Mark Your Occasion

Mark Your Occasion Mark Your Occasion | Celebrant, Entertainer and Master of Ceremonies

Providing bespoke celebrancy,

I will be hosting the stage at this weekend with . I'll also have a stand there, and there will be hundreds of incredib...
16/01/2025

I will be hosting the stage at this weekend with . I'll also have a stand there, and there will be hundreds of incredible wedding suppliers there to aid you in your wedding decision-making processes.

So if you're getting married soon, get yourself to Huddersfield this Sunday for the Big Wedding Show!

How lovely it was yesterday to receive this lovely card in the mail from Ella, whose 90th birthday I performed at before...
07/01/2025

How lovely it was yesterday to receive this lovely card in the mail from Ella, whose 90th birthday I performed at before Christmas. I had great fun pretending to be the Hotel Manager and bossing everyone around, as if I knew what I was doing! Ella kept asking me, even after I’d performed, whether I was actually the Hotel Manager, because she couldn’t believe what a good job I had done (or at least appeared to have done!)

I was honoured to be part of your big day, Ella, and I hope you’ll keep going strong into your 91st year!

2 0 2 4 – G O A L – A C H I E V E D🥅 At the start of 2024, I set myself a goal to get more direct bookings. What does th...
31/12/2024

2 0 2 4 – G O A L – A C H I E V E D

🥅 At the start of 2024, I set myself a goal to get more direct bookings. What does that mean?
🥅 Essentially, I wanted to shift the focus from paid leads to unpaid leads, by optimising my website and using word of mouth and repeat bookings to lower my advertising costs, and thus increase profit.
🥅 An 'indirect booking', for the purposes of my analysis, was any booking that I had to pay to secure. This ranged from various wedding fayres through to events websites such as and , and any local directories or leaflets I've paid to be advertised in.
🥅 A 'direct booking', conversely, was anything that came directly to me through 'unpaid' avenues, such as my website (via a Google search), email marketing, social media, or through repeat bookings and/or word of mouth.
🥅 And yes, I understand that I do pay for website hosting, but for the purposes of this analysis I considered it to be a direct booking.
🥅 I have been amazed at how much the hard work I put into the website at the end of 2023 and the start of 2024 has paid off. As the year went on, I found myself relying less and less on indirect methods of securing bookings, and more and more busy with bookings that were coming straight into my inbox.
🥅 There is still work to do – I actually did fewer weddings in total this year than last year, and exactly the same number as last year (7) came from direct bookings, so no real improvement there. And people coming to me directly for live music is more-or-less the same – 15 in 2023 compared to 14 in 2024.
🥅 But there are some real triumphs – in 2023, I only had one direct booking as a funeral celebrant. This year, I had 7, meaning people are not only casting the net a bit wider when planning their funerals, but also finding me as a result more often, and choosing me for who I am, rather than simply as a recommendation from a Funeral Director. , Kate and Kate, you'll be proud of me for that!
🥅 What next for 2025? Onwards and upwards! (I hope!)

Merry Christmas from mine to yours! I’m off work until the New Year, so see you in 2025!
24/12/2024

Merry Christmas from mine to yours! I’m off work until the New Year, so see you in 2025!

All set and ready to go here at the venue here in . We’re here celebrating the best of at their annual awards evenin...
11/12/2024

All set and ready to go here at the venue here in . We’re here celebrating the best of at their annual awards evening. Entertaining us will be The Hi-Fi Club and some guy called Mark is the MC for the evening. Looks like a cool guy I guess…

Good luck to all the finalists, and let’s have a fantastic night!

Heading to Manchester this evening to host and present the annual awards evening. Good luck to everyone involved, and h...
11/12/2024

Heading to Manchester this evening to host and present the annual awards evening. Good luck to everyone involved, and hoping you get as excited as I was in this picture when you find out that you've won!

