Fern and Fable Ceremonies

18/06/2026

If you ever have to plan a funeral, this is what the process of working with a celebrant is likely to look like. The most important takeaway from this is that we are here, just like your funeral director, to support you throughout.

15/06/2026

Last week, I visited the National Funeral Exhibition in Warwickshire, where I discovered the incredible range of products and services available to families seeking to create a personal and meaningful farewell for their loved one.

From coffins grown from mushrooms to ashes scattered by drone, the options are extraordinary.

I've written a blog post sharing everything I discovered, including some resources for those facing the task of arranging a funeral, and some important information about bereavement support. I hope you find it helpful.

Innovation at the National Funeral Exhibition

04/06/2026

I'm delighted to share that Fern and Fable has been handpicked to be featured on the homepage of The Celebrant Directory for the next two weeks: https://www.thecelebrantdirectory.com/

My full listing is live now, including the kinds of ceremonies I create, who I love working with, and how to get in touch if you'd like to talk about your own ceremony.

Thank you to The Celebrant Directory for choosing me 🥰

#1 site for personalising your ceremony & finding your ideal celebrant and celebrant inspired venue

03/06/2026

If you're bisexual and you've ever felt like your identity was somehow cancelled out by your relationship, this one's for you.
I see you 🫶🏻
Happy Pride Month!

🌈

01/06/2026

This is a story about a CrossFit class, a phone call, and an envelope on my doormat.

Bear with me 🫠

It was a Tuesday morning at the gym. We were practicing Sn**ch. I hate Sn**ch.

(This is relevant, I promise.)

After the session, I noticed that I had a missed call from my main client. But it was my day off.

I rang back.

They were letting all of their freelance writers go, including yours truly.

I had a month left.

I had been training to become a celebrant because I’d lost faith in the content I was creating. And I’d made my peace with the fact that it wasn’t my calling. But I liked these people. And I wasn’t ready – financially, practically, or in terms of confidence – to launch Fern and Fable. Not yet.

So, I drove home scared.

When I got there, I found an envelope on my doormat from The Academy of Modern Celebrancy. Inside was a certificate and a name badge for passing my funeral celebrant course.

I stood in my hallway, still in my gym kit, certificate in hand. And I thought: oh. I can actually do this now. I can be there for people on their darkest day. I can help them celebrate everything that made their person extraordinary. This is real.

Some people don’t believe in signs, but I do. And I definitely believe in this one.

Fern and Fable is open.

I’m ready now.

Find out more at fernandfableceremonies.co.uk

27/05/2026

What is a funeral celebrant and how do they differ from religious officiants?

26/05/2026

Every celebrant has their ‘why’. Here’s mine.

I started out as a playwright.

There is nothing quite like the experience of writing something for people to perform to a live audience. Watching your words land and feeling the buzz of excitement when they win a wave of laughter (I’m a comedy gal).

Then I discovered features writing and found something else I enjoyed; finding the story in people and situations and shaping it into something worth reading.

But somewhere along the line, I got pulled into something else entirely.

Optimised content. Strategic content. Thought leadership content. Content that exists, if I’m honest, for content’s sake. I’d gone from writing things that made people feel something to writing things that made companies look busy.

One day I stopped and asked myself… does any of this actually matter?

Using words to help businesses sell things was not my calling. I just needed to figure out what was. Luckily, someone I loved suggested celebrancy, and it got me thinking.

Over the years, I’ve lost three of my friends, all much too young. The celebrants at their funerals were a godsend. They made the unbearable a little more bearable.

And then there were the weddings. The ones where the couple threw out the rulebook and created something unmistakably ‘them’. Their celebrants shared in that joy, telling stories that made us all laugh (and cry). I wanted to do that, too.

So, I became a celebrant. I created Fern and Fable for people who want their ceremony to feel like it was tailor made for them, whoever they are, whoever they love, and whatever they believe.

From weddings to funerals, I’m here to help you navigate life’s biggest moments. If any of this sounds like I’m your kind of celebrant, I’d love to hear from you. Just send me a message or book a meeting in my calendar: https://fernandfableceremonies.co.uk/contact/

21/05/2026

The Quaich ceremony is one of my favourite symbolic rituals for a wedding. And, yes, I did a Scottish accent on camera.

No notes.

Want to include a meaningful symbolic moment in your ceremony? This might be it!

20/05/2026

Ever wondered what it takes to qualify as a wedding celebrant? Turns out it's a lot of studying, two carefully crafted scripts, and friends who will help you stage an entire ceremony in your living room!

Here's a peek behind the scenes 🌿

And for those looking to become celebrants too, I studied with The Academy of Modern Celebrancy.

18/05/2026

Hi, I’m Emma. I’m a wedding and funeral celebrant based in Manchester. I create story-led ceremonies for people who refuse to be ordinary.

Here are ten very serious, very important facts to help you get to know me 😉

1. I grew up outside, trying to befriend animals and ‘bagging Munros’ in Scotland with my family. Now, I find my spirituality in the natural world. It's where Fern and Fable came from.

2. Sports have always been my thing, from a brief stint as a ski instructor, to years playing hockey as a goalkeeper. Short girl. Big energy.

3. Now, I spend a lot of my time being painfully average at CrossFit and getting overtaken by buggy-pushing parents at Parkrun. I’ve made my peace with it.

4. I read voraciously. It’s either smutty fantasy or gripping psychological thriller. There is no in between.

5. I grew up on metal, emo, and punk rock. Also, inexplicably, Sheryl Crow.

6. I have six tattoos. All animals. This feels on brand.

7. I live with Gretchen, a cat who is rude, and Frankie, a house rabbit who is also rude – even to me, her biological mother.

8. I play Dungeons and Dragons. My current character is Reginald Cuckholder, a Tabaxi Ranger whose voice is Bear Grylls but ten times posher and considerably louder.

9. I am a passionate advocate for the Oxford Comma.

10. I love dressing to a theme and will absolutely do this for your ceremony on request.

If you’ve made it this far and you like the sound of me (you weirdo), I think we’re going to get on very well.

If you’d like to find out more, visit my website or send me a message.

All folks welcome, always 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️