Lynsey Mallinson
I’m an authorised civil celebrant, a qualified and experienced civil celebrant (NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Celebrancy: Naming and Couples (RQF)) and funeral celebrant (Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy), able to create and conduct a whole range of ceremonies for special occasions.
I can deliver legal civil marriage and conversion to marriage ceremonies as well as a variety of non legal couple and naming ceremonies and civil funerals or celebration of life ceremonies.
As a former BBC journalist, I’m a skilled public speaker and copywriter and every ceremony I deliver is professionally written and conducted.
Whether you want something simple or traditional or something more unusual and quirky, I can help you plan a ceremony individual to you, so it’s exactly how you want it to be.
My vision
To create ceremonies that truly reflect the people they celebrate — filled with meaning, emotion and individuality. Every ceremony should tell a story that feels authentic, personal and memorable.
My Ethos
To listen, understand and craft bespoke ceremonies that honour each couple’s or family’s wishes and values, ensuring every moment is professionally written, beautifully spoken and genuinely heartfelt.
Ceremonies I offer
Celebration of life
A celebration of life, or a civil funeral, is an alternative to a more traditional funeral service incorporating a little, or no, religion, or other spiritual and symbolic elements, as desired.
Couple ceremonies
I can conduct a range of ceremonies for you and your partner.
Legally, I can marry you through a civil marriage, or conversion to marriage ceremony and I can also deliver non legal civil partnership, commitment (a public declaration of life-long commitment, love and dedication between two people) or vow renewal ceremonies.
Spiritual ceremonies
If you’re seeking something more nature-based and Pagan-like, I’m qualified to conduct spiritual civil ceremonies incorporating the earth’s elements to represent different parts of a couple’s relationship.
Explore the range of ceremonies available — each designed to reflect your story.
My ceremonies
The civil ceremonies I offer are driven by your wishes, beliefs and values and I’ll work with you in order to make your occasion as personal and memorable as it can be.
Content can be finely tailored to match your wishes and I’ll prepare a script for you to review beforehand. Each ceremony is unique to you and your occasion and can be made up of as many different components as you’d like.
You may want something nature-based, spiritual and more Pagan-like, you might want some religious content and you may not. Music might feature, as well as other symbolic actions such as hand fasting, candle lighting, sand pouring, tree planting, or balloon releasing. Poetry and readings can be included and read by me, family members or friends or prepared by you for me to read on your behalf.
With the exception of churches, chapels, synagogues and mosques, civil ceremonies can be held wherever you want (as long as you have permission) at a private home, indoors or outdoors.
Civil marriage or conversion to marriage ceremonies need to be held at the Office of the Superintendent Registrar or at a venue with an approved marriage licence. There are also more specific requirements for these legal ceremonies in terms of how and when these take place but I can guide you through the finer details.
Testimonials
"The service was excellent; it was written beautifully and your public speaking was excellent also!
Thank you so much for everything. You went over and beyond for us and I am truly grateful."
"Her style, attitude and kindness is second to none, I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone."
"We had such a magical day. No one had been to a naming ceremony and all said how lovely the ceremony part was and so many people told us how good you were."
"Just a heartfelt thank you for being so wonderful in delivering the wedding of my daughter and son in law’s dreams. The whole ceremony was just lovely and it was ``the loveliest day`` - you were an integral part in making that happen."
“You were amazing, everybody mentioned you … how lovely you were and your voice too.”
“We were so fortunate that you could lead the service for us. It was perfect”
"You were extremely professional and the delivery of the service couldn't have gone any better, your attention to detail and caring nature and words shined through."
"The service was just lovely, we had a perfect day."
"It could not have been more perfect! You absolutely nailed it! Your advice and patience has been really appreciated."
"Thank you so very very much for making our wedding celebration so wonderful."
"The highlight will always be our beach celebration and our friends and family still speak of it every time we meet them. Thank you for making it so special and personal!"
"Our ceremony was perfect and so many people have commented how lovely and personal it was."