Mark Your Occasion hit a MAJOR milestone last night. For four years now, since founding the business in September 2020, ...
06/12/2024

Mark Your Occasion hit a MAJOR milestone last night.

For four years now, since founding the business in September 2020, Mark Your Occasion has been just little ol’ me. And I like it that way – when you have your own business, and your own way of doing things, it can be hard to give up control to others once the business starts growing.

But recently I have seen a large uptick in requests for corporate social nights, and especially for quiz nights. So I set out on a mission to find other quizmasters that could represent the Mark Your Occasion brand in the right way.

So last night, while I was entertaining at a small corporate Christmas retreat at (pictured), the wonderful James was in Leeds testing the knowledge of the employees of a slightly larger company – of almost 150! Nothing like being thrown in at the deep end!

So, Mark Your Occasion, while it will always be predominantly me, is now officially, occasionally, some just as fantastic other people as well.

Onwards and upwards!

to one of my first weddings, and my first bilingual wedding, for Ajit and Eileen in July 2021! This amazing photo from...
03/12/2024

to one of my first weddings, and my first bilingual wedding, for Ajit and Eileen in July 2021! This amazing photo from has become an iconic picture that features on much of my marketing, both on and offline. What a stunning EVERYTHING there was here – the venue , the setting, the dress and the suit... Just everything in perfect taste and balance.

Don't forget, if you're an international couple looking for a bilingual ceremony, I can do them in German, French, Ukrainian, Dutch, and can say more than few words in some other languages too!

CAPTION COMPETITION!What could I possibly be singing? Apart from just "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"Best answer gets ...
02/12/2024

CAPTION COMPETITION!

What could I possibly be singing? Apart from just "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Best answer gets 10% off a booking for January and February 2025.

Go!

The winning team at yesterday’s Christmas quiz night! I must say they all looked rather fetching in their brand new fes...
29/11/2024

The winning team at yesterday’s Christmas quiz night! I must say they all looked rather fetching in their brand new festive glasses. And with a score of 51/55, I must say they did a very impressive job. Next year will be a little bit harder!

"WHY AREN'T YOU STANDING AT THE FRONT?"This is a question I occasionally get asked when I show a selection of wedding ce...
27/11/2024

"WHY AREN'T YOU STANDING AT THE FRONT?"

This is a question I occasionally get asked when I show a selection of wedding ceremony photos to friends, family, and couples. It's a good question, to which I have three answers:

1️⃣ By going into the audience, you ensure that the couple turn and face you at certain moments of the ceremony, which in turn, means that the guests aren't just looking at the back of their heads for the entire duration! I mean, I know the hair and make-up artists did a cracking job, but if I were a guest, I'd like to see the couples' faces and reactions!
2⃣ By going into the audience, you automatically ensure that the guests are engaged and feel a part of the ceremony. By going down the aisle (and occasionally round the sides), you can address certain people when they're mentioned, or just make those sitting on the back row feel just as special and valued as those sitting at the front.
3⃣ By going into the audience, you emphasise the special moments. While I roam the ceremony area during the story of my couples, I return to the front for the ring exchange and to ask each person to say 'I do', which highlights the impact of these key moments within the ceremony. (Of course, I scuttle off to the side for the vows and the kiss, because the last thing you need in your wedding photos is your celebrant gurning behind you as you have your first kiss!)

What are your thoughts on roaming celebrants?

Hosting the . The camera loves me!..right? 🤣
25/11/2024

Hosting the . The camera loves me!
..right? 🤣

I N – A C T I O N !How can you sum up what a person like me does for a living? Well, I think this picture does a pretty ...
20/11/2024

I N – A C T I O N !

How can you sum up what a person like me does for a living? Well, I think this picture does a pretty good job.

Suit? ✔️
Bow tie? ✔️
Microphone? ✔️
Cue cards? ✔️

This specific event was an awards night, but it could just easily have been a catwalk, wedding fair, corporate quiz, charity event, or another of the many events I've hosted over the past year.

