Hi, I'm Jenny

Image of Jenny Ashley

I am a celebrant based on the edge of the beautiful Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) in Monmouthshire, South Wales and would like to offer you a huge congratulations on your engagement!

I am passionate about creating authentic, inclusive ceremonies, full of joy and sincerity that celebrate love in all it's forms. I love a good story whether they silly, serious or a bit of both. I love the intricate, meaningful details as much as the grand gestures. I love outdoor weddings - in rain or shine, mountain tops and woodlands. Most of all, i love bringing people together, whether it is 2 or 200 of them, to pause time and take stock of all the things that make this life so incredible.

As a former music teacher and general poetry geek, I believe that ritual, symbolism and a sharing of experience through words and song can encourage connection. Rituals do not have to be “sacred” or “old” to resonate, and should not be restricted to those with religious beliefs. Whoever you are, whoever you love; we can create something that shares your love with the world and marks this exciting start to a new chapter.

The first ceremony I wrote was for myself and my husband. We were obsessive about making sure that every word was something that we were confident we could stand by for the rest of our lives. I hope to enable everyone i work with to have that experience, and help them to create a ceremony that represents them perfectly as a partnership, as individuals and as part of their wider circle.

I’m told I don’t do cheesy, or soppy, it could even be said that I am not really all that romantic, but I genuinely believe that real, authentic love is the best of human nature. The kind of love that brings out the best in everyone who encounters it. Truly loving a person with complete honesty and dedication is both one of life’s greatest achievements and fortunes. I believe it is worth celebrating as such.

If you have any questions, or any ideas you want to talk through, please get in contact - I am always happy to chat with new people who have chosen each other for marriage.

I can’t wait to hear your story,

Jenny, Heartwood Ceremonies

We are so happy that we chose Jenny to be our celebrant, she is incredible! She took the time to get to know us, wrote a beautiful story of our time together as if she'd known us for years and delivered the most heartwarming ceremony that was also full of laughter and fun. We had so many comments on how beautiful the ceremony was. Jenny was also very organised and thoughtful with all aspects involved in the planning of the ceremony, and very detail oriented. We would highly recommend Jenny if you are considering a celebrant wedding. Thank you so much Jenny for being such an important part of our special day.

— A & R

We had the most personal and amazing wedding ceremony written for us by Jenny. We were so happy with everything from start to and finish and loved how so many of our favourite stories of us were included. We felt so relaxed about this part of the day and have had so many compliments about how beautiful our ceremony was. Jenny worked so quickly for us due to how short notice our wedding was but we couldn’t have been happier with the end result and we don’t think you will find a better celebrant to be part of your special day.

— M & M

We could not have dreamed of a more magical wedding ceremony. Not only is Jenny wonderful to work with because she is a fantastic person, but also because she is an amazing writer, a sensitive soul, and is keenly aware of the needs and desires of the couple. Jenny is super detail orientated and extremely organised; I knew our wedding was safe in her hands. She did an incredible job on the day and not only did we love the ceremony she delivered, but so did our guests. Look no further, Jenny is your girl!

— B & K

Having been to my friends wedding and seeing their Humanist ceremony, we fell in love with the style and how it was all about the couple! When my partner proposed we had no doubt that we would be looking for our own Humanist Celebrant! We stumbled across Jenny on the Humanist UK website and we are so glad we did. From the start of the process, Jenny was amazing! She took the time to listen to us and our story! When we got the first draft, we were blown away with how amazing it sounded! She summed our relationship up in one short script, it was the perfect summary of us and our lives. From first zoom calls to the first meeting - to emails - to the rehearsal and then the wedding - she was amazing! We had so many comments about how lovely and personal the service was. It was just what we wanted. Thank you Jenny! We couldn’t have picked a better celebrant!

— R & A

We were so pleased with the ceremony Jenny created for us. Jenny met us prior to our wedding to chat through what we'd like to include in the ceremony and she was also very thorough and thoughtful as she asked us lots of questions. This meant she could make our ceremony so personal and special to us. Thank you Jenny!

— MJ & M

Image of Jenny Ashley

Jenny Ashley

Where I work

Bannau Brycheiniog (The Brecon Beacons) Monmouthshire. South Wales and the English Borders - Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Bristol.

Fees from...

£800

How to contact me
Email

HeartwoodCeremonies@gmail.com

Phone

07403 170104

Website

www.heartwoodceremonies.co.uk

HUMANIST CEREMONIES™ is the network of more than 550 celebrants, trained by national charity Humanists UK to a gold standard to provide memorable and meaningful humanist ceremonies to non-religious people. Operating throughout England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, we deliver authentic, tailor-made and heartfelt ceremonies for life’s key moments. They are always inclusive and welcoming, regardless of the beliefs of those attending.

You can trust Humanist Ceremonies celebrants: We are DBS-checked, fully insured, and regularly peer reviewed for quality assurance. We are committed to a code of conduct, and have a transparent and robust complaints process in the rare case of a problem. We all pay a monthly fee to Humanists UK to further support the work of the charity, and are part of a regional network for like-minded celebrants for support and learning.

Humanist weddings

A humanist wedding ceremony is a wonderful option to celebrate your wedding in the way you choose: without religion but with meaning, and totally true to the two of you. They are uplifting and heartwarming occasions, personal to each couple to reflect your personalities and interests, and your love story. Sincere and significant, your ceremony will be crafted to create an occasion which is unique and fitting to you both.