Weddings
Naming Ceremonies
Renewal of Vows

SPECIALISMS

Top Drawer Traditional, Multi-Faith, International, Buddhist,
Spiritual, Handfastings, Any Quirky Ideas You Have

AFFILIATIONS

Institute of Professional Celebrants, Spiritual Director of Tarastone Retreat Centre,
Prison Chaplain, Tibetan Buddhist happy in any spiritual system or none.

“We are so grateful to you for your love, generosity and serenity. Thank you for being our hero. Our dream came true.”

– P Tuhey, Sebastopol, California

Hi, I’m Tanya.

OPEN-HEARTED CEREMONIES FOR ALL LIFE’S RITES OF PASSAGE

Picture the scene… Your loved ones gather, anticipation and excitement rippling through the assembled guests. Your heart skips a beat as you set eyes on your beloved. You are dazzled! All that you have hoped and dreamt of coming together in this fabulous, sparkling, timeless moment.

Consider all the twists of life that brought you together. Consider too, all the planning, work, fittings, decisions and discussions that go into creating the day you’ve dreamt of forever… Your ceremony is the most important part of the day and deserves the same meticulous attention. It takes thought, heart and carefully-crafted words, tailored precisely to fit around you both. Your dress or suit may have been skillfully sewn to fit you perfectly and these ceremonial words weave magically around you and hold you as a couple in much the same way. They spell out the recipe for your union from this moment on. You are, after all, making history!

As we get to know each other in our preliminary meetings, you’ll find me supportive, present and a good listener. I’m a pro at drawing out your story even if you don’t know where to begin. You will feel seen and heard, and I will be on hand throughout with words of encouragement.

You will feel like your ceremony is being conducted by your biggest fan and friend. I speak the Queen’s English as well as Portuguese and a smattering of other languages, having lived in a number of countries and travelled all over the world. I will bring added warmth, class and fun in all the right places.

Please message me now for an informal chat about how you would like your ceremony, be it wedding, vow renewal, gender shifts, naming, blessing of house, boat or camper, or for the utmost in caring and personalised transitions.

What’s my ceremony style?

Whether you want your ceremony to be succinctly poetic or splashy prose that paints a complete picture of your world, I can set the mood and hold the space for you. I can stir hearts and find the right balance of emotion, seriousness and light. I’m equally at home with spiritual, religious or secular content and have a good understanding of different spiritual traditions.

Having grown-up in different cultures, I relate to all sorts of people and beliefs. The joy of booking an Independent Celebrant (rather than a Humanist or Religious Minister) means you can choose any content you like for your ceremony. You won’t be constrained by the limits of religion or Humanism. Independent Celebrants are the middle way. If you are broadly atheist but want to sing Jerusalem, with an Independent Celebrant, you can. If being a little spiritual represents you better, we can do that. If you want a ceremony soaked in Buddhist philosophy, verses from the Bible or the Vedas, let’s do that. Many people consider themselves non-religious these days and Independent Celebrants work well in those circumstances too.

Drawing on a variety of cultural and international experience, I am broad-minded and warm-hearted. I had a classical education, worked in the City, qualified as a chef and studied Fine Art and writing. After years of self-development and meditation, I founded a Buddhist centre (Tarastone, also a ceremony venue) that holds the sacred feminine at its core. I’m also a prison chaplain and I started a peace movement called PeaceMeal that fosters understanding between diverse people by inviting them to lunch. Well… what better way?

Whether you want a traditional service with Catholic prayers, quirky steampunk, Celtic handfasting, family sand-blending, multi-cultural, multi-faith, Buddhist or atheistic, I’ve been creating ritual and ceremony for 20 years and love delivering a service that is true to your wishes and exceeds your expectations for the best day of your life.

Please message me now to set up a no-obligation chat. I hope I can help but if I’m not the right celebrant for you, I may be able to help you find the one who is. That’s the most important thing.

PRICES FROM

Namings (baby, transition etc) from £300, Weddings

Why choose me?

“Booking a celebrant was not something I had not expected to do or knew anything about. But it made such a big difference to our day. We had lots of cosy chats with Tanya along the way which gave us both a chance to think about what we wanted. Tanya took us to a different level that we did not expect. From just planning to do our vows, it turned into a very special part of our wedding. It was a journey in and of itself, summarising our life stories, adding jokes and culminating in the emotion of the vows. There has been a lot of water under the bridge and we both have kids from our previous relationships. Tanya was incredibly good in finding ways for everyone to play the part they wanted. She has a clever knack of moving easily between the emotional and the lighthearted that was just right for us. It’s hard to explain. It also was important to us to have a celebrant who could handle our mix of cultures, which Tanya did with a lot of charm. Having Tanya involved helped us expand our day out to be even more special than we had hoped.”

– Charlotte and Arun, London


“Thank you so much for all your wonderful ideas, you are an inspiration.”

– B. Harding, Artist, Hampshire


“I love the peace and tranquillity, the compassion and wisdom shown by you.”

– J. Randall, CEO, London


“Your innate love, service and kindness are palpable.”

– Dr L.S., OBE


“I feel so blessed to know you. I think the work you are doing is truly special and will help so, so many people. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.”

– M.W., Head Teacher, Hampshire


“You do have an extraordinary gift of shining light into people’s souls – it is a beautiful thing to watch.”

– E. L., Retailer, Hampshire

Book a call

Tarastone Retreat Center

Barber’s Lane, Swallowcliffe,
Salisbury,
Wiltshire
SP3 5PH,
UK

Other Celebrant Services

Funerals

Tarastone Retreat Center

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