about catherine
Catherine Kentridge, Wedding Officiant & Celebrant
Catherine was educated in England (Oxford), but has spent many happy years in Canada. She is licensed to conduct wedding ceremonies all over Ontario and a member of the Association of Independent Celebrants in the UK.
With a deep respect for and openness to different personal beliefs, cultures and traditions, Catherine loves to weave these different elements together into a harmonious and profoundly meaningful ceremony that reflects who the couple are.
As a trained soprano, a professional storyteller and writer, and an experienced actor, with an elegant English accent, she is able to use these skills to help put people at their ease and lead a ceremony that will be a beautiful lifetime memory for you.
In addition to wedding ceremonies, Catherine creates beautiful customised celebrant ceremonies including:
- Vow renewal Ceremonies
- Baby Naming Ceremonies
- Memorial Ceremonies
- Celebration of Life Ceremonies
Multilingual & Multi-Denominational
Besides English, Catherine speaks fluent French and Italian and can conduct completely bilingual ceremonies in these languages. Over the years, at the couple’s request, she has also included elements of Spanish, German, Czech, Russian, Hebrew, Cantonese, Portuguese and Afrikaans. She is also really happy to include words or greetings in the language of your choice (as long as they are transliterated and she gets some help with pronunciation, if needed!).
Complex or Simple Weddings
From beaches to ballrooms, some couples require a high level of involvement with family or the inclusion of multiple languages in their ceremony. You may need complex arrangements or more behind-the-scenes consultations. Catherine will discuss what is involved beforehand so that time is scheduled for this and your ceremony is carefully crafted and polished with the personal vows, and selected elements such as special readings, that will reflect you and tell your story.
Celebrant Ceremonies in the UK
Many Canadian couples are choosing to elope and have a private intimate celebrant wedding ceremony on a special holiday in the UK, before returning to Canada for a bigger, legal wedding in front of family and friends.
Canadian anniversary couples are also renewing their vows on a special holiday in the UK and many Canadian families also like to celebrate with family and friends in the UK with baby naming, vow renewal or celebration of life ceremonies across the pond.
Catherine conducts celebrant ceremonies in the UK as well as across Canada and because celebrant ceremonies are not legally binding, they can take place, any time, any place, anywhere. Whether you choose a simple or elaborate affair Catherine Kentridge will work with you to create a beautiful ceremony that marks the start of the next stage of your journey together or as a family, and a memory to treasure for always.
We were looking to find an officiant who would make our wedding ceremony be special, be unique, grab the attention of our guests, and most importantly speak to our hearts. Catherine was the perfect choice! Side-note… we asked Catherine to announce an extra surprise to our guests… that we were expecting a child! We trusted her that much, that we knew she would deliver this news with the perfect touch-- The crowd roared! Thank you Catherine for contributing so beautifully to one of the best days of our lives
The memories of our wedding day will forever be a reminder of our love for each other. We were happy that you could provide us the opportunity to share our love with our guests in such an intimate ceremony.
You were fantastic and the ceremony was absolutely magical. We couldn't have picked a better person to conduct it with such warmth and sincerity.
Thank you once again for delivering such a perfect ceremony on Saturday!! You have no idea how many people approached us and were raving about how wonderful you were!
Thanks again for taking the time to meet with us at such a late hour! We both felt that you were a perfect fit for us, even after a quick 30 minute chat. We loved your energy, your knowledge, and your beliefs/attitudes towards the wedding day. You have the perfect blend of formality and lightheartedness that we were looking for (and your love of cats sealed the deal!).
Your German was flawless and my family was highly impressed!
You took the happy and the sad stories about our son and wove them into a beautiful ceremony.
Thank you for the eloquent and comforting celebration of life service. You made us feel you’d been a dear friend of our beloved mother.
Hiring you to perform the ceremony is the best decision we’ve ever made!
After our wedding, so many people commented on how wonderful you were. You kept it interesting and fun and you were everything we could have possibly hoped for in an officiant.
People really enjoyed the way you told our story and your French was bang on!
Catherine was so wonderful that we’ve already had people ask for her contact information so she can do weddings for their relatives.
You are not only such a professional, but so warm, a lovely speaker, and did such an amazing job of customizing everything to our unique needs. I can’t tell you how many people remarked on just how wonderful a job you did.
We cannot thank you enough for your wonderful officiating of our marriage. We continue to receive praise for our ceremony. It was all we could have imagined, hoped and dreamed.
It was a pleasure working with you to create an interfaith ceremony that was intimate, personal, and most importantly, meaningful to us. We are so happy as we reminisce about our special day.
We were so thrilled with how it all turned out and felt that the ceremony you scripted for us was perfect. Your command of the audience was excellent and your suggestions really made for the perfect wedding.
At very short notice Catherine Kentridge agreed to come to our home and marry us in front of a couple dozen close friends. She was well-prepared, kind, and professional. I could not recommend her more highly.
You were like part of the family.
It was a joy to listen to you. Your voice is like music.
What a beautiful, elegant wedding. We are so glad we found you. You were just perfect for our ceremony.
What a lovely ceremony. You are a natural for this. You have such presence and radiate such a sense of joy. And your accent is to die for!
We have received so many compliments on the beautiful way the ceremony was set up.
You are a lovely speaker and a true professional—your guidance and advice on creating a custom ceremony was greatly appreciated! You were a delight to work with!
Thank you for giving us the wedding we had dreamed of for eight years. It was perfect!
