Celebrate the Celebrant! An interview with Maxine Ward

The Celebrant Directory has grown to be a hub for those seeking their ideal celebrant, ceremony inspiration, and uniquely personalised celebrations. With a thriving community for over 500 celebrants from across the globe, we want to celebrate that and share with you, the wonderful work our celebrants do!

That is why we couldn’t be more delighted introduce Maxine, who has built the highly regarded Maxine Ward Celebrant; the Wiltshire-based Celebrancy business that provides bespoke ceremonies in London, the Cotswolds, the West Country and overseas.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Maxine, who’s passion for her work is as infectious as her smile! Here, we share that interview, with you…

What type of ceremonies do you offer?

All Ceremonies

What is your ceremony style?

Warm, beautiful, elegant and romantic with gorgeous words that show the world how much you mean to one another.

Who is your typical couple?

I love a love story and really enjoy meeting couples who are looking for a warm, beautiful, very elegant and romantic ceremony, that may also include a touch of humour and that really reflects who they are.

What are you most proud of so far?

I am proud of my storytelling. I work hard at making it reflect the couple’s story, what they love about each other and their dreams for the future. If I can capture that beautifully and use it to create wonderful memories, then I am proud of every single ceremony that I write.

What is your favourite ceremony that you have performed?

They have all been so unique. I really do love them all.

What is your favourite kind of venue?

I love a smart country houses, country house hotels, beautifully converted traditional barns and English country gardens.

What is the best things about being a celebrant?

I love getting to know people and making a real connection that means that I understand them and what they are looking for. Its often hard to leave after the ceremony as it is the end of an amazing relationship that has sometimes lasted for over a year. I like to think that they can look back on the words of the ceremony, together with their photos and create vivid and wonderful memories.

What are your favourite readings, for ceremonies?

For weddings it has to be Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare. For naming ceremonies I love ‘Follow Your Dreams by Jim Boswell. And, for funerals my favourite has to be Farewell my Friends by Rabindranath Tagore.

What is your advice to couples planning a celebrant-led wedding, funeral or baby-naming event?

Be led by your heart and not by the opinions of others.

What is your essential element to add to a celebrant-led ceremony?

Always to acknowledge and thank the people that are there; to let them know how much their love and support is cherished and will always be.

Thank you for taking the time to read Maxine’s interview…we think you will agree that the recurring theme here is love and compassion. We sure know how loved and respected Maxine is, in her field, but don’t take out word for it! You can read the wonderful testimonials from her clients, on The Celebrant Directory profile page here, and get in touch..she really is fantastic!

If you love reading about life as a celebrant then don’t forget to check in with us, next week, for a featured blog all about vow renewal, from the wonderful celebrant Gerri Webb!