Modern Multicultural Weddings in Bristol, Bath, & the South West

Hello, I’m Juliet Jain, a celebrant based in Bristol (UK). 

Are you the couple who want to reflect your cultural heritage in your wedding ceremony?  If yes, read on!

Whether you want to call it a multicultural wedding or a fusion ceremony I will help you work out how to blend traditions, rituals and customs with the visual aesthetic and the music you love.

Your celebrant led wedding ceremony might one of a series of ceremonies, or you might be looking for a way of bringing the essence of one or more cultures into one ceremony. 

The important part is finding what is right for the two of you in creating your dream wedding day.

To make your day exceptional, we will spend a lot of time talking through ideas for the ceremony content and how to use the ceremony space. 

For some people it is easier to think about the visual look of the ceremony (the colours and décor) rather than the words.  That’s where my expertise comes in, with a little bit of nosiness!  You will tell me about yourselves, your relationship, and your hopes and dreams.  Then the magic happens; I create the ceremony around who you are.

I will get you to think about different elements of the ceremony too.  For example, how do you want to symbolically demonstrate your commitment to each other?  Do you want to exchange rings, a necklace or garlands?  Are there specific rituals that you want to include relating to your cultural or religious background?  Do you want to say individual promises to each other in front of your family and friends?

So, there is a lot of preparation that goes on before we agree the final script.  That usually happens around 4-6 weeks before the wedding day.  Rest assuered there won’t be any surprises (unless you specifically ask for one).

It is often useful to have a practice walk through before the wedding to help you feel secure about where and when you are sitting or standing, the entrance and the exit.

On your wedding day, I arrive early, check out the venue, chat to other suppliers, and deal with any last minute issues, and then quietly leave after the ceremony before you get involved with the photos and party.

I will travel to venues outside of Bristol, as long as I can do it sustainably and cost effectively for your budget.  Let me know where your venue location, and the proposed date, when making your booking enquiry.

Why might you want to choose me to create and lead your wedding ceremony?

I think it is all about finding connection with you, the shared interests and attitudes to the world.

Clearly I am interested in different cultural traditions and rituals from around the world, or I wouldn’t be focusing on multicultural weddings!  I had an Indian stepfather and have attended many Indian weddings (Jain, Hindu and Muslim) over the years.  Several of my friends have married people from across Europe and I loved discovering how traditional elements come into the celebrations from breaking copious amounts of glass in Poland to chopping wood and sewing on buttons in Czech.  My New Zealand father gave me and my husband jade necklaces at our wedding, the exchange of which is part of Māori culture.

The last couple of years have seen me learning Spanish again.  I would love to become a fluent speaker one day.  A very long time ago I worked in Madrid as an English teacher.  However, my initial motivation for learning Spanish back in the ‘90s came through learning to dance flamenco in London.  While I was in Madrid teaching English, I spent my evenings learning to dance flamenco at a studio called Amor de Dios.

While I’m not regularly dancing flamenco these days, I still do other dancing such as ballet for fun.  Recently, I’ve dragged my husband back to Ballroom and Latin classes, which we started in those distant days before the children arrived.  

Before I became a celebrant I worked in a university as a researcher and lecturer for over 20 years, which developed my writing and public speaking skills.  My research mainly looked at time use on the move, and I also worked on sustainable transport projects.  It is probably unsurprising that I choose to travel by public transport, cycle or walk wherever possible to reduce my personal impact on the environment.  

Nowadays my writing is focused on my celebrant ceremonies and personal writing projects.  I’m working on a memoir, playing with a historical fiction idea, and have a go at poetry every so often. One day I might get a book published!

Sometimes I spend days in the garden cultivating vegetables and evenings sewing or crocheting while listening to Radio 4, other times I have my nose in a novel or memoir. 

I’m a twins mum too, with another single child; all three are young adults making their way in the world now.  Meanwhile, Arnie the tabby cat keeps a watchful eye on us all and occasionally lets us have a careful stroke.  He inspired my poem ‘Devil Cat’, and Google pics keeps making ‘purrr-fect’ cat compilations from copious cat snaps.

Now you know a little bit about me, and what I offer my wedding couples, you can send me a message, or give me a ring, to tell me about your wedding plans and discuss making your multicultural wedding booking with me.