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.

πŸ’• International Friendship Day πŸ’•πŸ’• What does friendship mean to you??Sometimes I don't think I'm a great friend. I'm not ...
30/07/2025

πŸ’• International Friendship Day πŸ’•

πŸ’• What does friendship mean to you??
Sometimes I don't think I'm a great friend. I'm not one to pick up the phone out of the blue and ask how you are, usually because I keep up to date with everything via Social media. And I probably don't see you for years at a time.

πŸ’• But do you know what?If you were having a hard time, I would be right there in a second? If you had something to celebrate, I'd be right there cheering you on? If you wanted to just vent, I'd listen and at the end offer you help or a hug....

πŸ’• But that's different to loneliness. Did you know that loneliness has an impact on people's health equivalent to smoking 15 ci******es a day?? It affects everything - heart rate, blood pressure, mental health, propensity to falls, dementia - everything.

πŸ’• Why am I telling you this? Because you could make a real difference in someone's life. They don't need to be old, they might just not be able to get out and about. They might share a hobby with you but not know who you are....so maybe you can change that.

πŸ’• I'd encourage you to hop over to the social posts at which has some pictures and videos from their fabulous volunteers telling you all about why they do it and what a difference their befriending makes to them and their new friend. Check it out, and if you can register to volunteer.

πŸ’• International Lipstick Day πŸ’•πŸ’• Today is , but what does that have to do with Celebrancy?πŸ’• Your ceremony should be as f...
29/07/2025

πŸ’• International Lipstick Day πŸ’•

πŸ’• Today is , but what does that have to do with Celebrancy?

πŸ’• Your ceremony should be as fiercely individual as your lipstick shade β€” and that’s where a celebrant comes in!

πŸ’•Just like you’d never settle for a one-size-fits-all red (hello, there are 50 kinds of red!), why settle for a cookie-cutter ceremony? πŸ’‹

πŸ’• A celebrant gets to know you – your story, your style, your vibe – and crafts a ceremony that’s uniquely yours. Whether you're a bold berry babe, a classic n**e queen, or a glitter gloss rebel, your love deserves a moment that matches your energy.

So let’s ditch the bland and bring on the personal, the powerful, and the perfectly-you. πŸ’•πŸ‘„

πŸ’• Monday Motivation - Being Human πŸ’•πŸ’• Have I told you about my interview to be Senior Team with one of the country's lead...
28/07/2025

πŸ’• Monday Motivation - Being Human πŸ’•

πŸ’• Have I told you about my interview to be Senior Team with one of the country's leading supermarkets??

πŸ’• I'd done the first round interview. Talked confidently and calmly about why I believed I would be the next superstore Wonder woman and what difference I would make to productivity and profitability and as I left the room to a smiling face, I have to admit, I was buzzing.

πŸ’• I then walked into the group panel and noticed that another senior team member had a bit of a smirk on their face. I walked in, Introduced myself and took the seat I was offered. The smirking senior raised their hand so I guessed it was not their role to lead the panel - I acknowledged them and they asked me, with a further smirk, If I knew my shirt button had popped open leaving a very full view of my underwear??

πŸ’• I could have blustered, stuttered, mumbled, tried to make a joke of it. Instead I calmly rebuttoned my top, straightened my jacket and said "Now everything is out in the open, isn't it. Sadly, you failed my second test which was to notice that I've also good odd shoes on!" Which I had!! I clocked it getting out of the car that they were the same style but one was black and one was navy!!

πŸ’• You know what, everyone relaxed, they really did believe me (based on previous interactions) that this was not my usual standard of dress, and we shared a laugh. Because, you know what, no-one is perfect, we are all humans and naturally flawed and recognising that vulnerability in others brings us closer and you know what, at the end of the day when weighing up the pros and cons in each interviewee, the one they all remembered was me and I still got promoted!!

πŸ’• Bereavement Support Groups πŸ’•πŸ’• Just a reminder for anyone who might need it that I am proud to be involved with two ber...
25/07/2025

πŸ’• Bereavement Support Groups πŸ’•

πŸ’• Just a reminder for anyone who might need it that I am proud to be involved with two bereavement friendship groups in Colchester.

🌸 Mourning Brew happens on a Tuesday morning as close to the start of the month as I can get it and it occurs at 10am. Anyone who has suffered a bereavement at any time of any person is welcome to attend. We spend an hour talking about how things are going as we progress in our grief journey before enjoying a cuppa and something yummy from the Berryfields Cafe, on site. The next meeting is August 5th.

