So many couples are looking for genuine celebrants to led their elopement and wedding ceremonies but they’re not sure where to find them. In my experience, most couples have a clear idea of what they don’t want (because they’ve been guests at weddings where the ceremonies didn’t feel true to the couple and their story). These same couples aren’t entirely sure of what they do want in a non-traditional ceremony or how it’ll all come together. That’s where our team of celebrants comes in.
As much as I love my job, family life means I can’t drive to Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Riebeek Kasteel every Saturday. After turning down too many requests for personal and unique ceremonies, I recognised the need to find storytellers that can hold space beautifully and make people laugh and bring the kind of gravitas that such an occasion deserves. As you can imagine, finding the right people took a while. But eventually our paths crossed.
So let me introduce you to the celebrants that i feel proud to send in my stead. (If you’d like to connect with one of these celebrants, send me an email and I’ll introduce you and we’ll take it from there.)
SUZANNA
In 2025, three things happened: I went to a wedding with a celebrant who moved me to tears, I went to another that left me fuming, and then after enough complaining, a friend challenged me to take on the role for her big day. My journey as a celebrant only began recently, but I like to think that I’ve been preparing for years.
Poetry open mics, Toastmasters, and speeches at family events were, as it turns out, a kind of training ground. It helps too that I’ve always loved rom-coms and romance novels. I’ve been quoting Pride and Prejudice since I was a kid. Unsurprisingly, my background is in English Literature and screenwriting.
My day job is writing film and TV scripts. I’m also a published poet. My favourite on-screen celebrant moment will always be the Hot Priest at the end of Fleabag, though my own approach to the work is far less dramatic. What the Hot Priest and I do share is an uncompromising belief in the bravery and beauty of two people declaring their love for each other.
As a queer woman, romantic love is also something that I view as revolutionary. I’ve seen it heal losses and build community in the most unexpected places. While I’m not qualified to perform any of the legal aspects of a marriage, I am available to craft a ceremony that deeply honours the love present. You know that flip you get in your stomach as the music swells in a movie, and a character’s saying something true and gorgeous and you suddenly believe again in the deliciousness of being alive? That’s what I’m here to help you create.
Love is ordinary, yes. But it’s also magic. When I’m not being accused of being a romantic for saying things like that, you can find me behind a pottery wheel or on a yoga mat. Calm and creativity – that’s what I prioritise in all aspects of my life and work.
CLAIRE
My first encounter with Claire was at a little-known spot with panoramic views boasting Signal Hill and Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean. As soon as I saw Claire, I knew she was meant for this type of work and every interaction I’ve had with her since has only confirmed that first impression.
Claire led a deeply profound ceremony for the couple and she effortlessly included their nearest and dearest into the ceremony in ways that I had never witnessed before: Claire invited everyone to perform a cairn ritual where each loved one balanced a stone on top of another, creating a beautiful tower. She then asked each person to place a Strelitzia around the cairn signalling that opening of the ceremony. Within the ceremony itself, Claire read exquisite words on the nature of love – words I had never heard before (which is an impressive feat considering I have been collecting quotes on love for years and years). Claire also led the couple through a water ceremony and then opened up the space for the couple to exchange personal vows and rings. Finally, Claire marked the close of the ceremony by blowing a conch.
Now, all that I’ve described within Claire’s ceremony may sound like a lot but Claire’s way means everything is considered – nothing rushed. Claire lends this energy to the ceremony itself, calming everyone around her, allowing us to be fully present.
Also, Claire can laugh – really laugh – and she’s not afraid of taking up time to allows those spontaenous moments to unfold.
I felt so honoured to have witnessed and been a part of such a moving and well thought-out ceremony. And I’m so pleased that I can put Claire forward as an option for couples looking to celebrate the beginning of their marriage with clear intention and authenticity.