NORMAN BOWMAN
C E L E B R A N T
Buckinghamshire, UK & beyond
Photo by www.JohnPhillips.london
FOR LIFE. FOR LOVE.
That's as simple as it gets for me as a Celebrant.
To celebrate life & love.
It's both my mission and my passion.
It's who I am & what I do.A Celebrant-led ceremony gives you total freedom to have your event however you want it.With passion, respect & a creative eye I will help you mark your life event
in a truly unforgettable way.
It deserves a bespoke, heartfelt & beautifully delivered ceremony
& I am here to tell you that you needn't compromise
on the Wedding of your dreams or the Life Celebration of
a loved one.Let me help you do this.Just click the heart below & send me a message.
How may I be of service?
CELEBRANT
Originally from Arbroath in Scotland, for twenty seven years I've tread the boards as an actor & singer in productions such as Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!, Cats, 42nd Street, Macbeth, Henry V, King Lear and many more.Once I realised what a Celebrant was, I knew I wanted to be one; enabling, facilitating & celebrating love - through ceremony - resonated profoundly within me.
It hit me that the combination of my passions served the same purpose - making people happy. Years of performance, public speaking, character study, creative writing, a curiosity and interest in people & above all telling wonderful stories have allowed me to achieve that aim with what feels like a natural transition.I trained with The Institute of Professional Celebrants and I'm fully covered for public liability up to £5 million.Any questions? Just click the heart.
Galactic Love Poem read by yours truly.
while you're here...
LOVE
In my time I have been a christian, an agnostic & atheistic but have settled upon a belief in the human spirit & our individual capacity for good, compassion & love.Love is without doubt the fundamental element of all Celebrant led ceremonies & the reason that I wanted to become a Celebrant. I love to help people celebrate love. As such I don't judge & want you to feel comfortable & open enough to be able to express your needs so that we can create something personal & truly memorable. Life is tough but can be better endured with more golden moments found through compassion & love for each other.
"Even after all this time, the Sun never says to the Earth, 'You owe me'.
Look what happens with a love like that. It lights up the whole sky."
Hafiz
FUNERAL
Everyone has a story, and when that story comes to an end the chapter of remembrance begins.
How you choose to say farewell will not only give your nearest & dearest the chance to say goodbye but, as chief mourner, will give you an opportunity to say 'thank you' to your loved one. With respect, compassion, meaningfulness & by combining music, words & any personal touches that convey their spirit, I will help you create a fond farewell, write a heartfelt tribute, or assist you in writing your own eulogy, if required, but also to help bear some of the weight you may feel at such a difficult time.Any questions please get in touch by clicking the heart below.
The Funeral Celebrant Accord 'defines the attributes & skills required of an excellent funeral celebrant & is intended to set the standards by which all celebrants offering funeral services should be measured.'The role of a funeral celebrant is to serve the bereaved & their community by creating & leading a personal, accurate & respectful funeral ceremony.Their work should clearly reflect the life, values & beliefs of the person who has died, acknowledge & give time to their community of family & friends, & create an environment in which the grieving process can be held & supported.'
WEDDING
It's YOUR day so why compromise?
With a civil ceremony you're free to be as bold or as modest as you like: on a beach with a string quartet playing Claire De Lune or in your local pub dressed as Han Solo & Princess Leia, eating fish and chips.
Add rituals such as ring warming or hand fasting. Of exotic heritage? Why not combine traditions from your family cultures?Whatever you decide (not your mother or aunt or best friend), the ceremony is without doubt the beautiful, beating heart of it all. Between us we shall create a unique & unforgettable ceremony which captures your story, your energy & your LOVE. So dream beautifully.I can also help you with your vows, readings, choices of music & help calm those nuptial nerves.So, how does it work? My wedding package is £850 & includes a uniquely created service written & delivered by a fully insured, professionally trained and experienced Celebrant. It also includes unlimited communications until you have the ceremony you desire and up to 50 travel miles. I'm happy to chat and answer any burning questions you have either in person or on Zoom - after all, you need to meet and LIKE the one who's going to be overseeing your beautiful day. You can take all the time you need to decide and then, if you feel I'm the Celebrant for you, a 40% deposit secures the date which remains refundable up until you give me the go ahead to start creating and planning the ceremony.Still have burning questions? Please do get in touch using the contact form or by emailing me on [email protected]
Want some wedding tips? Keep on scrolling down.
