Shelley Bell - Independent Celebrant

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Shelley Bell - Independent Celebrant

Fun, full of zest and curiousity, I am a Celebrant who loves to tell your stories. My pronouns are She/her - what’re yours?

Proud to support the LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent communities, i am fully inclusive regardless of faith and culture.

12/06/2026

💕 St Helena Bereavement Cafes 💕

💕 This week I wanted to let you know about the Bereavement Cafes offered by
There is no need to book but if you want more information you can contact them by email at [email protected] or by calling 01206 984274.

💕 You can find them at
🌸Every 3rd Wednesday of the month - 10:30am to 12:00pm
St Helena Hospice, The Lounge, Joan Tomkins Centre, Myland Hall, Barncroft Close, Highwoods, Colchester, CO4 9JU or
🌸Every 4th Tuesday of the month - 2:00pm to 3:30pm
St Marys Church Hall, West Bergholt, CO6 3JZ

11/06/2026

💕 June is Pride Month 💕

💕 Feisty post warning!!!
I have seen some posts today that have criticised straight people for promoting Pride and supporting those in the LBTQIA+ community for jumping on a bandwagon and not living the sentiment.

💕 Well, let me educate you.....this sister is proud to be and advocate, ally and good friend in the community. I support charities and groups locally in order to support those I care about so its not just lip service, I really do put my money and time where my mouth is.
And as a Human being I believe we should champion, support and defend those that are ridiculed, denigrated and victimised in our communities and that is what I fully intend to do with every breath in my body.

💕 If you are looking for a friend an ally to support you with your grief or major life event then I am here and ready to stand by your side, just get in touch.

Images courtesy of and 🌈

10/06/2026

💕 Post Holiday Lag 💕

💕 Apologies if you have reached out over the past couple of weeks to find you are met with an automated message - its not my normal style but you can see from the pic that I was having a lovely time with hubby and the folks on a fabulous cruise.

💕 This was my first cruise ship holiday and it didn't disappoint. We visited Montenegro, Greece, Croatia and Italy aboard the Explorer of the Seas with Celebrity Cruises. We had fantastic weather and saw some amazing and stunningly beautiful locations and are already planning our next adventure. I just need to stop feeling like I'm still moving even when I am sitting still!!

💕 I also got to see a couple of weddings whilst away, celebrating a couple in Kotor and a couple who were married aboard the ship - you can never escape a lovely love story and I wouldn't want to.
Still, I'm back now and ready to sign off the last of my weddings for this year ready for conducting the ceremonies over the next few months and I couldn't be more excited - bring on the summer of celebration ❤

09/06/2026

💕 Survivors of Bereavement by Su***de - Braintree 💕

💕 I am pleased to introduce you to this fantastic group in Braintree providing free and confidential and support for those who have experienced loss of their person by su***de.

💕 The group is due to start on Wednesday 10th June from 7:00 p.m. to 9pm in Braintree. The location is kept private to honour people's privacy.
For more information call 07484 097820 or email [email protected].

08/06/2026

💕 Motivational Monday: Progress Isn’t Always Loud 💕

💕 One of the loveliest things about a ceremony day is that it often *looks* effortless.
The music starts at the right moment.
The vows are ready.
Everyone knows where to stand.
The atmosphere feels calm, warm and natural.
But behind that seamless moment is so much unseen preparation.

💕 Emails. Planning calls. Quiet reassurance. Timelines. Rewrites. Deep breaths. Backup plans. Tiny thoughtful details stitched together carefully behind the scenes.

💕Personal growth can be exactly the same.
Not all progress arrives with fireworks and dramatic announcements.

💕Sometimes growth is:
🌸Getting out of bed when things feel heavy.
🌸Setting a boundary for the first time.
🌸Learning to rest without guilt.
🌸Choosing peace over chaos.
🌸Trying again after disappointment.
Quiet progress still counts.

💕 The world often celebrates the big visible milestones, but so much transformation happens softly, privately, in the background where nobody else can see it yet.
So if your progress feels slow or invisible this Monday, don’t dismiss it.
The most meaningful things are often built gently, step by step, long before anyone notices the finished picture.
Just like a beautiful ceremony, there is magic in the preparation too.

