I listen
Your first conversation is unhurried and without obligation.
About David
A calm, experienced presence when it matters
I am an independent celebrant based in Hardwicke, Gloucester, creating warm and personal ceremonies across Gloucestershire and the South West.
Read my story
Experience centred on people
Thirty years of listening, organising and helping important occasions run smoothly
Before becoming a celebrant, I spent 30 years working in the hospitality and events sector. It was a career built around people, careful preparation and attention to the details that make an occasion feel right.
That experience taught me how to listen carefully, communicate with people from every background and remain calm when an important occasion needs to run smoothly. Those qualities are at the heart of the way I now work with families.
I take time to understand the person being remembered and the people who knew them. I then bring the stories, memories, music and readings together into a ceremony that feels coherent, honest and personal.
Independent and inclusive
Your beliefs, your choices
I work independently and am accredited by Humanists UK. My accreditation provides the reassurance of recognised training and professional standards, while my independent approach gives families the freedom to choose what is right for them.
A ceremony can be entirely non-religious or include a hymn, prayer, reading or family tradition that holds meaning. I do not impose a fixed format or belief. The person, their story and the wishes of those closest to them remain at the centre.
View my Humanists UK celebrant profile
Away from ceremonies
Time outdoors and space to reflect
I have strong roots in Gloucester and Gloucestershire. Away from my work, I enjoy country walking and longer hikes along the coast, often with the dogs. These quieter moments offer space to reflect and to appreciate the people, places and experiences that shape our lives.
Sport was an important part of my younger years. I still value the companionship, shared purpose and sense of belonging it can create.
Together, these experiences have shaped the way I work as a celebrant: warmly, practically and with a genuine interest in people and their stories.
I prepare
Every detail is considered and the complete ceremony is written for you.
I support
You receive calm, clear guidance before and throughout the ceremony.
Begin with a conversation
Tell me what matters to you
If you are arranging a funeral, celebration of life, natural burial or ashes ceremony, you are welcome to contact me for an initial conversation without obligation.