Ps. Want to read some yummy reviews - click the tick!
WEDDING TIPS!
Inside info from those who have gone before you....
1
Book a Spa appointment the week before - in the hurly burly of all those preparations make sure you give yourself some 'me' time prior to the big day.2
Pick someone nearby, with a pocket (best man or father), to keep a bottle of water and your lipstick handy.3
Ask the caterer to pack a meal for you both to eat later - chances are you might be too excited to eat or too busy saying hi to everyone. Oh, ask them to save some cake too. You gotta have some sweet treats too.4
Your day will fly by in what will feel like the blink of an eye so be sure to pause and drink in moments from time to time - who's chatting to who, how beautiful everyone looks, which older relatives are slaying it on the dancefloor.5
Make sure you book a Celebrant who listens to your needs, has creative bones, passion and a good sense of what's important. Hint hint.
REVIEWS
WEDDING
There Can be Only One (Celebrant)!
The Bride:
There was something about Norman’s profile that grabbed me. I had to message him. His positive and kind energy was bursting through it and I was not disappointed when he replied.
Norman decided to set up a video call for us and I couldn’t get my camera to work so he could see me and I couldn’t see him. It was actually really funny. He had this in love with love caring sort of vibe and our wedding was that much more brilliant with him as our Celebrant.
My husband and I see Norman as a friend now and we would welcome him to attend any event we have. We built such a report with Norman in such a short time that we actually asked him to join our wedding reception.
No other Celebrant I had spoken to had that spark that Norman has, naturally, he is a confident performer which added to his strength as a Celebrant for us. He was the one and only choice for us. Thank you so much Norman.The Groom:
I knew he was the right man for the job the moment my then Fiancée said she has found OUR celebrant. We are picky people so I knew he must have been special when she said that and he did not disappoint, but far exceeded the high bar we set for him!He was warm, friendly and conducted himself with a confidence that was very reassuring when I met him during the rehearsal.The full breadth of his experience shined through during the actual wedding day. He talked me through the ceremony and helped alleviate any anxiety I had about messing up my part :D. The ceremony itself was spectacular (especially when I saw my bride walking down the aisle to me).Honestly, my wife and I are very happy with the service Norman provided and now feel as though we can count him as one of our dear friends.
- Collet and Kipras Collins
FUNERAL
Norman is a lovely eloquent, kind and sympathetic person.
He made a sad and difficult experience so much easier to cope with.
I would rate him 5+ stars if possible.
- Sheila N
WEDDING
We just got married and had the real honour to have Norman as our Celebrant! What can we say? If you are looking for bespoke, personalised, heartfelt, genuine and truly invested person, he is the guy for you.
He made everything so easy, we had several chats begore hand, and everything we spoke about, was noted, memorised and applied.
Norman has true charisma, all our friends and family adored him!
Its fair to say we did too!
-Kiki & Chris Handford
FUNERALJust wanted to say again thank you for the lovely service you laid on for my lovely Dad.
They all said wow, one of the best funerals they have ever been to...and the way you presented it...
- Sarah P
If you're looking to add that 'extra something' to your life ceremony I have 27 years as a professional singer, predominantly in musical theatre in shows such as Les Mis, Grease, Mamma Mia!, Guys and Dolls, Cats and more - but over the years have sung arias, rock, country, pop, crooner....have voice, will sing!
Perhaps as you walk down the aisle, right after you are declared as wed or for your vow renewals. Perhaps for the funeral service or wake of a loved one.Prices start from £80 for a song that will elevate your ceremony and add that magical touch. Want more songs? Simply enquire for a quote.Click this ole Heart of Mine.
Reach out
No hard sell. No such thing as a silly question. No problem.
Thank you!
I shall respond shortly.