Julia Hawkes Your Celebrant in the Cotswolds

What do you offer?

With 8 years of experience, I am an empathetic, warm Celebrant who will work with you to create the personal ceremony you are dreaming of. Add in great delivery on the day, and you may just have found your perfect Celebrant!

Why do you want to work with the LGBTQ+ community?

My wife and I have been together for 25 years, we have had a dull civil partnership with a Registrar who clearly felt uncomfortable, a 'conversion to marriage' (the conversion word always makes me laugh!) and a fantastic anniversary ceremony with a Celebrant who created the most perfect, personal occasion. 

As a gay woman, I know what homophobia and prejudice feel like, and I don't want any LGBTQ+ wedding couples to experience anything other than the perfect wedding journey and the wedding they have always dreamt of.

I want each couple to feel heard, safe and confident when planning their wedding ceremony. I'm not a wild and wacky celebrant, couples who choose to work with me often want fairly traditional weddings, but always with a creative twist and bags of personalisation. For me, the most important thing is to listen and find out what a couple really want.

Allyship

I have invested in having my website language and imagery reviewed by an LGBT+ organisation, even as a gay woman myself, I don't believe in being complacent. All of the paperwork that I send out to my couples is gender neutral, and it is reviewed frequently to make it relevant and accessible to all couples. I strive to ensure that my business is reflected on social media as the inclusive, safe space it is. In response to my social media presence, I was recently asked to feature on Dinah Liversidge's Blog discussing gay weddings. The link to this interview is available in my Instagram bio for couples to read. 

I believe that the simple things that make me feel comfortable will help other people feel safe, welcome and comfortable. I always indicate my pronouns on all communication, my website has several relevant logos included to give couples confidence that they are in a welcoming space. I donate to Trans charities and use social media to promote my allyship. I believe that learning never stops, and I continuously read to educate myself (on my bedside table at the moment is "Becoming Us - a story of Transgender love, joy and family" by Jake and Hannah Graf). In all aspects of my life, I challenge assumptions, homophobia & transphobia.