Add originality to your celebration: what it's like to be a celebrant

From weddings and baby naming ceremonies to vow renewals and funerals, he creates ceremonies that are both personal and memorable.

"There's something really special about understanding what somebody wants and delivering something that it perfect for them," says Steve, who lives in Wolverhampton.

Known as the costumed celebrant, he also specialises in themed events and fantasy celebrations from Lord of The Rings to steampunk.

Steve's love for ceremonies goes back many years to when he became a pagan and a member of an reenactment group.

"When I was growing I was always attracted to alternative religions . I became a pagan and interested in rituals. I got to understand them and practise them.

"When members of the group wanted to mark changes in their life, I would conduct that ceremony for them.

"I'm reasonably outgoing and I like the sound of my own voice. I had a flair for it.

"Two years ago I was made redundant from my role at Wolverhampton Council and I decided to become a full-time celebrant," he explains.

Every ceremony Steve delivers is bespoke and he works closely with individuals, couples and families to ensure it reflects their personality and values.

"Every single ceremony starts with a blank piece of paper. There's no such thing as a formulaic celebration. Every one is completely original and written for the individual person or couple.

Every ceremony is different because no person is the same, no couple is the same and no baby is the same," he tells Weekend.

With a celebrant people have the freedom to hold their ceremony wherever and whenever they want.

As the law stands in the UK, independent celebrants cannot yet conduct legally binding ceremonies such as weddings.

Legal civil ceremonies can only be performed at register offices or licensed wedding venues and there are rules and regulations that must be followed.

Celebrants are not limited to licensed venues making it the perfect option for people who want to host a celebration somewhere that's personal to them.

All that's required is that the couple make the standard legal declarations and register their marriage with a registrar either before or after your wedding day at their local register office.

"Weddings are expensive but what many people don't know is that you can legally register your marriage for under £100 at a registry office," says Steve, who is a member of the The Fellowship of Professional Celebrants.

"With a celebrant, you get somebody who can be available at any time and it's completely your celebration. I take the time to get to know you, so you get the ceremony you want.

"If you're a goth and want a ceremony at midnight in a churchyard, I can do that. If you're surfer dude and want a ceremony on the beach as the sun comes up, I can do that too."

Steve has been chosen to conduct ceremonies across the country and his travels have taken him from Cornwall to the Scottish Borders.

As well as being a chance to celebrate milestones, he says they can also provide an opportunity to leave the past behind and embrace the future.

"I did a divorce ceremony where a couple undid their wedding vows. It was important to them to do this as they hadn't been able to fulfil to the commitment they had made to each other.

"A divorce ceremony meant they could express that and unburden themselves.

"It really gave them some closure. They both came into the ceremony room through the same entrance and left through separate exits.

"They're still friends and I don't think that would have been possible without that closure the ceremony gave them."

He is often asked to perform costumed events and can write or adapt scripts into wedding or funeral services.

"I'm good at making costumes and props. Recently I did a Star Wars-themed funeral for a chap who was a huge Star Wars fan so all his family and friends came to Bushbury Crematorium dressed as Jedi, Sith and Stormtroopers. I wrote the funeral by adapting a Star Wars script.

"It was absolutely wonderful. Funerals shouldn't be sad and sombre, they should be a celebration of life," Steve says.

Creating ceremonies that are full of meaning for those involved brings him great joy.

"I enjoy meeting people, making the costumes and writing and delivering the script but what I enjoy the most is the feedback afterwards. If somebody comes up to me afterwards and says that was absolutely brilliant, you did my dad/mum/son/daughter, proud, that's very rewarding. I love the way that the perfect celebration makes people laugh and cry at the same time," says Steve.

For more information, see stevemorriscelebrant.co.uk