The Civil Celebrant UK

To learn more about the work and how I can make your special day unforgettable, please scroll down to watch my video.

Why Use A Celebrant

A celebrant is a professionally trained ceremony officiant who creates and leads personalised ceremonies to honour life’s big transitions—such as weddings, vow renewals, naming ceremonies, and funerals. Unlike registrars or religious leaders, celebrants are not limited by legal scripts, religious doctrines, or set formats. We work closely with individuals, couples, and families to co-create heartfelt, authentic ceremonies that reflect their values, identities, and stories.

Why Use a Celebrant?

Suppose you want a story to be told in a way that's truly your own, a celebrant will be a great fit because we work to shape a ceremony that feels personal, meaningful, and aligned with who you are—whether that's elegant and spiritual, quirky and fun, or quietly reflective. You get to choose the words, rituals, symbols, and structure that matter most to you. It’s about creating a ceremony that feels right, not just looks right.

What’s the Difference Between a Celebrant
Religious Leader and Humanist's Ceremony

Understanding your options—so you can choose a ceremony that truly fits your beliefs and values
Not sure who does what? Here's a simple way to find what fits you best.

Religious

Religious leaders, such as priests, rabbis, imams, ministers, or monks, lead ceremonies rooted in the doctrines of specific sacred texts within their faith tradition, employing religious language and practices, including prayer, teachings, and rituals. These ceremonies are often held in places of worship. Ideal for people who practise a particular religion and want their life event to be officiated under a belief system. These ceremonies are often less flexible, but deeply meaningful for those within the faith community.

Humanisit

Humanist celebrants create non-religious ceremonies that adhere to a humanist worldview, which include nature, celebrating human values without incorporating spiritual beliefs or elements. Reasons and lived experience, without including spiritual or faith-based language. They offer thoughtful, inclusive ceremonies for individuals who identify as atheist, agnostic, or simply non-religious. Humanist ceremonies are ideal for individuals who seek a meaningful celebration of life or love, grounded solely in the present moment, without reference to religious beliefs, deities, or the afterlife.

Independent celebrants (like me) offer complete flexibility—we can include a mix of spiritual, cultural, and religious elements, or, if you wish, keep it entirely secular. It’s your ceremony, your way. Celebrants offer the best of both worlds—freedom to include spiritual, cultural, or religious elements, symbolic or completely secular elements, based entirely on what matters to you. If you wish, or none at all: your ceremony, your beliefs, your way. We offer the most flexibility of all. I’m not bound to any faith or belief system, which means I can include religious, spiritual, and cultural practices that I'm comfortable performing.

Civil Celebrant

If you’re spiritual but not religious, multi-faith, multi-cultural, blended, or somewhere in between. As an inclusive celebrant, I can help you craft a ceremony that reflects all of you. Your beliefs, background, energy, and words—woven together in a way that feels true, inclusive, and deeply personal.

Civil Celebrant
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"Dionne, we can't thank you enough for how gently, compassionately, respectfully, lovingly and skillfully you took us through the process of preparing for Nick's funeral and memorial. We felt very supported, safe and held each step of the way.

You went beyond in terms of the time and dedication you put into preparing everything. It was an apt and wonderful service, conducted beautifully on the day, and we are so glad you were our celebrant. It was a true celebration of Nick and his life.

I also need to thank you for listening to, guiding and supporting me, and for being the calm, non-judgemental presence that helped me begin to process his loss and sit with my grief. I'll be forever grateful."

Zeenat and Family

“Good, it was perfect, just perfect, absolutely perfect. Thank you! You've got Nanna Irene down in a nutshell, and it was just the right mix of sentimentality, laughter and realism. You've got such a good balance between those three things, which makes it beautiful. Great job! Anyone who has you guide their funeral will benefit because working with you has helped me grieve in a healthy way.

You looked comfortable in your delivery; this made me feel so at ease. During the eulogy, I could totally see my Nan, which is what people want when we want someone to verbally represent our dearest, so we get a visual of them, and you did that for me, perfectly. To be honest with you, you did it better than the person who took her funeral, not better. It was beautiful, thank you, I'd love it."

Abigale Markham

★★★★★

★★★★★

Florence Howland

★★★★★

“What instantly struck me about Dionne was her strong presence, whilst at the same time she was soft and enquiring. These qualities helped me to feel safe to explore and share my personal and treasured memories with her. What she then did with all that I’d shared was create an incredible Eulogy and order of ceremony. At a time of profound loss and grief, I felt supported by her loving care. I can highly recommend her."

Why This May Be A Good Fit For You

If you value connection, authenticity, and the freedom to do things your way, this is for you. Whether you're a

• Reflective high-flier who’s not drawn to tradition,

• A same-sex couple who wants to feel safe and celebrated,

• A disabled

• Or a chronically ill couple seeking flexibility and access-aware planning,

• A multicultural couple wishing to honour both heritages,

• A spiritual-but-not-religious couple seeking a soulful ceremony without dogma,

• Or a non-religious couple who still want something deeply meaningful.

A celebrant can meet you where you are and walk beside you the whole way.

What Features and Benefits Can A Celebrant Offer That No One Else Can?

• A fully bespoke ceremony, written and designed just for you

• The ability to blend cultures, beliefs, and family traditions with care and creativity

• Inclusive language and affirming ceremony design for LGBTQIA+, multicultural, and neurodiverse families

• Time and space to tell your full story—not just recite the legal minimum

• Beautiful, meaningful rituals—like handfasting, candle lighting, or honouring ancestors

• Emotional support from someone trained to hold space gently and professionally

• Full flexibility on location, time of day, and ceremonial tone

In Summary

Working with a celebrant means your ceremony will reflect you—your voice, your values, and your version of love. It’s a choice that allows space for honesty, creativity, inclusivity, and beauty in every detail. If you’ve ever felt that traditional ceremonies don’t resonate with you, I want you to know: You are not too much, too different, or too unconventional. You’re just right - so let’s create something that feels like home. I ask you if there is anyone better to do it than a black, bisexual Buddhist with a hidden disability. Read more about Dionne Roberts - The Civil Celebrant UK here.

I’m known as a family civil celebrant because I offer services for each stage of a person's life. My mission is to help individuals and families celebrate their milestones, honour life passages, and offer transformation and peace. I’ve reached an age where all my life experiences have accumulated to this point, where my skills, talents, and strengths combine beautifully to serve others in this way. What I love most about my work is accompanying people on their journey and participating in the co-creative process and expression of ceremony.

As for funerals, please visit my about page to learn more about why I've chosen to make them a part of my life.

Rooted in compassion, shaped by lived experience, held in a sacred ceremony.

“My ceremonies carry the spirit of the sea—
deep, sacred, and always shifting with the tides of life.

"Wherever they’re held,
They hold emotion the way water holds memory.”

As an independent celebrant in Birmingham, I offer personalised support both locally and internationally, and I also work online to deliver independent ceremonies that are deeply transformational. Some are intimate one-to-one gatherings, while others unfold in sacred group settings.

These ceremonies create space for healing, grief, reflection, and meaning—especially during life’s turning points. Whether you're navigating a transition, honouring a loss, or celebrating a moment of personal growth, we’ll co-create a ceremony that feels right for you. When you work with a spiritual celebrant, your beliefs, values, and personal story are central. Together, we can draw on rituals, symbolism, and sacred practices that speak directly to your heart and bring profound depth to your experience.