Check out who our awesome workshop hosts and session leaders are below.
Natasha Johnson (She/her)
As well as being the co-director of the Celebrants Collective, Natasha has been a wedding celebrant for 17 years in the Costa Del Sol, Spain and before that she had a long career at the BBC as a radio reporter and newsreader. Passionate about communicating and engaging audiences through words and energy, Natasha loves to inspire other celebrants to think beyond their ceremony scripts. As well as being a tutor for the Celebrants Collective wedding training course, and mentor for celebrant members, Natasha also co-hosts the Celebrant Survival Podcast with business wife, Claire Bradford. When Natasha isn't celebranting or doing celebrant stuff, you'll find her on her veg patch, walking her dogs or camper vanning around Spain with the family, in their self-built camper!
Photo by The Lovehunters
Claire Bradford (She/her)
Claire came to celebrancy from a varied career path that included being an English teacher, working for the Church of England and a long spell as a life coach. These experiences, coupled with writing for magazines and newspapers, having her own radio show and running a networking group, gave her lots of skill ‘ingredients’ and, when she found out that celebrancy was a thing, she realised it was the just the recipe she’d been looking for!
An award-winning wedding and funeral celebrant, and co-director of the Celebrants Collective, she recently wrote and produced its two flagship celebrant training courses. Claire is also a judge for the prestigious UK Wedding Industry Awards, celebrant category.
In her spare time you can usually find her in the garden or on the sofa with a book and a big cup of tea!
Lonan Jenkins (He/him)
Lonan is an Independent Celebrant and co-runs Rooted Revelry: a London-based events collective. Lonan has been sharing stories professionally for the last six years and set up and co-ran The Embers Collective and Queer'd. Lonan is a storyteller, teacher, performer, writer and workshop facilitator. Narratives, intimacy and human connection are always at the heart of what he does. Lonan has a BSc Degree in Psychology and a MSc Degree in War and Psychiatry. Lonan uses both his qualifications, and his personal experiences of regular psychotherapy, to hold a safe, inclusive space for those sharing their stories, with a therapeutic tone throughout.
Laura Crockett (She/her)
Laura has been an independent celebrant for 4.5 years and absolutely loves it. She feels like she's found her calling and is so excited to keep progressing and growing her business! Laura primarily does weddings, vows and namings but is currently training to do funerals as well. Before Laura was a celebrant she was a breakfast radio presenter which is her *other* best job in the world! Unfortunately the 5am starts didn't work well with a baby so she had to give it up when she had her 2 beautiful baby boys. But they are SO worth it!
At home, she is mummy to Woody (2.5) and Dougie (11 months) and has been married for 6.5 years to Johnathan - he's a primary school teacher and her biggest cheerleader. Laura is also a dog mummy to Betty and Barney the cockapoos! They can often be found curled up by her side when writing scripts or lying by the radiator in the office when she's on couples calls!
Laura's favourite part of a wedding ceremony - the very end of the ceremony when you introduce the couple for the first time before they make their grand exit. The guests go crazy and it gives you such a high!
Her biggest achievement - going from bottom set in PE at secondary school to running the London Marathon in 2019!
Laura's claim to fame - Ed Sheeran once gave her parenting advice!
Jane Blackman (She/her)
Jane is a multi-award-winning humanist celebrant, trained and accredited by the national charity, Humanists UK. She’s been creating and conducting deeply personalised ceremonies since 2014 - having officiated at over 800 ceremonies at the last count.
Following a move to the world of celebrancy from her longstanding career in Education (working as a Headteacher and Education Consultant) her background in teaching students, training adults, public speaking, mentoring and coaching has enabled her to grow a busy and fulfilling celebrant practice whilst also supporting new celebrants, both as a mentor and accreditation observer.
Jane is a full-time celebrant who not only works with couples to devise and deliver beautifully bespoke wedding ceremonies, she also presides over vow renewals, baby namings and life celebrations, memorials and funerals.
Passionate about exceeding expectations and providing couples and families with the very best experience, Jane has won awards for her ceremonies. Among other accolades, she is two times winner of the TWIA (The Wedding Industry Awards) South East of England Regional Awards as well as National Highly Commended and National Winner - Celebrant of The Year.
She has been interviewed on local and national radio about her ceremonies work and was a contributor to ‘The Little Book of Humanist Weddings’, published in 2021 and also, more recently, ‘The Little Book of Humanist Funerals’.
Extremely proud to be asked to join the TWIA judging panel last year, Jane is delighted to be championing and recognising the hard work and dedication of all celebrant colleagues within the wedding industry.
Jamie Walker (She/her)
Whilst Jamie's values of truth-seeking, inclusivity, and integrity are intrinsic to her life and business, it’s the one-of-a-kind love stories and the couples they belong to that keep her work unique.
Inspired by all thing’s country and coastal, Jamie is totally smitten with the walking trails and winding rivers and chalk streams that meander through Norfolk, the county that she calls home, and revels in wedding celebrations across the seasons.
Jamie is drawn to people who appreciate the timeless quality of a wedding ceremony but who are excited to put their own modern twist on it that is special to them.