04/06/2026

💕Give Couples Choice - Venues, we need you too.....💕

💕 As all in the wedding industry will know, a huge number of couples are now choosing independent celebrants because of the personal, bespoke and flexible nature of the ceremonies they create. But couples are currently forced to separate the legal and celebratory parts of their wedding because these ceremonies are not legally recognised. This creates unnecessary cost and complexity for couples and limits the full potential of venues and local suppliers.

💕 In addition, independent celebrants are the only types of officiants who allow couples to reflect their faith, beliefs and cultures in their wedding ceremony. For venues and suppliers who work with couples from many different backgrounds, this is vitally important.

💕 RECOGNISING INDEPENDENT CELEBRANTS WOULD:
🌸Give couples greater freedom to marry in meaningful, personalised ways
🌸Eliminate the need for multiple ceremonies
🌸Increase bookings and associated local spend
🌸Support small businesses across hospitality, tourism and events
🌸Reflect the diversity of modern couples and families.

Note: authorising humanist celebrants alone (as in Scotland and Northern Ireland) is not enough. Independent celebrants already far outnumber humanist celebrants and, as they are not confined by a non-religious belief system, they have the freedom to create fully bespoke ceremonies according to each couples’ values, cultures and beliefs.

💕 HOW CAN WEDDING BUSINESSES GET INVOLVED?
If you run or work with a wedding venue or wedding supplier business in England or Wales and you’d like to support getting independent celebrants legally recognised, please join the campaign!
https://gccmovement.org/wedding-law-reform-guidance-for-venues-suppliers/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email%20marketing

Image of

03/06/2026

💕 Easy Fundraising for Libitina CIC 💕

💕 As you will know I am co-director of Libitina CIC. A not for profit organisation that provides end of life and bereavement support to those who need/want it free at the point of use in most cases.

💕 In order to provide these services at the lowest possible cost we need funding and this is where we need your help - at no cost to you.

💕 Easyfundraising is a brilliant app that you can load on your phone or tablet and when you do your shopping, whether thats your normal supermarket groceries, a family holiday or a big telly in time for the World Cup, you will see a pop up that asks if you want a donation.
By clicking yes, a percentage of your purchase price is donated by the retailer to our charity - your bill cost remains the same - double win.

Just follow this link and sign up today - we'll love you forever.
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/libitina-cic

02/06/2026

💕 Blogtastic! 💕

💕 You may be aware that I have a blog on my website www.shelleybell.co.uk

💕 I know I am biased but it is chock full of brilliant articles - including;
🌸 What does a funeral celebrant do?
🌸 How to make a funeral more personal and meaningful.
🌸 Renaming Ceremonies - how to recognise your authentic self
🌸 The difference between Celebrant and Registrar ceremonies.

💕 So what are you waiting for?? Head over and check it out......

01/06/2026

💕 Motivational Monday: Every Chapter Deserves Honour 💕

💕 Life is full of chapters.
Some arrive with confetti and happy tears.
Some begin quietly, after heartbreak, change or loss.
Some are tiny beginnings wrapped in blankets and possibility.
Others are brave moments of becoming more fully ourselves.

🌸A wedding says, we choose each other. 💛
🌸A naming ceremony says, you are welcomed and loved.
🌸A re-naming ceremony says, this is who I truly am.
🌸A funeral says, this life mattered and will be remembered.

💕 Ceremonies are not just about milestones. They are about meaning.
They give us a moment to pause in this wonderfully chaotic world and say:
“This chapter counts.”

💕And outside of ceremonies, everyday life deserves that same kindness too.
🌸The ending of an old routine.
🌸The start of something uncertain.
🌸The small victories nobody else sees.
🌸The quiet courage it takes just to keep going.
Not every chapter is easy. But every chapter shapes the story. 🌿

💕 So this Monday, honour where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re heading next.
Because your life is not made up only of the big headline moments.
It’s stitched together from all the chapters in between.
And every single one deserves honour.

Address

Colchester

Website

http://www.shelleybell.co.uk/

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