🌸 Widows Friendship Group happens on the 2nd Friday of the month and is held at Level Best Cafe on St John's Street at 11am till 1pm. We spend some time talking about our thoughts and feelings over a cuppa before welcoming a guest speaker to talk about various subjects. The next meeting is September 12th and is open to all Widows.

πŸ’• Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Hunnaball Family Funeral Group it is free to attend these groups and everyone is welcome.

πŸ’• Throwback Thursday - Three Counties Open Day πŸ’•πŸ’• I had the privilege of attending on Saturday 5th July for their open ...
24/07/2025

πŸ’• Throwback Thursday - Three Counties Open Day πŸ’•

πŸ’• I had the privilege of attending on Saturday 5th July for their open day and I have to tell you, it was a cracking day.

🌸 Motorcycle hearses resplendent with decorated coffins (I loved the glitter one) were available to view from .
🌸 Floral tributes were supplied by and were gorgeous.
🌸 Delicious food was supplied by , their scotch eggs were epic.
🌸 We were able to talk funeral plans and service options with Hunnaball Family Funeral Group, and
🌸 And I learned so much from Sarah the crematorium manager about ways they had improved the chapel and gardens, from Alana the chapel technician about how to get the very best out of the building's facilities and thanks to Regan the cremation tec who gave a brilliant talk and demonstration on what happens after the ceremony has finished.

πŸ’• This has always been one of my favourite crematoriums, I know that is a strange thing to say, but it's true. There is always such a welcoming feeling, a real sense of care is given to the families who use the site and the team work so well together that it feels like a real family to be a part of and I am privileged to play my part in that.

❀️ Did you hear me on the Radio this morning? ❀️❀️I was invited onto BBC Essex to discuss direct cremations and some of ...
24/07/2025

❀️ Did you hear me on the Radio this morning? ❀️

❀️I was invited onto BBC Essex to discuss direct cremations and some of the pros and cons thereof.
There were some interesting points raised and you can hear the whole discussion via BBC Sounds, I was on at 8:22am with Ian.

The crux is always conversation, talk about death, make your wishes known and don’t be afraid to take your time in decision making, as a Celebrant I’m here to help with that process.

Thanks Ian and the team i look forward to coming in again in the future ❀️

πŸ’• Blogging Brilliant πŸ’•πŸ’• I'm here, once again to remind you that I have a Blog. It's available on my website at www.shell...
23/07/2025

πŸ’• Blogging Brilliant πŸ’•

πŸ’• I'm here, once again to remind you that I have a Blog. It's available on my website at www.shelleybell.co.uk and is, if I do say myself, something of a triumph.

πŸ’• You see its not just me banging on about Weddings, its oh so much more....
🌸 Find out why I started Mourning Brew, my bereavement friendship group.
🌸 Find out what Myths exist in the Funeral Industry
🌸 Meet my Supplier Chums - this month sees Susie from Wivenhoe Flowers introduce herself and her business.
🌸 How to write the most Fabulous Wedding Speech ever!!

πŸ’• There would have to be something wrong with you to miss it........well, what are you waiting for......get over there......

πŸ’• Tasty Tuesday πŸ’•πŸ’• When I sit down each month and work out what I'm going to put on my socials, I quite often use a coup...
22/07/2025

πŸ’• Tasty Tuesday πŸ’•

πŸ’• When I sit down each month and work out what I'm going to put on my socials, I quite often use a couple of tools such as Sendible and SociallySorted.com. These sites tell me what anniversaries, national holidays and international celebrations are coming up and some, I have to say, I do take with a pinch of salt but in July that is literal as sooooooo many days are to do with food - here's the list of International celebration days.....

🌸 31st Avacado
🌸 30th Cheesecake
🌸 29th Lasagne
🌸 28th Chocolate
🌸 27th Creme Brulee
🌸 26th Wine & Cheese
🌸 24th Tequila
🌸 22nd Mango
🌸 21st Junk Food
🌸 20th Ice Cream & Lollipops
🌸 16th Hot Dog
🌸 14th Mac n Cheese
🌸 8th Raspberry
🌸 6th Fried Chicken
🌸 Its allll Bonkers!!!!!

πŸ’• So, my question to you this international day of foods and drinks - what day would you celebrate the hardest? And what would you have for your last meal?

πŸ’• Monday Motivation - Preparation πŸ’•πŸ’• Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.Thats the old adage isn't it? You better be ready ...
21/07/2025

πŸ’• Monday Motivation - Preparation πŸ’•

πŸ’• Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Thats the old adage isn't it? You better be ready or your doomed, right?
Wrong!

