James Amos - Celebrant

25/11/2024

One of the joys of being a civil celebrant is that the wedding celebration ceremony that we put together can be exactly as you want it to be… just like the rest of your day! I love seeing the many different ideas people have for the day… and this caught my eye… comfort food for a winter wedding…?

If you could choose anything for your wedding breakfast, what would you have?

24/11/2024

My heart goes out to all those across South Wales who have been affected by the flooding over these past few days.

Four years ago, when Storm Dennis swept the country, my office in Pontypridd town centre was flooded, nothing was salvegable, and I can still remember my thoughts and feelings at the time.

My thoughts are with you all .

♥️

22/11/2024

It’s a privilige and honour to be able to work with so many wonderful families over the past few years to tell the story of their loved one’s life.

Thank you to all of you who have entrusted ceremonies to my care.

It’s also a real honour to work with the amazing team at Civil Ceremonies Ltd, teaching the next generation of funeral celebrants, helping them to be the best they can be.

Thank you!

It’s HERE! The first ever Funeral Celebrant Day, acknowledging the great work of funeral celebrants across the nation. Please feel free to tag a funeral celebrant below and tell them how fabulous they are, or perhaps you could write an ode or a poem to acknowledge the fantastic work you all do.

We’ll start you off …

A Ode to the Funeral Celebrant,
by Anon in the AOIC office! (Apologies to the poet laureates among you!!)

A family calls, a celebrant hears,
A shoulder to lean on through falling tears,
A gentle unwavering guiding hand,
As a family searches through unfamiliar land.

The celebrant ponders while heading for home,
Considering feelings of those now alone,
Tired and weary they put up their feet,
Content that a busy day is complete.

A family has now laid a loved one to rest,
The celebrant knows they are truly blessed,
A piece of the jigsaw as life finds its end,
To help on the journey a loved one and friend.

15/11/2024

Did you see this on Corrie? I had a good chat with the team at the National Funeral Exhibition… it’s just one of the many choices available to families! Your chosen Funeral Director will always be happy to have a chat about options.

Earlier this month, millions of Coronation Street viewers bid a final farewell to a favourite character as Paul Foreman’s ashes were launched into space and scattered above Earth.

The programme makers worked with NAFD supplier member Aura Flights to film the sequence, using an environmentally- friendly replica of cremated remains, more commonly used by the company for testing purposes.

One of the key benefits of tv programmes like Coronation Street including funeral arrangements in their storylines is the opportunity to spark conversations among families and friends who are watching about their own funeral wishes - to make sure those who will carry out the arrangements are aware of their preferences, and can also express their own needs for how they would want to say goodbye, when the time comes.

11/11/2024

I love weddings, working with couples on their special day!
Most of my work comes from word of mouth which is why I don’t post a lot about it on my social media pages.
I’m always keen to find out about the latest trends and also have the privilige of teaching on the naming and couples course with Civil Ceremonies Ltd!

Because of the amount of work that goes in to making sure a wedding celebration ceremony is just right, things usually go right… though there still those things that take you by surprise…!

Not one of my weddings, but this made me smile!!

01/10/2024

Many congratulations to all the team at Civil Ceremonies Ltd of which I am proud to have been a student and am now a tutor on both the Funeral and (am just about to start!) Naming and Couples Ceremonies courses!

As a student the training is first class and as a tutor we always strive to work with students to help them become the best possible celebrants.

The training isn’t easy (and neither should it be!), but it is the best in the UK, there’s a reason they’ve been around so long….!!

If you’ve thought about becoming a celebrant, there is no other course to compare.

Still Outstanding!

Civil Ceremonies Ltd is delighted to announce that following an Ofsted inspection in August 2024, we have retained our ‘Outstanding’ grading as an Independent Training Provider.

Managing Director Anne Barber said ‘An incredible amount of hard work has gone into the celebrancy courses we offer, over the last 22 years since the company was founded. We were so excited when our first inspection result in 2018 was ‘Outstanding’ and to have retained it on our second inspection is just brilliant. A massive thank you to all our fantastic staff, tutors and assessors who make our training courses so incredibly thorough. Thanks also to all our wonderful learners who work so hard to achieve their qualifications and become amazing celebrants’.

The full report can be seen on this link: https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50258237

For more information about our courses see www.civilceremonies.co.uk, call on 01480 276080 or email [email protected]

12/09/2024

I was asked about this post earlier on today... so I thought I'd explain a little about it.

As a Civil Celebrant, I'm a proud member of the Association of Independent Celebrants, an industry body that looks after celebrants and proudly promotes the work that we do.

Every year, as in many industries, the AOIC, as part of the conference, hold celebrant awards to highlight the work that we do as celebrants. If you have worked with a celebrant for a ceremony - wedding, a celebration of life, funeral, naming ceremony, etc, and you feel they demonstrated outstanding practice, care, and consideration, just fill in the simple form.

