Hi, I'm Zadie

Image of Zadie Ward

Oh heyyy, I’m Zadie, your Milton Keynes based celebrant. Congratulations on your engagement!

I have the absolute pleasure of leading non-religious weddings, partnership ceremonies and vow renewals. If you’re looking for a ceremony that truly reflects who you are as a couple, you’re in the right place. Whether you want a non-religious ceremony, something completely unique, or a fresh alternative to the standard civil or church service, I’m here to help.

With over a decade of experience in event management, I’ve worked in global incentive travel, delivered highly praised mental health conferences and discreetly handled luxury family affairs. Add in my passions for musical theatre, psychology, and even American football coaching, and you’ve got a celebrant who loves people, storytelling, and bringing folks together through unforgettable, unique experiences.

Speaking of unique experiences, I planned my own wedding in a secret theatre location, keeping everyone including my own mum guessing until the last moment. The joy and excitement on their faces were priceless, and the best compliment we received? “It was so you two”. That’s exactly what I strive for with every ceremony I create – ensuring it’s as exceptionally ‘you’ as possible.

You deserve a celebration as special and one-off as your love story, and I’d be absolutely thrilled to help bring that to life for you. I’m a great listener and love a cuppa or a glass of fizz, so whatever your favourite tipple, let’s chat and see how we can work together to create your ceremony.

We are so glad and happy we decided to have a celebrant led ceremony by Zadie. She was the perfect choice for us, attentive, easy going and she captured everything we wanted and more in our ceremony, personalising it to us as a couple perfectly. Thank you Zadie for going above and beyond on our day, it was perfect!

— Aimee and Pete

Zadie was the perfect celebrant for our wedding- from the first moment we spoke she was very attentive. My husband and I enjoyed our chats- explaining ourselves as a couple and our family. Zadie incorporated everything we had dreamed of, including making sure our 7 daughters felt very much included in the ceremony. Communication was top notch throughout. When we got our first draft of what was being read there were no dry eyes. She really made it a fantastic celebration! Thank you so much Zadie! I could go on singing your praises. Xx

— Sam and Joe

We wanted a more personal wedding ceremony and felt instantly reassured that Zadie could deliver that from the first online meeting. It has been so wonderful to work with Zadie to create our ceremony script - we did a couples quiz she sent us which was lovely to reminisce, and then had a meeting with her to talk through our answers which was fun and you could see that Zadie genuinely loves her job! She was bouncing off us and really absorbing what we were saying. So much so, that when we got our ceremony script back, we were surprised on some of the little details she'd added that were just a passing comment or a joke, but really embodied who we are.

Zadie was very flexible and easy to work with, we felt comfortable with adding any comments or tweaks to the script as she assured us it was OUR script and she wouldn't be offended.

We would 100% recommend Zadie as a celebrant. Our guests loved how personal our wedding ceremony was and had very high praise for Zadie!

Thank you so much for being such an important part of our day ❤️

— Dana and Enda

We honestly couldn’t have asked for a better celebrant than Zadie. From the very first call, she just got us, she made the whole process feel so personal, relaxed, and fun. We knew straight away she was the one we wanted to marry us!

What I loved most about working with Zadie was her energy and the genuine care she put into every detail. She took the time to really get to know our story and somehow turned it into the most beautiful, emotional, and hilarious ceremony.

Our favourite moment was standing there hearing her tell our story, seeing our friends and family laughing one minute and tearing up the next. It was magic. Everyone came up to us afterwards saying it was the best ceremony they’d ever been to, and how amazing Zadie was.

Zadie made the whole experience feel effortless. She’s warm, organised, down-to-earth, and just has this incredible way of making everyone feel comfortable and connected.

We’d recommend her a hundred times over, especially to couples who want a ceremony that feels authentic, full of love, and completely personal.

— Becca and Ollie

I recently had the pleasure of working alongside Zadie at a recent wedding. She was so easy to work with and she made the ceremony personal and super relaxed for the couple. She brought a calm, friendly energy that made the ceremony flow really well. She also took the time to capture behind the scenes moments, including a few of me working as the photographer, which was so appreciated. Easily one of the best celebrants I have worked with in over 10 years of capturing weddings and would highly recommend her to all couples! Thanks Zadie!

— Alex Buckland Photography

There is truly no better celebrant we could have asked for. From the very beginning, Zadie took the time to truly get to know us and understand how we operate as a couple. When we read her script, it was clear she’d listened to every detail — nothing was missed, nothing felt generic.

On the wedding day, Zadie went above and beyond. She coordinated seamlessly with all our suppliers and made sure everything flowed perfectly so we didn’t have to worry about a thing. The ceremony itself was incredibly special — heartfelt, personal, and genuinely unforgettable. Our guests absolutely adored Zadie and kept telling us that ours was one of the most unique and best ceremonies they’d ever attended. Over a month later, people are STILL talking about it!