I don't usually need cue cards for live music, and I usually use a script for wedding ceremonies, but I offer those, too, by the way. 😉

If you need any of these things, I would love to hear from you. Because I love providing them.

Photo:

So apparently, this is the face I pull when I'm trying to 'big up' the raffle prizes at a big corporate awards event! 🤣🤣...
14/11/2024

So apparently, this is the face I pull when I'm trying to 'big up' the raffle prizes at a big corporate awards event! 🤣🤣

Following the presentation of the awards, I was on hand to give out the raffle prizes, and apparently I got a little carried away in my role as 'person who goes around showing everybody what the raffle prizes are like'. (Is there a technical term for this role?)

Thanks to CIHT for having me last week – it was a fun night, and there are a TON of awesome photos that will be winding their way onto the website and socials over the coming days and weeks.

Once again I am an tonight! Here at the in Leeds for the .uk awards for Yorkshire and the Humber! Excited to celebrat...
08/11/2024

Once again I am an tonight! Here at the in Leeds for the .uk awards for Yorkshire and the Humber! Excited to celebrate the successes of various people and businesses in the highways and transport sector! Good luck to everyone!

Secret policemen with tonight. Whacked out the acting skills and tried to arrest the birthday girl for her fourth speed...
02/11/2024

Secret policemen with tonight. Whacked out the acting skills and tried to arrest the birthday girl for her fourth speeding infringement within a year! Great fun and we didn’t break character once! (Until we started singing, of course!)

Always fun working with new people. Thanks for being a pleasure to work with, Els!

Quizzing tonight at for James and Rachel’s pre-wedding drinks night, before they tie the knot tomorrow! Music, film, ge...
25/10/2024

Quizzing tonight at for James and Rachel’s pre-wedding drinks night, before they tie the knot tomorrow! Music, film, geography, history, general knowledge, and more! What specialist subject would you pick for your wedding quiz?

5 – R E A S O N S – W H Y...Five reasons why a corporate quiz night is the perfect work social event:😄 It’s Fun for Ever...
22/10/2024

5 – R E A S O N S – W H Y...

Five reasons why a corporate quiz night is the perfect work social event:

😄 It’s Fun for Everyone!
Whether your colleagues are trivia buffs, casual guessers, or just there for the snacks, quiz nights have something for everyone. There’s no awkward physical activity or uncomfortably forced mingling – just good, clean (and sometimes competitive) fun!

⛸ It’s the Ultimate Icebreaker
Got a few new hires? Or maybe there’s someone in the team who always flies under the radar? When everyone’s scratching their heads trying to remember what year Back to the Future came out, suddenly you’re all in the same boat.

🧵 It Can Be Tailored To Your Team
Not every office is the same, so why should your corporate quiz night be a cookie-cutter affair? Whether your team is into pop culture, sport, general knowledge, or a niche subject only they would get, a quiz can be tailored to fit your team.

😁 It Boosts Morale
Let’s face it – we all need a bit of a morale boost every now and then. And what better way to lift spirits than with a night full of laughs, lighthearted competition, and maybe the odd surprise win?

📉 It’s Low Effort and Low Costs, but with a Big Payoff
Corporate events can quickly become expensive, but a quiz night offers high-energy fun without breaking the bank. It’s a budget-friendly way to give everyone a memorable night, and the true value comes from the experience, not an extravagant venue or pricey catering.

Need a host? You know where I am.

Address

14 Green Lane, Addingham
Ilkley
LS290JH

Telephone

+447928829773

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What is Mark Your Occasion?

I will happily answer any questions you have whenever I’m available. Feel free to drop me a Facebook message, an email on [email protected], a WhatsApp message to +447928829773, or give me a call. If I’m free, I’ll answer. If I’m not I won’t! But I will get back to you as soon as I can. I look forward to hearing from you, and starting this memorable journey together!