"Many comments were made regarding her professionalism, she knows exactly what to say and makes everyone feel relaxed, brilliant."
"From our first meeting Lynsey conducted herself in the most professional manner imaginable whilst offering a warm and comforting empathy with the family."
"It was both refreshing and comforting to have a younger celebrant. She delivered mum’s life story like she knew her and was so professional."
"So many people have commented on how much they enjoyed his farewell. Your heartfelt natural is something very precious."
"The choice of words and the eulogy you put together, which we added to, made the service personal and really captured her"
"A beautifully delivered 'our story;' thank you for making our wedding day so special, personal and unique to us."
"Thank you so much for the celebration of life service which you conducted for my husband, Barry, with great empathy. It was both comforting and inspiring and I have had only complimentary comments from many who attended."
“It was a beautiful service and we had lots of compliments about it and how well it reflected mum’s personality… Thank you for everything you did and really capturing mum in the service. Thank you for being so kind in this difficult situation”
“Thank you for the service. It was very moving and heartfelt. I so very much appreciated your leading of it. I think there were about 50 friends and colleagues there, some I haven't seen for a while and they all said that they enjoyed the service, very fitting and a good send off and one that G would have appreciated.”
“Everything went brilliantly, it couldn't have been a better service. Everyone who was there expressed what a lovely service it was to say goodbye to mum. Many, many thanks for your carefully chosen words and the manner in which you conducted the service.”
“It was an emotional day yesterday, but made considerably easier by your wonderful service. Everyone has said that it couldn’t have gone better. Thanks again for your invaluable input.”
“Thank you so much for putting together such a lovely service for our Mum, yesterday, and for communicating our thoughts so well. Your presentation made it very personal to Mum, it was a really lovely tribute to her, and very much appreciated by us and everyone who attended. Your help throughout made a difficult time much easier for us.”
“I felt that it was all very up beat, if a funeral ever can be, and most people left in a positive frame of mind. Thanks again for helping make it as pleasant an experience as it could be.”
“The service went well and everyone complimented how well you led it. You were 100% the right choice to support us in saying goodbye to mum.”
“We all wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the support, kindness, respect you showed while helping us to arrange our Dad’s celebration of his life. You are a true professional, which clearly shows.”
“Thank-you so much for the warm but fully professional way you conducted Hilary's funeral. The boys and I were much comforted with the way the whole thing was handled.” David
“The ceremony was perfect. I thought you were totally professional, respectful and, sensitive in your delivery. You were just great”
“Your words and direction during the service were lovely and just right for us. We all know mum would have been very pleased with how it all went.”
“I wished to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking my husband’s service yesterday. Your pace, serenity and presence helped us through the ceremony. Thank you for your guidance, time and support. I wanted this last act of love to be right. He is now at peace. We will be forever grateful”
“You struck exactly the right tone and even if one didn’t know A, from your words you painted an accurate picture.”
“Many of my friends from overseas, including the USA, have expressed how wonderful the whole service was from start to finish. Without your input and guidance and your contribution and delivery it would have been a very different experience. You are an exceptional lady and I thank you for being you.”
“I think that you lead a beautiful service and I am so glad that we were recommended to approach you. You brought an aura of calmness to everything and that certainly helped me focus when I started the poem. Dad would have loved it all.”
“Quite a few people commented on the sensitivity you showed, it was much appreciated by our family.”
“The service was beautiful, so many people said how much they felt L's presence in the words and the songs, in how you spoke, read the poems and how you conducted the service.”
“I wanted to convey our thanks to you and for all your and patience leading up to mum’s farewell, you've been wonderful. So many people commented on how fantastic you were - setting just the right tone.”
“Thank you so much for doing the service you made it beautiful. The words you shared and the way you shared them were perfect. The boys did so well I don't know how they managed to get through it and it’s so lovely how you looked after them. For doing something so difficult we can't thank you enough.”
“You were incredible. Everyone said how lovely the ceremony was and there’s largely down to you with your beautiful words and guiding us.”