! And on receipt of the first draft, Mary’s response was “Oh my goodness, Lisa! We are completely blown away by this script! It had us in tears and laughter constantly. You have summed us and our relationship up so perfectly, and we are so grateful to have chosen you as our celebrant!'

Awww, it is always so rewarding to hear this, especially as there is always a little extra pressure when a ceremony is for someone we know personally as well as professionally! With a few tweaks, the ceremony was ready, so Mary and Matt had some quality time to work on their personal vows, and then as we moved into May, the weather was absolutely stunning.

The Day of the Ceremony

Set against the stunning backdrop of Nancarrow, with a fabulous group of guests in high spirits, it truly was the best celebration. From the entrances with the little ones and Mary being escorted by her very proud mum, Susan, to sharing all the little quirks and nuances that make Matt and Mary’s relationship so perfectly them. This included an epic proposal story, a beautiful reading by Matt’s Dad, and personal vows that took centre stage, leaving not a dry eye in the audience.

After the ceremony, Mary dropped us a text - “Where do we even start? We can’t thank you enough for giving us the ceremony of our dreams. We have absolutely loved this whole process with you, but the actual ceremony was everything we could have hoped for and more. So many people spoke with us afterwards and said how beautiful it was. So thoughtful, emotional and funny and so incredibly us.”

And the newlyweds also left us this kind review:

We can't thank Lisa for making our wedding ceremony dreams become reality! We knew we wanted a celebrant led wedding from the start; a ceremony that was personalised, a special moment and something that was completely 'us'! Celebrant in Cornwall certainly delivered on this and more! We loved the whole process and Lisa was always on hand if we needed her. We felt like it made us even closer as a couple throughout the planning stages. Lisa got to know the true us, and wrote the most perfect script that made us laugh and cry (in all the best ways!) The ceremony was so beautiful, our guests haven't stopped talking about our personalised ceremony and it's given us the most perfect memories of the best days of our lives.

A Celebrant-Led Ceremony at Nancarrow

Opting for a celebrant-led ceremony allowed Mary and Matt the freedom to fully express themselves. Unlike the constraints of a traditional registrar-led event, they could craft a unique ceremony that truly reflected their story and values. A celebrant-led ceremony prioritises the couple's journey, allowing for much more creative expressions of love. In Mary and Matt's case, this meant highlighting the significance of their shared experiences, and transforming their vows into a genuine reflection of their relationship.

In a world where weddings often follow tradition, Mary and Matt chose to embrace their unique story, ensuring their ceremony was rich with meaning and authenticity. Which hopefully serves as inspiration for couples planning their special day to seek out a celebrant who can turn a wedding into a truly personalised celebration, filled with warmth and heartfelt emotion.

Looking Ahead: Mary’s New Adventure

This fabulous wedding marked an exciting chapter not just for Mary and Matt, but also for Mary’s new career path as a celebrant. The experience didn’t just celebrate their love; it deepened Mary's passion for a profession she feels truly connected to.

If you'd like to hear more from Mary talking about planning her wedding in more general terms, we recorded this podcast just a few weeks before her big day. And if you are thinking about booking the newest member of our team, Mary is due to complete her training this month, and her first ceremony is in September, so we can’t wait to let you know how that goes!

But just a little note to thank Mary and Matt for booking us in the first place - two wonderful individuals whose paths we've been so very fortunate enough to cross. It’s been an absolute privilege to be part of their journey so far.

All photos by the very lovely Laura Buffery