From Negotiating Commercial Transactions to Making Real Moments Matter
I'm Jane, I'm in my early 60’s (but let's not dwell on that ), and after nearly 30 years as a commercial property lawyer, I'm now doing the thing I've been wanting to do for ages – working with real people on the special days in their lives that actually matter.
My legal clients give me amazing testimonials because I work incredibly hard, I'm always one step ahead, and I deliver everything with a smile and – back in the office days on Friday afternoons especially – a good laugh.
But here's the thing: I've spent decades helping successful entrepreneurs and business people flourish as my corporate clients. It's been intellectually rewarding and hugely professionally satisfying, but I'm now at the point in life where I can make an actual difference to real people. I now walk away from a day thinking about the moments I've helped create, no longer lying awake at night worrying about legal deals and deadlines.
Don't get me wrong, I loved being a lawyer.
So I am retired from legal practice (I've been practicing for years!) and am now focusing entirely on celebrancy. I love what I do every day.
How Did I End Up in Essex?
I'm originally from Northamptonshire. After qualifying as a lawyer in the Midlands, I did something a bit unexpected and moved to Germany in my late twenties – I lived in Cologne for three years and had two of my daughters there.
I came back to the UK and somehow ended up in Essex, which isn't my hometown but has been home for decades now. In the midst of all that, I got married at Gretna Green with just my two ( then ) tiny tots present (they thought we were at a birthday party and insisted we sing Happy Birthday – not quite the romantic ceremony I'd imagined, but memorable nonetheless).
I taught law for about three years while juggling childcare and ferrying small people to various nurseries and schools. Then I found my perfect job as a solicitor in my local town. I actually took my third baby to the interview in a car seat – she sat there good as gold. Maybe she helped win them over, or maybe they just wanted to get rid of me. Either way, I got the job!
Oh, and somewhere along the way, I had a fourth daughter. So yes – four daughters, now all grown up and ( sort of ) flown the nest.. All thriving, I'm delighted to report, and all contributing to my extensive life education…. and broad shoulders!
The Car Accident That Changed Everything
When I was 16, I was in a serious car accident. I wasn't driving – I was the silly teenage girl passenger. I broke my back in two places and was in a coma for three weeks.
I had to learn to walk again. I used up all nine of my lives that day.
But here's what it gave me: Resilience. Strength. Tenacity. The knowledge that you can survive something terrible and come out the other side. A determination not to let limitations define you.
I'm now a complete gym addict (I have to be – my core has had to take over from my poorly back for years). I've run three marathons, two of them under four hours. I've completed the Three Peaks and I’ve walked the 630 mile Southwest Coastal Path, I've had four children, despite doctors suggesting that might not be possible. You'd never know about my back issues now, apart from the occasional slight limp.
I'm not telling you this to big myself up – honestly, I hate banging my own drum. I'm telling you because it's shaped who I am as a person and as a celebrant. I understand resilience and true grit. I know about overcoming challenges. I've learned that life throws curveballs and the only option is to deal with them, stay strong and keep moving forward.
Always with a smile.
And I believe that perspective helps me support people through their own difficult moments, whether that's planning a funeral after an unexpected loss, navigating the emotional complexity of a second marriage with blended families or finding love later in life when you thought it was time to hang up your dreams.
What I Bring to Your Ceremony
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Professional Excellence
30 years as a lawyer has taught me to be meticulous, reliable, and calm under pressure. When I say I'll be somewhere at 2pm, I mean 1:45pm. When I promise to coordinate with your other suppliers, I actually do it. My legal clients were able to rely on me absolutely – they never had to chase me, and I always delivered. That doesn't change now. Integrity is at my core.
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Life Experience
I'm in my early 60s. I've raised four daughters. I've lived abroad, learned to walk again, run marathons, built a successful career, experienced marriage and divorce, juggled impossible schedules, and generally lived enough life to understand that nothing is simple and life, relationships and emotions are complicated.
Whether we're planning your wedding or your loved one’s funeral, you're not getting someone reading from a script. You're getting someone who genuinely understands life's ups and downs. And cares deeply.
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Empathy and Warmth
My friends describe me as loyal, funny, someone who gives 100%, a great listener, reliable and always there when needed. I genuinely care about making people smile, even (especially) in difficult situations. There's always room for warmth and humanity, even in formal ceremonies.
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Determination
If I can learn to walk again and run marathons with a broken back, I can certainly make sure your ceremony is perfect. I don't do things by halves. Ever.
Why Celebrancy?
Because I want to make people smile in every situation. I want to use my skills – organization, reliability, empathy, public speaking, crafting the magic and beauty of the written word – in a way that makes an actual difference to real people.
Commercial property law doesn't often make people smile. Celebrancy does.
I love being the person families trust with their most important days. I love the privilege of standing with you during life's watershed moments. And I love that I can finally be the master of my own destiny, working with people I genuinely care about, on days that matter the most.
I've got the credentials, the skills, the empathy, and the life experience to deliver an amazing service. Now I want to channel all of that into helping you celebrate your moments – the joyful ones, the difficult ones, and everything in between.
Beyond Ceremonies
When I'm not crafting ceremonies or recovering from legal practice, you'll find me at the gym (it's basically my second home). I also love good food (I’m veggie) and to cook, good company, the theatre, and the fact that Essex gives me both the beautiful great outdoors and easy access to London. Travel is a passion and soaking up cultures and meeting new people keeps me grounded and appreciative of the ups and downs in life.
I'm obsessed with staying fit and strong – partly because I have to be, but mostly because I've learned that resilience is built day by day, and movement is life. We all have our happy place. Maintaining fitness and health is mine.
Let's Create Something Beautiful Together
Whether you're planning months ahead or need a celebrant quickly, whether you know exactly what you want or need help figuring it out – I'm here. Let's have a conversation about your ceremony and how I can help make it memorable for all the right reasons.