We caught up with new friend of Camden Weddings Celebrant Kathryn to discuss the advantages of having a personalised, unique ceremony with a celebrant! Plus, Kathryns’ Five-Step Recipe for creating meaningful, relaxed and unique wedding ceremonies for modern couples!
You deserve more than a template ceremony with your names inserted. A Celebrant wedding means you can reflect your personality, involve your pets, celebrate in a way that’s inclusive to you and so much more! The bit when you get married is, let’s face it, the whole reason for the day so it shouldn’t be just the boring bit you skip through – It should set the tone and get the celebration started!
Kathryn Palmer-Skillings @KPS_celebrant
Tell us about Kathryn?
Hello lovely! I’m Kathryn (she/her), I create warm, joyful, unique wedding ceremonies for modern couples making meaningful choices about their wedding day. I’m an empathetic, enthusiastic, cat-loving, feminist and occasional nerd. I’m passionate about people, love, inclusion and creating fabulous memories for couples who want a relaxed, fun-filled wedding ceremony.
When I’m not creating and celebrating weddings across the UK and beyond, you’ll find me living life with my husband David and our furry overlord Timba .C. Cat, in Penge, South East London. I’m all about community, the kind of person always ‘putting their hand up’ and getting involved in local projects with friends, and usually ending up in the pub for a G&T afterwards…
For all of the happy couples out there planning their future nuptials, considering getting married within the London Borough of Camden; what are some of the advantages for them, of booking a wedding celebrant to deliver a standout ceremony?
Every ceremony I create for each couple I have the joy to marry, is written completely from scratch. Couples deserve so much more than a template ceremony with limited options and your ‘names inserted here’. Each and every word I write for a bespoke wedding ceremony and each element included, is chosen by the couples themselves and comes from our conversations as I get to know them both.
I’ve created ceremonies that start the party for couples who want a big celebratory atmosphere, surrounded by everyone dear to them. I’ve also created ceremonies that are reflective and filled with quiet meaning for couples who aren’t as sure of being in the spotlight and choose a more intimate setting. I’ve created ceremonies that are everything in-between.
As an accredited Humanist Wedding Celebrant, I create wedding ceremonies that are completely tailored to every couple I have the joy to marry. Couples who want to enjoy their ceremony, who want their wedding ceremony to feel heartfelt, but with a sprinkling of humour, and for their ceremony to reflect them. The couples I marry are often:
- Planning personal touches across their day celebrating their quirks, passions cultures and communities.
- Keen not to follow the crowd but still want their ceremony to feel familiar and sincere.
- Challenging wedding traditions that don’t feel right and making meaningful choices that reflect them!
Choosing a Wedding Celebrant is a really personal choice – What is it like to work with Kathryn as their celebrant?
You want the person creating and conducting your ceremony to be the right fit for you, to be someone who makes you both feel comfortable and who can be an advocate, a curator and a cheerleader for you and your wedding ceremony. Not every celebrant is right for every couple, how could they be?!
Here are some of the reasons couples book me, to help them decide if we’re the perfect match!
- I’m a natural people person. I get energy from spending time with lovely people and making you feel valued – I’m an empathetic listener, always willing to support you to have the wedding you want. Lots of my couples talk about being made to feel at ease when, perhaps they didn’t expect to, or feeling supported through tricky situations.
- I’m definitely an enthusiast! When I’m delivering your wedding ceremony I’ll do so with warmth and joy – when we first meet, I’m highly likely to chat to you exuberantly about your wedding plans – I can’t play it cool and aloof, it’s just not my style.
- I love feeling connected to my community, but I’m not a natural on social media. You’ll find me posting pics of the eclectic range of things I like on the ‘gram, but I’m never going to be a pro at memes and reels – I much prefer blogging and connecting in for a chat. Most of my couples find me through word of mouth and most are similarly inclined to different ways of connecting.
- I’m really values-driven and my couples tend to be too! I’m passionate about making a difference, supporting causes that matter to me and trying in my own way to make the world, and weddings, more inclusive.
- I love making meaningful choices, I make choices based on what feels right, what aligns to my values and what I think will be fun. I don’t follow the pack or just accept ‘what’s expected’. Couples who book me are often the same, especially around wedding planning! I’m likely to get you thinking about what’s important for your ceremony, your wedding and your marriage – it’s big, exciting stuff!
What are some random, fun facts about Celebrant Kathryn that people may not know?
Some fun facts about me… I’m a transport geek. I used to work at London Transport Museum and have been known to recall the start and end points of London bus routes #1 to #40 from memory. I’m also an armchair sports fan and quiz fiend. When I’m not celebrating gorgeous couples at their wedding, you’ll find me cheering on/grumbling at; Dulwich Hamlet FC, Arsenal, and Minnesota Vikings, or watching Strictly, Richard Osman’s House of Games, Eurovision, Only Connect and RuPaul’s Drag Race!
What are your five steps to a fabulous wedding?
1 — Let’s catch up for a chat!
Finding a wedding celebrant is a really personal choice. Before you book, let’s catch up for a chat about your wedding planning, usually, this will be over Zoom. We’ll talk about what you both want from your wedding ceremony, I can answer any questions about humanist weddings and give a little insight into what it would be like working with me as your wedding celebrant.
2 — Signed and Sealed, I’m your Celebrant!
If you decide that I’m the wedding celebrant for you (yay!!) I’ll send some Terms & Conditions so we have a written agreement. I’ll also take a deposit to secure us both. I’m a serial monogamist, I only book one wedding per day, so once we confirm the date, I’m all yours!
3 — Creating A Wedding that’s Completely You
Next, we’ll have a couple’s wed-meet. This is the fun bit where I really get to know you both! I’ll get the key facts sorted, then I can focus on your love story and what brought you to wanting to say I do! From first date disasters, to a rom-com worthy “meet-cute”, to the complexities of blending families and building a partnership in this real messy world, this is the stuff that feel-good wedding ceremonies and fabulous days are made of!
As your wedding celebrant, I’ll guide you to make sure your wedding feels exactly that…Yours! From vows and promises to rituals and ring-bearers! Know what you want? Fab! Let’s make it happen! Struggling with where to begin? I can suggest readings, poems or songs to bring your wedding to life! If that’s already making you cringe, I’ll create something beautifully simple. All aspects of the ceremony will be chosen to focus on you, your love, and your story.
4 — Written with Warmheartedness
I’ll then craft and curate your unique wedding ceremony, weaving in warmth, joy and a sprinkling of humour. It will feel authentic to you both, flowing between storytelling & symbolism and brimming with celebration. I always aim for feel-good & fabulous at the first attempt, but I’m committed to it being the perfect fit. So if you need it nipped or tucked let me know…I’ll make sure it’s just right in time for your big day!
5 — Delivered on the Day!
On the day, I’ll be at your wedding venue early to make sure we’re all set. I’ll check in with photographers, venue staff, musicians and readers. I’ll also be there to reassure you both! Then, I’ll host your unique, feel-good ceremony, kicking off your fabulous day and your fabulous marriage!
Kathryn was excellent the whole way through the process. We had an initial call with her, and after we spoke to Kathryn we cancelled the other calls as we knew she was the celebrant for us. She was incredibly helpful throughout, was fun and wrote the most perfect ceremony for us. Everyone said how much they loved Kathryn and how the ceremony captured us both so well, it fit so perfectly. Which can only mean Kathryn understood us from the get-go and tailored her words around us as though she has known us forever. Not only will you love Kathryn, but all your guests will too!
Danielle & Ian, North London
Do you and Kathryn sound like a match? Want to tell Kathryn your favourite bus route? Drop a line and say hello here