Advice from a Sheffield Wedding Celebrant
If you’re scouring the internet wondering where to get married, let me stop you right now and point your attention towards England’s Steel City: Sheffield.
Sheffield is such an underrated gem. It tends to get overshadowed by Northern powerhouses Manchester and Newcastle, and closer to home by Yorkshire’s main cities Leeds and York. But hand on heart I can vouch that Sheffield is the greatest city in the North.
A bold claim I know, but you won’t see me backing down. My adopted hometown is simultaneously nicknamed “the big village”, “the outdoor city” and “city of makers”. Basically Sheffield is known for its community spirit, its green rolling hills and its vibrant independent businesses.
It’s beloved by born-and-bred locals as well as graduates who studied at one of the two universities. More recently a flock of Londoners seem to have escaped the Big Smoke and settled here, on the doorstep of the Peak District National Park.
Before I start sounding like the tourist board, let’s get onto what this means for weddings (I am a Sheffield wedding celebrant afterall, so weddings are my area of expertise). Here are three reasons to get married in Sheffield.
Reasons to get married in Sheffield
1. Sheffield wedding suppliers
Sheffield has THE best wedding suppliers. The thriving creative scene in the city means that there is no limit to your choice when building your perfect wedding team. In particular if you’re planning a sustainable celebration, or you’re keen to only book independent businesses, you honestly couldn’t pick a better place.
To help you plan your Sheffield wedding, I’ve included a list of some of my favourites at the end of this article [Skip there now.]
2. Sheffield wedding venues
Get married in the Steel City and you’ll have your pick of so many exceptionally special venues. Think industrial, think heritage, think cosy. These aren’t run of the mill white-tablecloth-and-chair-cover kind of venues. If you want a memorable backdrop for your wedding ceremony, Sheffield is the place.
If you look slightly further afield, there are some venues in the Peak District which are so close they pretty much count as Sheffield. For instance check out Thornbridge Hall and Heathy Lea.
As a Sheffield wedding celebrant, I particularly love these ceremony spaces:
Where? Lantern Theatre
Why? It is moody and dramatic with its proper aisle for grand entrances!
Meg says: I’m biased because the Lantern Theatre is where I married my beloved
Where? The Samuel Worth Chapel
Why? The gothic beauty of a church, without the religious baggage
Meg says: This sweet little chapel is in Sheffield General Cemetery which is a key part of the city’s heritage
Where? Chimney House
Why? Go for the cosy atmosphere, stay for the impeccable customer service
Meg says: The dreamy images on this page are of Chris and Katie’s wedding which took place at The Chimney House
Where? Yellow Arch Studios
Why? This place is the epitome of industrial-chic and has a super cute cobbled courtyard, as well as a bright airy ceremony space
Meg says: Yellow Arch is an active music venue so it's perfect for music lovers. There’s plenty of space for live bands and dancing
3. Sheffield wedding celebrant
Forgive me for the shameless plug, but my third reason to get married in Sheffield is: To work with me of course!
To entice you to get in touch, I’ll just leave my official bio below for you to nosey at...
As a wedding celebrant in South Yorkshire it’s my honour to marry remarkable humans to their favourite people. My style is warm and judgement-free, to encourage couples to be their authentic selves on their wedding day. With me hosting it, your ceremony will be a life affirming experience which celebrates your individuality.
My mission is to help people express themselves fully, and deeply connect with their loved ones during life’s milestone moments. If you want a little piece of this, get in touch my lovelies!
Advice for Sheffield weddings
When Mr Senior and I were engaged, we were living in London but we chose to get married in Sheffield because we love this city. He grew up here, and I first moved here as a student more than 15 years ago now.
I tell you this, because lots of the couples I marry are in a similar situation. As a Sheffield wedding celebrant, of course I work with true locals – people who were born in Jessop Wing and have a tribal connection to either the Blades or the Owls – but I hear from a surprising number of couples who live in London or abroad and are planning their wedding remotely.
If this sounds like you, and you’re keen to have a celebrant wedding in Sheffield, I truly understand the special challenges you’re facing. I’m sure I can help, so I really encourage you to drop me an enquiry. Let's chat about your wedding ceremony.
Sheffield wedding suppliers
And finally, some of the best Sheffield-based wedding suppliers in my humble opinion are listed here. Where I know them well, I’ve added a little note to help you get an idea of their style.
Planning
Jessica Sharpe Weddings and Events – Jess is an award-winning planner (and lucky for me, a personal friend!) She’s insightful and warm, and a totally brilliant person to spend time planning with. The weddings she creates are glamourous, chic and downright magical.
Florals
Bridal style
Kate Beaumont – Bridal Shop
Debbie Carlisle – Hand crafted hair accessories
Food and drink
Triple Point Brewing – For wedding party gifts
Photographers
Becky Payne Photography – Becky is super cool and has a modern style that I’d call Cinematic Romance
Helen Rose Photography – I love Helen’s style which I’d describe as Authentic Cosy Beauty
Nelly Naylor Photography – Nelly specialises in LGBTQ celebrations. I’d describe her style as Technicolour Fun
Stationery
Enormous gratitude to Katie and Chris for sharing the images from their Sheffield wedding ceremony that appear on this page. Their photographer was Sarah Taylor Photo and Film, who is another outstanding local supplier from just up the road in South Yorkshire.