πŸ’• You'll remember a few weeks ago I talked about perfection and how we get in our own way by thinking things have to be perfect, well, we do it in the name of preparation too. I mean, I'm obviously going to write the worst funeral script ever if my desk is untidy right? And that wedding ceremony will be truly awful if I don't have exactly the right pen to use (even though I do it all on a computer!!)

πŸ’• Now, don't get me wrong, somethings need a plan. For instance, if I was writing a wedding or a funeral I would need a running order, a list of who was doing what and when and of course the time and location. But sometimes, being 'prepared' is a scary delay tactic created by our vicious little mind. It looks important and sounds important but what have you actually produced - a clean desk and a new pen??

πŸ’• Truth is, you don't need the 'perfect' set up. You don't need the 'right time'. You just need to start because clarity and precision shows up when you are working. When the first draft has been completed I can review it and correct spelling mistakes, punctuation and grammar. I can add a reading or activity, I can get my timings right and contact anyone else that needs to be a part of the event - I just have to get started first.

πŸ’• So, what are you waiting for?.......

When you’re a French Funeral Director and Le Tour is in town!!
18/07/2025

When you’re a French Funeral Director and Le Tour is in town!!

πŸ’• Proud to be Death Literate πŸ’•πŸ’• You may remember that I recently completed the 'Dying for a Cuppa' Masterclass with the ...
18/07/2025

πŸ’• Proud to be Death Literate πŸ’•

πŸ’• You may remember that I recently completed the 'Dying for a Cuppa' Masterclass with the fabulous and I am thrilled that I did.

πŸ’• In recent months I have been able to hold space for people who have experienced loss recently and help them to gain insight and answers as to why certain situations arouse in the care of their person.
🌸 I've been able to discuss ReSPECT forms with people so they can have the appropriate conversations with their medical professional and referred lots of people to complete a 'My Care Choices' document in conjunction with and .
🌸 I've been able to help people prepare themselves and their environment for the end of their life so they have a much calmer, peaceful environment, where everyone knows what is happening, when and by whom - it's helped people take a bit of control back.
🌸 I've had numerous discussions with people about Lasting Powers of Attorney thanks to a brilliant workshop by the Office of the Public Guardian (there are loads of really useful videos on Youtube about this too).

πŸ’• The reality is, I choose to make my work about helping those with death and dying, with its their own or those of their people and as result I can't think of one day since I completed this course that I haven't used some of the skills and information within it.

πŸ’• If you would like some support with any of the themes mentioned or you're not sure where to go for help then please do get in touch via this post or 07727277996.

πŸ’• Tatts Out Thursday πŸ’•πŸ’• Today is and it got me thinking about tattoos at weddings.πŸ’• I'm going to admit that at my wedd...
17/07/2025

πŸ’• Tatts Out Thursday πŸ’•

πŸ’• Today is and it got me thinking about tattoos at weddings.

πŸ’• I'm going to admit that at my wedding I did not have all of my tattoos overtly on display. I wore a dress with little voile sleeves that covered those at the top of my arms and the ones on my inner forearms were hidden due to carrying a bouquet etc and I was comfortable with that. I didn't want people to be looking at my art work, I wanted people to be looking at me and my husband as we celebrated the start of our married lives together.

πŸ’• However, I have conducted ceremonies for couples that have been covered in tattoos and they were as much a part of their look as their shoes or ties had been and I love it!!

πŸ’• As you will know I am a fully inclusive celebrant. The way you look, live your life and choose to marry is nothing to do with me. My job is to have you feel welcome, safe, secure, celebrated and loving the best day of your life.
I do my damnedest not to be judgy, instead I try to learn from the differences I have people and embrace them because if we all supported each other as human beings rather than due to body types, sexuality, gender, piercings and tattoos then we would all live a much happier life.

⭐️ My one caveat would be that if you were covered in tattoos of wording and/or symbols that incited hatred of any type of person or group then we would not be working together.

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How Can I Help You?

My Independent Family Celebrant services provide beautifully tailored and unique Wedding Ceremonies, Vow Renewals, Naming Ceremonies and sensitive Funeral Ceremonies across Essex and East Anglia. Your ceremony is equally important to me as it is to you, so I take the time to find out who you are and pay special attention to what is truly important to you, as well as how you want the ceremony to look and feel.

Say goodbye to someone in a style that truly reflected them or usher in the future with a new spouse or welcome a child into the family in a ceremony full of joy and inspiration, there are no limits to what your ceremony can be.

With abundant choices and a multitude of elements to choose from in your ceremony it can be everything you imagined, with no restriction on location, licenses or legal requirements that are prevalent in civil ceremonies.

Whether you have a religious belief or prefer to incorporate other traditions, I have something for everyone and respect your personal spirituality and beliefs.