There are many wonderful celebrants across the UK, many of whom are members of the AOIC, so wherever you live, if they made a difference, give them a nomination. It would mean the world to them.

A reminder that nominations for this year's AOIC celebrant awards are OPEN, and we can't wait to see your entries!

Perhaps you know an AOIC member who deserves recognition?

Anyone can nominate – fellow celebrants, families and couples, funeral directors, wedding suppliers – anyone who wants to spread the word about a remarkable celebrant.

Nominations will be judged by our patrons and previous winners AOIC, with winners announced at the AOIC Awards Dinner following our members' conference on Saturday, 12th October.

If you know an AOIC celebrant who really deserves this award, please do take two minutes to complete the nomination form on our news page here, or copy and paste this link: https://independentcelebrants.com/aoic-celebrant-awards-2024-nominations-now-open/

Voting closes at 6pm on Friday 20th September 2024.

Good luck everyone!

04/09/2024

A reminder that nominations for this year's AOIC celebrant awards are OPEN, and we can't wait to see your entries!

Perhaps you know an AOIC member who deserves recognition?

Anyone can nominate – fellow celebrants, families and couples, funeral directors, wedding suppliers – anyone who wants to spread the word about a remarkable celebrant.

Nominations will be judged by our patrons and previous winners AOIC, with winners announced at the AOIC Awards Dinner following our members' conference on Saturday, 12th October.

If you know an AOIC celebrant who really deserves this award, please do take two minutes to complete the nomination form on our news page here, or copy and paste this link: https://independentcelebrants.com/aoic-celebrant-awards-2024-nominations-now-open/

Voting closes at 6pm on Friday 20th September 2024.

Good luck everyone!

17/08/2024

A wonderfully generous offer from a very special team in RCT.
Do contact them for more information if this is something you would like to include in a funeral ceremony for your loved one.

Not long after starting Lovey Dovey, doing funeral services taught me about a part of life I new nothing much about.

This little business has connected us to 10s of thousands of people over the years, and for a long time, it's been a goal to provide our services for local funerals and memorials for free.

Memorials such as anniversaries or birthdays.

We aren't yet in that position, but with immediate effect, we are pleased to offer memorial services free of any charge.

These are the terms...

Dove Releases must take place in the Glyntaff or Treforest area. So you come to us.

7 days notice. We can't book anyone in before this time.

The time of the service needs to work in around our commitments, and before dusk.

You will get our full service as if it were paid for.
Poem written for you
Flowers of your choice on the cages, and up to 10 doves to release.

This is for ALL people/ families. You don't need to have booked us in the past.

We reiterate that this is restricted to the terms above, and for us to travel outside the specified area, the full price is applicable.
For now at least.

Hope this gesture will be of use or comfort to our families.

Best wishes
Lynne & Rod

14/08/2024

I’m very proud to tutor with Civil Ceremonies Ltd. A wonderful team and fantastic training!

With kind permission to share from Peter Tobit, we couldn't agree more and exactly why we do what we do too!!

31/07/2024

I love wedding ceremonies!

Working with a couple, getting to know them, being with friends and family on such a special day and telling their story how they want it told.

Every ceremony is special and personal.

I'm often asked by couples, what they could do to make the day even more special for each other? So, I have put together this free ebook to give some helpful hints!

Click on the link below and download your free copy! Do you have any suggestions I could add? Let me know in the comments!

Head over to my website to instantly download your free ebook '6 Ways to Surprise Your Partner On Your Wedding Day'!

28/07/2024

Love this! 😂

25/07/2024

Another lovely review from a ceremony I led in September last year! Thank you for your kind words, it was wonderful to be a part of your special day Sandra and Andy!

---------
James was personable and friendly throughout the process! He made is so easy to plan the wedding and certainly put my mind at rest every time we spoke - I knew we were in safe hands!

The guests at the wedding have been raving about the ceremony, I can't believe how much I cried (in a good way) and laughed throughout the ceremony- and I wasn't the only one!!

---------

Such an amazing day made so much better having James with us!

Thank you!

South Wales Celebrant is an experienced storyteller, broadcaster, and celebrant based out of Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan. James travels nationally and internationally, delivering ceremonies with care and flair. In love with helping individuals

23/07/2024

Planning a wedding in less than 6 months?

Over the past year, I've worked with several couples who have planned their wedding in less than 6 months - it's perfectly possible!

Check out my latest blog post for tips on how to do it: https://wix.to/ztgH8qd

Planning a wedding is a special time but often an overwhelming feat, especially when you're working with a tight timeline. Whether you've decided to tie the knot in under six months due to personal reasons, a sudden burst of excitement, or a special date that holds significant meaning, the prospect....

19/07/2024

It was wonderful to be part of such a special day yesterday! Thank you Powder and Pearls - Wedding Photography and Videography for sharing these wonderful photos of Liam and Katie’s special day!