About Queer Ceremonies
As you may have read, I'm Lisa, my pronouns are she/her and I live in Loughborough with my wife Laura, and our two cats Dexter and Fluffy. When I’m not marrying wonderfully in love queer couples, it’s likely you’ll find me in the Secret Garden Café in Barrow Upon Soar with an oak milk latte and a good book, or listening to a podcast in the Outwoods.
Where it all began: A wedding celebrant for queer, gay, lesbian & LGBTQ+ couples
My dream of becoming a celebrant for the LGBTQ+ community started in February 2022. Not that long ago. But if I really think about it, it has been on the cards for some time. For the last seven years, I have worked directly with the LGBTQ+ community, supporting individuals who are struggling with their identity and/or are facing prejudice and discrimination. I also work with organisations which are striving for LGBTQ+ inclusion and belonging and need support through training and consultancy.
On top of this, I asked my gorgeous wife to marry me in November 2018 and have three years’ experience of trying to find, and work with, inclusive wedding suppliers. Laura is also a wedding videographer, and we have both seen first-hand how patchy the wedding industry is in terms of inclusive practices and genuine acceptance of LGBT+ and queer couples. I want to do my bit to change this and ensure that the couples I work with have a fantastic ceremony where they are seen, heard and accepted for exactly who they are.
My first time: An LGBTQ+ wedding celebrant for queer, gay, lesbian & LGBTQ+ couples
It was early in 2022 and my twin sister and her now husband Pete, asked me to lead their wedding ceremony for them. With seven years of public speaking experience, they said I was the perfect choice, and it was an absolute honour to even be asked.
It was April 19th at Bourton Hall in Northamptonshire and with my trusty folder in hand, I lead their ceremony. I watched on as guests laughed and cried – all with beaming smiles and most importantly I saw the way Rach and Pete looked at each other, as I told anecdotes about their relationship and detailed the significance of their love and marriage.
And what happened next was completely unexpected. Wedding guests, people I knew, people I didn’t and wedding suppliers, who see ceremonies day in and day out, approached me to tell me it was the best ceremony they had ever seen and that I should consider becoming a celebrant.
So, after my own wedding in June 2022 and a holiday or two, I purchased www.queerceremonies.co.uk and here we are!
"Lisa wrote and led the most amazing personal wedding ceremony for us! We wanted it to be a surprise on the day so neither of us read what she wrote ahead of the ceremony, and wow, we were blown away! It was the perfect balance of funny, emotional and heartfelt. Being a wedding videographer myself I'd seen too many formal and sometims rude registrars and religious ceremony leaders so when we got engaged I knew we'd want a celebrant for our day. Choosing Lisa was the best decision we ever made! We can't thank you enough Lisa for being so personable, professional and trustworthy with what we deemed the most important part of our wedding day". - Rachel Washer
Fancy a chat? I'd love to!
I'd love to talk to you about your wedding ceremony and how I could be the one! A love and marriage joke there just for you. No not that kind of 'one', but hopefully you know what I mean. Get in touch and we can talk all things wedding ceremonies!