To all future wedding couples who are lucky enough to find Zadie - I am so excited for you and can't wait for you to experience all the love, effort and passion that Zadie pours into all of her ceremonies. From the very moment you meet her, you will just KNOW that she is the right celebrant for you. Thank you so much Zadie for being our celebrant and blessing us with your incredible talent and energy!

— Erika and Alex

I had the absolute pleasure of working alongside Zadie last week. I've not worked with many celebrants, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but OH MY GOODNESS, did Zadie bring the vibe!! From first saying hi and noticing that our energy matched to the ceremony where she got all the guest involved. It was honestly a ceremony of dreams, so much so that it's given me so much inspo for my own wedding next year. Zadie you were a dream to work with and I hope we cross paths again, you'll definitely be top of my celebrant recommendations from now on :) x

— Jemma Lane Photography

We chose Zadie to be our wedding celebrant and it was one of the best wedding decisions we made!! Right from the very first conversation with Zadie we felt so at ease and just had the very best time planning the ceremony.

Our planning meeting was so fun and we chatted for hours. Zadie had an incredible skill at surfacing stories we’d forgotten all about to really get to know us and our personalities.

The script Zadie wrote was spot on, she couldn’t have captured our life and love better. It was thoughtful, emotional, funny and had our guests laughing and crying, completely comfortable to just be in the moment. We were given some great pointers on our vows and Zadie made sure they were checked over, so they were on the same lines, and the vows were ready and printed in beautiful booklets for us to read from.

I could write an essay to highlight how great Zadie is but I’ll summarise by saying Zadie is the perfect person to have there, by your side at such an important and unforgettable life moment! You’ll not regret booking Zadie, we are over the moon and our guests all absolutely loved her too!

Thank you so much Zadie ❤️

— Connie and Ben

Zadie was absolutely incredible and we’re so glad we chose her as our celebrant! From the start, she made us feel completely at ease and the whole process working with her was really enjoyable. She genuinely took the time to get to know us and our story, as well as what we wanted from our ceremony. She had so many ideas and suggestions of how we could personalise our ceremony which we loved.

The ceremony itself was amazing and everything we wanted – fun, relaxed and memorable! She created a ceremony that felt very personal and felt like us. Our guests loved it, and so many people told us afterwards that it was one of the best ceremonies they’d been to.

We couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out. We’d highly recommend her to any couple looking for a celebrant who can create a ceremony that feels personal, fun and special.

— Sam and Courtney

As the Uk's number one wedding planner, I have to say, Zadie is the dream celebrant. To work with, she's an utter professional. For our clients, the feedback has been only 'top drawer'. We asked her to look after a fabulous planning client couple recently (4/7/26), and her ceremony was loving, emotional but also had the right degree of humour to ensure it didn't feel too heavy. The guest feedback was excellent, with many superb comments, and the couple were thrilled. We absolutely wholeheartedly recommend Zadie, and she will remain our go-to celebrant when our couples ask!! thanks Zadie - you're a star!

— Nick at Just About Weddings (Planner)

We honestly couldn’t have imagined a more perfect ceremony, and that is all thanks to Zadie. We knew a traditional ceremony wasn’t really “us” – we wanted something meaningful, personal and full of love, while leaving the legal part separate – and from the moment we met her, we knew she was the perfect person to tell our story. Every conversation felt so relaxed and natural; we laughed, reflected on the serious moments, and relived so many wonderful memories together. Zadie listened so carefully, and it showed because our ceremony script was absolute perfection. Standing there listening to our love story unfold, with all the funny moments woven in, felt magical – we honestly felt like two school kids grinning from ear to ear as if nobody else was in the room. She has the most beautiful, calming voice that brought every word to life, and I remember falling even more in love with my husband as she spoke. Our guests couldn’t stop talking about how different the ceremony was – emotional, funny, engaging and completely “us” rather than something formal or predictable. If you’re a couple looking for a ceremony that is unforgettable, full of personality and leaves everyone talking about it long after the day is over, then Zadie is the celebrant you need. Beyond creating the most incredible ceremony, her warmth and energy on the day were unmatched. I’ll never forget arriving at the venue feeling excited and nervous, only for her to reassure me that everything was under control and even mention how calm and happy our toddler was. It’s those thoughtful little details that make all the difference. Zadie doesn’t just conduct a ceremony – she creates an experience that sets the most beautiful tone for your entire wedding day, and we will be forever grateful.

