AWARD WINNER…

‘Most Dedicated Wedding Celebrant (Eastern Scotland)’ – Client Services Excellence Award 2022

Hello, and fit like? as we say here in Aberdeenshire! I’m Isabel, a full-time professional Celebrant, the driving force behind Legacy.

From legal weddings to funerals and everything in between, if you are looking for a celebrant who cares deeply about your ceremony and writes from the heart, you have come to the right place.

Being a Celebrant is more than a job for me. It is a passion that I live, eat, sleep, and breathe! I take my job seriously, sweating the small stuff to get it right for you. But don’t worry, I am not stoic. One bride described me as a “loveable riot!” Learn more about my story here…

Ceremonies

BESPOKE CELEBRANT FOR SPECIAL LIFE EVENTS

Wedding Ceremony

I’m a hopeless romantic who adores weddings. As a Soulful Celebrant, every word I write comes straight from my heart to yours. I pinky promise I won’t copy and paste content from one ceremony to another, I do not use AI to generate scripts and I definitely won’t use any cookie-cutter templates! You deserve your ceremony to reflect your vision, values and beliefs. What does your heart desire?
From intimate elopements and destination weddings to bells and whistles celebrations, you will have me for the duration of your ceremony because I never officiate more than one celebration in a day. Will you say “I do” to me?

Funeral Ceremony

A funeral doesn’t have to be traditional. It can be held anywhere that feels meaningful to you or the deceased. I’ve officiated at a lochside, a garden, a pub and a community centre! Each place held a meaning for the deceased.
Every life is a unique story. Let’s share those stories and bring your loved one’s life to the forefront. A funeral ceremony with meaningful anecdotes, personal reflections, and fun memories can create an unforgettable experience. Together, we’ll craft a service celebrating their life while providing comfort. Let’s make a ceremony that truly reflects their life.

Naming Ceremony

Naming ceremonies are not just for babies! They can be for a name change, perhaps due to adoption, divorce, gender reassignment, or because you didn’t like your given name and chose one that better suits your gender pronoun or your personality.
Unlike a baptism or christening, a naming ceremony is non-religious and can be held in a venue of your choosing and at any time.
Have you started a new business? We can create a naming ceremony for your opening day. We name this business Legacy – for all your memorable moments!

Living Funeral Service

A Living Funeral is a unique approach to end-of-life planning. Unlike traditional funerals that focus on the deceased after their death, a Living Funeral is a celebration of life held while the individual is living. Consider it a final fling!
Gathering loved ones together allows for sharing memories and is a chance to express love and appreciation to those who have supported you. It is an opportunity to give gifts and to hear all the lovely things that would have been said after the last breath. It can heal wounds and provide a sense of closure and peace, reducing anxiety and stress surrounding the inevitable.

MEMORIAL SERVICES

Press pause and pay tribute to the life of someone special – with no time or location restraints. Memorial services are becoming a more popular way to celebrate the deceased. Sitting alongside Direct Cremation, a memorial ceremony is a gathering held to honour the life and memory of the deceased and is not dictated by a timeline.

While funerals take place shortly after the death, memorial ceremonies can be held at any time. For those who may have struggled to process their grief immediately after the death, a memorial ceremony can provide a space for healing and closure.

Rituals

A ritual is a series of actions performed in a prescribed manner, often with symbolic or religious significance, such as anointing a baby, exchanging wedding rings, or carrying a coffin to a grave.

Religious or not, incorporating rituals into your ceremony makes it a personal experience, especially when it is unique and reflects your values and beliefs. Dare to be different – let’s create something entirely personal for you! Like my bride, who incorporated a magnet ritual, symbolising that they are polar opposites, but together, they are one.

Dead Good Conversations

For too long, we’ve been afraid to talk about death. Despite knowing that we are going to die, we shy away from having conversations about our end-of-life and funerals. I have witnessed the distress that not having these conversations and not having an exit plan has caused.

Talking about death won’t make you die. That is going to happen anyway!

So Let’s have a Dead Good Conversation!

Image: Photo by Eduardo Dorantes on Unsplash

OTHER CEREMONIES

Commitment Ceremonies, Vow Renewals, Rites of Passage, Early Pregnancy Loss, Interment or Scattering of Ashes, Company Naming, Achievement Ceremonies, New Home Ceremonies, or Dog Naming Ceremonies. Tell me what you want to celebrate, and we can make it happen!

Why Work With Me?

Whether you’re celebrating a wedding, a naming ceremony, a funeral, or any other life event, I will create a personal and meaningful experience based on your beliefs, values and vision.

As an independent Celebrant, I accommodate people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and faiths. Celebrant-led ceremonies offer a perfect alternative for those who are not religious or prefer a secular approach. The bonus is, I can legally marry you in Scotland!

But don’t take my word for it; have a read HERE

Isabel Lockhart – Your Scottish Celebrant.

Whether you need a wedding celebrant, renewal of vows ceremony, naming ceremony or funeral service, we can work together to create the perfect bespoke celebration for you.

As a dedicated Celebrant based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, I can work all over the northeast of Scotland and beyond and can travel to wherever you need me to be.

Becoming a Celebrant in 2020 was the best career decision I ever made. I had been pondering training to be a celebrant for quite a few years, sick of attending boring and impersonal ceremonies, especially funerals of my service users, and leaving with a sense of “I could do better than that.” And now I do!

On a more personal note, my son’s death in 2019 and the shoddy service from the celebrant were the catalysts that launched me into the world of Celebrancy. This lived experience profoundly shaped my perspective on ceremonies. Despite me having to correct the spelling of names repeatedly, he kept getting them wrong, but worse was to come. The celebrant had copied and pasted from an old ceremony. How did I know? Because he didn’t edit the names!

I’ve dedicated myself to ensuring that every ceremony I craft is meaningful, personal, and touches your heart. You may never remember the words, but you will remember how they made you feel. I never copy and paste or use prewritten scripts or templates.

I’ll guide you through every step of the process, ensuring a beautiful and unforgettable celebration – for the right reasons!

This short documentary was filmed by students from the University of Stirling as part of their final year project. It’s an insightful piece that delves into the often taboo subject of death and the concept of having a living funeral. This is a gathering where friends and family celebrate the life of a loved one who is nearing the end of their journey. Read more….

Living Funerals