Hi, I'm Kate
Joyous, calm and creative.
I make wedding ceremonies for all kinds of couples in all kinds of places, in creative ways that are right for each and every one.
Thinking about a wedding is a creative act. You may have some ideas, and I respond to them and suggest others. I listen to what you want, hear your story. Then I wrap it all up in the script, which you edit, and then I support you right through to the day itself, when I am there making it goes down a wonderful storm!
Before I came across humanist weddings, my partner and I felt ambivalent about marriage - the traditional kind. We thought you had to follow a certain script. So we planned our own ceremony from scratch, and it was wonderful. It gives you the opportunity to think; “ What does marriage means to me?” It also allows you to make your own vows or intentions, to make small acts of great meaning, - whatever is right for you.
This experience led to my training as a wedding celebrant. I love this work, alongside my other work in the arts as a curator and mentor.
The couples I work with often say that the ceremony was the best part of the day – it is the essence of the day and not just a formality – it gives you the chance stand up and tell the world how much you mean to each other.
Whether you want to follow a tradition or break away completely, a quiet ceremony or a big family event, the ceremony will be about you, reflecting your values, beliefs and love for one another. I have led ceremonies in a tepee in a field, in a canal side warehouse, on a beach at sunset - where we drew a double spiral in the sand for the couple to wind their way towards each other. Wherever you choose, whatever your ideas, I would love to hear them and to see if we are right for one another.
It was perfect! Absolutely amazing, and we loved it. Everybody was talking about the ceremony – a lot of people had never been to a ceremony like that before and they loved it. Thanks so much for making it so, so special.
— Jas
Kate is a brilliant celebrant and we would highly recommend her for your wedding ceremony! As a French-British couple, our ceremony had a bit of an added challenge; we were keen to honour both languages so both our families could follow our ceremony. Kate rose to the challenge and created a beautiful event which was highly praised by many of our guests - as one of the best ceremonies they’d ever attended! Crafting the ceremony was very smooth and felt natural. We initially did not have a clear idea of what we wanted it to be like and what we wanted to include in it, but Kate was very good at guiding us at every step of the way and taking charge of the creative process when necessary and at the same time making it feel unique and tailored to us.
— Florent
We wanted a ceremony that reflected us and our beliefs. We knew the moment we met that she was the right celebrant for us. Kate is warm, personable, attentive and guided us through writing the ceremony and our vows. She gave suggestions where needed and produced the most wonderful script. We’re both emotional and worried about how we might be on the day but in Kate’s steady presence, we laughed, cried and sang our way through the ceremony. We feel so lucky to have found her - we have incredible memories to cherish for the rest of our lives.
— Sharon
The perfect ceremony... Kate did our wedding ceremony this year. We could not have been happier with the process of working with her and the ceremony itself. We felt she really listened to us and bought our vision to life and made helpful suggestions which demonstrated her experience and knowledge. We had a lot of guests commenting on how brilliant our celebrant was and that our wedding ceremony was the nicest they had been to. We can't recommend Kate enough.
— Ella
The art of creative and supportive celebrancy! Kate helped us to celebrate our wedding in a way that was honest and true to who we are and how we feel about marriage. She was supportive throughout and really helped us to explore our options. She conducted our ceremony with gentle grace and generosity, and brought all our friends and family together to mark and witness the occasion in a really special way.
— Rosie
We really liked working with Kate - how she got to know us and we enjoyed getting to know her! This more personal approach to crafting the ceremony really captured our personalities and the essence of our relationship. Kate put a lot of work and thought into our ceremony, working closely with us and we really enjoyed the experience.On the day, Kate’s ceremony was one of the absolute highlights of our wedding. It felt solemn, intelligent, and thoughtful, without the stiffness and pomp of religious ceremonies. It was perfectly delivered - we enjoyed every minute of it. It shone in its authenticity and character and there were quite a few tearful moments.
— John
Kate Stoddart
Where I work
Wherever you go, I will follow... I take ceremonies in the UK, Europe and beyond. I speak French well and love doing bi-lingual ceremonies. Joining two cultures together? I have a knowledge and love of Islamic and Asian arts & culture and I love to bring elements into a ceremony to make everyone feel included.
Fees from...
Price on application
Fluent in
French
How to contact me
Phone
Website
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.
