Beth MacLeod Celebrant

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Beth MacLeod Celebrant

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Beth MacLeod Celebrant, Forest Row, .

I am a Sussex based celebrant holding weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies and bespoke ceremonies for individuals

I work collaboratively and inclusively with people to create truly personal, memorable and magical ceremonies

DM me to explore options

19/03/2026

It’s a full circle moment for me next week! Back in 2013, while working at Design Council, I launched the Future Pioneers at New Designers (an initiative to identify, celebrate, and nurture young, principled, and purpose-driven designers). The event was held at the Business Design Centre in Islington.

Fast forward to 2026 and I will be back at the Business Design Centre with my own stand as an exhibitor at The London Wedding Show which takes place on 28–29 March!

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed designing my stand - with stylistic help from Kate McPhee - and look forward to chatting all things ‘celebranty’ and ‘ceremony’ with the couples visiting the show.

I remember trade shows being a killer on the feet so I will be wearing my yellow trainers.

If you are planning a wedding in the next year or two then I have some complimentary tickets to the show so send me a DM and I can send you a code and booking link.

12/03/2026

Nothing beats hearing how a ceremony felt for the couple at the heart of it. Here is a wonderful review from a recent wedding couple that I had the joy of working with.

weddingcelebrant funeralceremony funeralcelebrant vowrenewal memorial celebrationoflife namingceremony weddingceremony handfasting

08/01/2026

Carl and Maxine’s December wedding at Woldingham Golf Club was a beautiful fusion of Jamaican and Celtic traditions, thoughtfully woven into a ceremony that was romantic, light-hearted and deeply personal. From creating a Jamaican rum punch and sharing it from a Scottish quaich, to a Celtic handfasting during their vows, every ritual reflected who they are and where they come from.

Add in a saxophonist who provided a wonderful soundtrack for the day and guests actively taking part in meaningful moments, and it all resulted in a ceremony filled with laughter and love.

What a joy to be a part of!

15/09/2025

While I love posting about weddings and the alternative ceremonies that I create and lead, the majority of my work is actually funerals.

People are often surprised and ask whether it gets me down. But honestly, it doesn’t. It feels like such an honour and a privilege to hold space for a grieving family and help them celebrate the life of their loved one in a really personal and memorable way, while gently guiding them through the process of creating a ceremony.

I don’t tend to post about individual funerals however I thought it might be useful to explain how funerals come to me.

Most of the funerals I work on come to me through a funeral arranger or funeral director. They spend a couple of hours with a family when they first come in to plan a funeral. And in that time they are able to determine which celebrant on their roster would be a good fit. In Forest Row about half the families choose a religious funeral however the other half tend to use a celebrant to create and lead the ceremony.

People may also find me via my website and I find that friends and previous colleagues will contact me when a parent dies and they want someone they know and trust.

Another service I offer is a funeral planning meeting where I meet with someone to chat through all the funeral and ceremony options available, gather their wishes and then write up a funeral plan to be safely stored with their Will for the future. Their next of kin may, when the time comes, choose to book me to create the full ceremony.

The main route though is via the Funeral Directors and so I spent a lot of last week reaching out to funeral directors to expand my network. And I find the best way is to put on comfy shoes, walk the high streets and pop in for chats!

If you have any questions let me know below.

12/06/2025

I am planning a longer post on how I work with Funeral Directors and how I can also be approached directly. Watch this space.

This lovely review is from an old university friend and was a situation where she contacted me directly to take her mother’s funeral in North London and I then liased on the ceremony with her chosen Funeral Director.

Thank you Kelly for the opportunity to lead the celebration of Catherine’s incredible, novel worthy life. It really was an honour.

03/06/2025

I am delighted to be working with Max and Carl on their winter wedding later this year.

We are at the early planning stage when we all have loads of ideas and are whittling it down to the ones that will work for both of them.

The venue at Woldingham Golf Club looks gorgeous. I love how they dress their main room for the ceremony and there are floor to ceiling windows looking out across the golf course.

It’s going to be beautiful!

08/05/2025

Ever wondered what a week for a celebrant looks like?

Well this week is a little different for me in that I didn’t have any funerals, however I did have a meeting with a couple who want to renew their vows, and tomorrow I have a meeting with a couple about their wedding - so potentially a new booking (fingers crossed). I’ve also been working hard on writing a wedding ceremony - I’m at the ‘love story’ part where I intertwine the couple’s stories and if is my favourite part and I want to get it ‘just right’.

I also had a photoshoot in our home and garden with the very talented Sophie Fuller Creative. We had so much fun and lots of outfit changes too. Sophie really put me at ease and gave me great tips to help me relax (I hate having my photo taken). I will share more photos on here in due course and use some of them to update my website. Thank you Sophie for the fabulous results.

So not your average week!!

29/04/2025

I enjoyed a sunshine drive to Brighton this morning for a meeting with a funeral director I have long admired - and I hope to be conducting funerals in my home town in the near future.

We discussed alternative and more sustainable funerals, and their very personalises approach. The second photo is of a jute coffin which is a more ecological material and ideal if you wish to be buried in a beautiful natural burial grounds. There are a growing number in Sussex and Kent, including the tranquil Woodland Valley on the outskirts of Brighton with a view of the sea and the South Downs

Woodland Valley has been designed to create a meadow and woodland burial ground for interment and cremated remains.

Natural burial is ideally suited for people looking for a more environmentally-friendly method of burial, rather than a grave with a traditional headstone.

The cemetery is divided into sections with all of the grave spaces accurately recorded on maps. Burial plots and cremated remains plots are both available. Up to two sets of remains can be buried in a cremated remains plot. Alternatively you can choose to scatter cremated remains in either the Sea View or Woodland Glade scattering area.

If you want a different final resting place then it is a good idea to have the conversation now with your nearest and dearest so they can honour your wishes when the time comes.

26/03/2025

Excited to be working on a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony for Sam and Jenny this summer.

Their venue is the exquisite Lost Music Hall in Devon.

Praying for a glorious summer!

25/03/2025

Hello,

I thought it was time to share a little bit more about myself.

I live in Ashdown Forest in Sussex with my wife, two children and two dogs, and we often have friends visiting us to enjoy a spot of nature.

I love gardening, walking and keeping fit as well as flower arranging, baking and cooking. In my spare time I act, dance, do some burlesque and sing. I plan to try stand-up comedy but I haven’t got around to it yet.

The photo is from my most recent play which finished last week. It was my first appearance with Groombridge Theatre (I played the strident feminist mum, Sylvia) and it was so much fun. A very talented cast and amazing backstage crew - as well as brilliant audiences every night.

I find acting really helps with my work as a celebrant as I get to hone my projection, voice and stage presence, and I have to learn a lot of lines. I use similar line learning techniques to memorize sections of my ceremonies so that I can deliver direct to the mourners or guests, and so avoid having my head down looking at my script the whole time. And if I need to improvise when things don’t quite go to plan, then I also have the confidence to do that!

23/02/2025

Delighted to receive this recommendation from Kelly today. I led her mother’s funeral earlier this month in London and it was a beautiful ceremony filled with poetry and heartfelt tributes.

Address

Forest Row

Website

http://www.bethmacleodcelebrant.com/

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