Emily Ayres Celebrates

Not your average wedding ceremony.

Your wedding ceremony can be meaningful without being overly serious, personal without being cringey, and emotional without feeling forced.

I'm Emily, an independent celebrant and former registrar based in South Wales. After five years and hundreds of weddings as a registrar, I know exactly how a wedding ceremony works - but I also know how much more personal it can be when you're not limited by a standard script.

Every ceremony I create is written completely from scratch. I'll get to know you properly, find the stories and little details that make your relationship yours, and turn them into a ceremony filled with warmth, personality, laughter and all the moments that matter.

You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you want, either. I'll guide you through everything - from the overall feel of your ceremony to vows, readings, music and ways to involve the people (or pets!) you love. Romantic, funny, sentimental, completely unconventional or a bit of everything - we'll work out what feels right for you.

From our first chat to standing beside you on your wedding day, I'll be there to make the whole process feel easy, relaxed and genuinely enjoyable.

Because the ceremony isn't just the bit you have to get through before the party starts. It's the reason everyone's there in the first place.

Not your average wedding ceremony. And that's rather the point.

I spent five years working as a registrar and had the privilege of conducting hundreds of weddings. I loved being part of such an important moment in people's lives, but I also saw how limiting a standard ceremony could sometimes be.

I knew there was so much more room for personality, storytelling, laughter and all those little details that make a couple who they are - and that's what led me to become an independent celebrant.

I trained with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy and created Emily Ayres Celebrates so I could combine everything I'd learned from hundreds of ceremonies with the freedom to create something completely personal.

For me, the best ceremonies aren't about following traditions for the sake of it. They're about getting to know the people in front of me, telling their story properly and creating a moment that feels unmistakably theirs.

Before becoming an independent celebrant, I spent five years working as a registrar and conducted hundreds of wedding ceremonies across South Wales. That means I came into celebrancy with plenty of experience of standing at the front of a room, calming nerves, working alongside venues and suppliers, and dealing with the occasional unexpected moment! Before that I was a family solicitor, so I understand a thing or two about relationships from that side of things too!

I’m professionally trained through the Academy of Modern Celebrancy and a member of the Association of Independent Celebrants, and I bring that training together with years of real-life ceremony experience.

My couples aren't one particular ‘type’ - but they usually have one thing in common: they want their ceremony to actually feel like them.

They might want something romantic and heartfelt, relaxed and funny, a little unconventional, or all of the above. They care less about doing things because they're ‘supposed to’ and more about creating a wedding that feels genuine.

They're also very welcome to bring their children, dogs, slightly chaotic families and weird in-jokes along for the ride. The more personality, the better.

Having said that, I absolutely love an outdoor ceremony and brightly coloured florals. Neither are required but both bring me joy!

I’m professionally trained by the Academy of Modern Celebrancy and a member of the Association of Independent Celebrants (AOIC), with professional indemnity and public liability insurance.

I’m committed to ongoing professional development and to providing a service that’s not only warm, personal and creative, but properly professional too.