A FORMER hotelier has taken a leap of faith and fulfilled her ambition of becoming Knutsford’s first celebrant.

Sue Williamson, 54, of Kestrel Avenue, recently retrained with the Fellowship of Independent Celebrants and launched her new business, Simply Ceremonies.

Mum-of-two Sue wanted to combine her passion for people and writing with her entrepreneurial streak and felt that celebrancy was the right fit.

She said: “To be a part of people’s special occasions and milestones is a great honour and a privilege. It can take a long time in life to find our niche and the more I read about celebrancy the more I felt it fitted me.

“Now I can’t wait to get started and I want to do this until I retire.”

Celebrants are professional officiants who perform ceremonies, such as weddings, funerals, baby-namings and vow renewals.

What sets them apart is that they also provide guidance in the creation of the ceremonies, ensuring that they reflect the beliefs, dreams and values of their clients.

Sue has had a varied working life, from working in advertising to running her own hotel in North Wales, and feels her wealth of experience, both in her professional and personal life, will help her in her new role.

Sue, who is member of Tatton Singers, said: “I don’t think you can be young and do this job. I have two children, I am divorced, I have experienced death of relatives and experienced life; this allows you to have understanding and compassion.

“It’s all about the people – that’s the huge difference of choosing a celebrant. ""If we see someone who has lost a loved one, their grief is very raw, and they are comforted by the fact you are there to talk about the person they lost; their achievements, family, hobbies.

“Everything is about them and we write a service the family see, approve, amend and tweak. With weddings I sit down with the couple and find out their values and beliefs – it’s personal and meaningful and adds an awful lot to the service.”

Sue will perform at ceremonies within a 30 mile radius and ceremonies can be part-religious or non-religious.

As well as offering weddings, funerals, baby-namings and vow renewals, she also performs civil partnerships and traditional Celtic handfasting.

For more information, visit simplyceremonies.co.uk or email sue@simplyceremonies.co.uk.