Celebrant Julia Hawkes in The Cotswolds

2 champagne glasses, filled with champagne

WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT JULIA

“We visited The Greenway Hotel in Cheltenham to arrange our wedding vows renewal and recommended to Julia Hawkes as a possible celebrant for our ceremony, thank goodness we took their advice! From our first telephone conversation Julia was professional, helpful and friendly without crossing any barriers. After meeting Julia for the first time our decision was made to use this lovely lady for our celebrant.Julia spent many hours writing and rewriting the order of service with changes as we requested and her own suggestions to make a perfectly personalised event.

After 41 years of marriage this event meant so much to us both and Julia made that day as special as our wedding day, possibly better as it was personalised to us! Our guests commented on the high standard of Julia’s presentation and her knowledge of our lives.

Thank you so much Julia for making our day so very special, we will remember this day for ever and will always recommend you for such events.”

Diane and Steve

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VOW RENEWALS

Thank you for visiting my website and considering me as your celebrant for your vow renewal ceremony

Vow renewal ceremonies are the most joyous occasions, full of meaning and happiness. In a vow renewal ceremony, you are able to remember the promises you made to each other on your wedding day, re-affirm your love and commit once again to each other.

For you it may be an opportunity to celebrate a milestone anniversary, or an opportunity to move forward from a difficult or challenging time in your marriage. It may simply be an opportunity to create the wedding day you feel you never had.

Renewing your vows gives you the opportunity to re-live your wedding day and this time have it the way you want it. Whatever your reasons a vow renewal ceremony allows you to reflect on your journey together to this point and reaffirms your commitment to your future life together

The options for how to create your ceremony are limitless and you can include as many traditional elements as you wish, including exchanges of rings and vows, readings, blessings and music.

If you have children, young or old, there are many different and special ways to include them in the ceremony.

You can have your ceremony anywhere you choose, and no licence is required. There are no limits to what can be included in your ceremony. whatever it is you have in mind for your day – it is possible.

older couple smiling outside together as she puts her arms around him

older senior couple laughing together on the beach after a vow renewal ceremony

Creating such a special ceremony can be a daunting prospect for some, but by choosing to work with a qualified and skilled celebrant you will be able to receive as much support, guidance and inspiration as you require.

I can design a service and readings for you, or you can write your own. My role is simply to enable you to create your day, your way.

I want to make sure that you have a perfect ceremony with all the personal elements you want included.

Together we can create a ceremony that is truly memorable. I will offer you, and two witnesses, the opportunity to sign a commemorative record on the day and this will be given to you along with a presentation copy of the ceremony.

I am happy to meet with you for an initial no cost, no commitment meeting to discuss your day. This meeting will allow you to get to know me and I can gain an understanding of what is important to you.

Special Unity Ceremonies

In addition you may want to include a special, symbolic unity ‘moment’ within your Vow Renewal ceremony. These unity ceremonies symbolise a couples closeness and connection and usually involve wishing you good luck for your ongoing life together. Adding in creative elements like this adds to the personalisation of your ceremony and all can be adapted to suit your particular circumstances and time of life.

At our first meeting we can discuss :

A sand ceremony

The Sand Ceremony is ideal for any wedding or ceremony. This ceremony option symbolises the joining of the couple. I often suggest this ritual when there are young children involved and the couple is looking for a ritual to involve them.

Ring Blessing

This involves the assembled guests passing the rings amongst them in order to bless the rings with good wishes and loving thoughts

An oathing ceremony

It is based on the Celtic tradition of the oathing stone when the couple hold their hands together on a stone as they repeat their wedding vows. An oath given near a stone or water was considered to be more binding. This also involves the wedding guests being given a stone on arrival. The stones are held as the guests reflect on their wishes for the couple for love, happiness, prosperity, and unity as they exchange their wedding vows. They place the stones with their personal blessing for the newly married couple into the special container on the gift table as they leave. The stones serve as a lasting reminder of the special love that has been shared on their special day.

A rose ceremony

In the Rose ceremony, the couple can choose to present roses to the mothers, grandmothers or with a designated person or relative whom they hold dear as a way of showing appreciation for their support. The roses can also be presented as the first gifts that the couple will give to each other.

Breaking of the glass

The Breaking of the Glass Ceremony is traditionally used at Jewish weddings; this ceremony option signifies the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the celebrations. The glass (often two champagne flutes) is placed in a cloth bag prior to breaking it.

A unity candle ceremony

This ritual is traditionally used in Catholic weddings, but as a ceremony option it also holds a universal meaning. It symbolises the joining of the couple in marriage as well as the joining of their two original families. It can be used where there are step children to symbolise the coming together of the two families

Handfasting

The original meaning of “tying the knot”. Handfasting ceremonies are pagan in origin and have a traditional structure where the hands are tied with ribbons in the shape of the infinity symbol to symbolise the bringing together of the two hearts in a marriage of strength and unity. However, there is a lot of flexibility within the structure which allows for a great variety of beautiful ceremonies to be created.

Jumping the broom

The jumping the broom ceremony is based upon a tradition that symbolises the clearing away of negativity with a sweep of the broom. It symbolizes a new beginning, a welcoming of the new- sweeping away the old or sweeping away old cares and worries and creating a threshold for the couple to cross over into their new life together.

Loving cup ceremony

In this ceremony, the couple pour red and white wine into a two- handled loving cup to create a blush, the first drink that they will share together. The cup can be passed around enabling immediate family or all the guests to drink to the couple’s future lives together. Mead and cider or whisky and water can also be used.

ADOPTION & FAMILY UNIFICATION CEREMONIES

An adoption or family unification ceremony is the perfect way to welcome an adopted child or step child – of any age – into a family, helping to confirm their identity and unite the family.

Working with you I will create a unique ceremony created especially for you and your family circumstances. It’s entirely up to you how you would like the ceremony to be organised. I will offer as much guidance and inspiration as you need, and I will lead the ceremony on the day. I am happy to write, or suggest, vows and promises to be made and can offer suggestions about music, poems or readings. It is possible to include religious/spiritual content if you wish or no religious content – the choice is entirely yours.

shadows of family of three holding hands, projected on the sand with the sea rippling over it

I will offer as much guidance and inspiration as you need, and I will lead the ceremony on the day. I am happy to write, or suggest, vows and promises to be made and can offer suggestions about music, poems or readings. It is possible to include religious/spiritual content if you wish or no religious content – the choice is entirely yours.

Your ceremony can be held anywhere you wish, in your home, in a garden, in a hotel, village hall or any other venue you choose.

Adoption and family unification ceremonies are not legally binding and do not have any legal status, they are more about a recognition of the gift of love and the celebration of family.

It would be a privilege to part of your day please contact me for a no fee, no obligation initial conversation.

OTHER RITES OF PASSAGE

I would be delighted to work with you to create a unique ceremony to mark any significant event in your life.

Some people choose to mark the point at which a divorce is made final and a new life begins, others choose to mark a coming of age at 18 or 21.

Whatever it is that you wish to commemorate I am happy to meet with you to discuss your ideas and wishes and suggest ways to create a ceremony to remember.

Please contact me …