— Runako and Charlie

Zadie was simply incredible. We were slightly nervous about our ceremony because we don’t love being the centre of attention, but from our very first call, Zadie made us feel completely at ease. She was full of laughter, warmth and encouragement throughout the entire process, and her playful, creative nature gave us the confidence to relax and simply be ourselves.

Every step of the journey was seamlessly coordinated. Zadie took the time to really get to know us, perfectly capturing our story and creating a ceremony script that felt deeply personal, meaningful and completely unique to us. No idea was ever off limits, and she embraced every suggestion with enthusiasm, making the whole experience feel collaborative and exciting. She also had an incredible way of making everyone feel welcome and included, which created such a lovely atmosphere on the day.

One of the most special touches was the beautiful vow booklets Zadie created for us. They were stunning and such a thoughtful keepsake that we will treasure forever. Every detail reflected the care and attention she puts into her work, and it made exchanging our vows feel even more meaningful.

Our guests have not stopped talking about the ceremony. So many people commented on how unique and personal it felt, and several even said they wished they had been able to have a ceremony like ours. It was everything we had hoped for and so much more.

We cannot thank Zadie enough for the incredible care, love and dedication she put into every part of this process. She made one of the most important moments of our lives feel effortless, joyful and unforgettable. Zadie will always be a very special part of our story, and we would recommend her to absolutely everyone looking for a celebrant who truly cares and creates the most magical ceremonies.

— Kate and Kian

Zadie was our celebrant in our UK wedding. She was always super friendly and helpful. She made sure to spend enough time with us before the ceremony, and she asked so many questions to make sure she got our story right. We were always super forgetful and would forget to reply to her in time, but she was always very patient with us and would gently nudge us to make sure we could hit our deadlines. On the day of the wedding, Zadie made sure we were comfortable and calm, she also made great effort to socialise with our guests. Her speech and her delivery was amazing. We would highly recommend her.

— Adam and Viv

Zadie stepped up last minute to cover our wedding when our booked celebrant fell ill just before our wedding. You would never have known that it was last minute - she did an amazing job, was so friendly and really put us both at ease. We have had lovely feedback from all our guests who have said our ceremony was the best they had been to. We would highly recommend to anyone.

— Simeon

Zadie was so great on our wedding day, having had to jump in last minute to replace our previous celebrant who could no longer make it. She reached out the day before to introduce herself and on the morning of the big day, she came to find us and made us feel super comfortable right away! Everything that we’d discussed with the previous celebrant was handed over without us having to be involved at all, which took away a lot of stress ☺️Definitely made us feel at ease when we were at the alter and have had so many comments about how it was such a special ceremony. 100% recommend Zadie!

— Beth and Luke

Zadie performed at our ceremony at the last minute, due to our original celebrant falling ill.

I'm so glad we met Zadie, she was so sweet and kind. Even though it was only arranged in the couple days prior our wedding, she made sure to make time to have a call and check through the details of the day. On the day she was early just to meet us and

she made every effort to ensure us of the perfect ceremony.

Really couldnt recommend Zadie enough. She not only saved the day, but her warmth and story telling was truly captivating.

Thanks again Zadie.

— C Y Pang

From the moment the ceremony started, Zadie had everyone hooked with her warmth and charm. She told the couple’s story so beautifully, it felt personal and meaningful, like she’d known them for years. The whole vibe was perfect – emotional, funny, and full of love. Zadie made everyone feel included, and her delivery was flawless. It wasn’t just a ceremony; it was an experience we’ll all remember.

— Jenny

I have attended many weddings and what really stood out to me about Zadie was her vibrant storytelling and comic timing. Zadie delivered the perfect mix of humour and meaning, she was high energy and incredibly engaging. It really was an unforgettable ceremony!

— Lauren

Zadie made it easy, taking away all the stress of ceremony planning and she was calm and confident from the outset. Zadie’s ceremony was everything we had envisioned; we all laughed and cried as Zadie wove all our answers into a beautiful tale of how we met, our time dating and the family we started. Zadie made our day stress-free, fun and delivered an incredible ceremony that really reflected us as a couple. She was always there for us throughout the planning, and we cannot thank her enough.

— Daniel

Booking Zadie as our celebrant was one of the easiest and best decisions we made about our big day, and we highly recommend her; we simply couldn’t (and wouldn’t want to) have done it without her.

— Jemma

Image of Zadie Ward

Zadie Ward

Where I work

I’m based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and mostly lead weddings, partnership ceremonies, and vow renewals in the following counties:

Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Leicestershire and London. I’m more than happy to travel further afield or overseas too - please contact me to find out more.

Fees from...

£975

How to contact me
Email

zadie.ward@humanistceremonies.org.uk

Phone

07783 675461

Website

ceremoniesbyzadie.com

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.