Local actress, Jo Sutton, has stepped into a brand-new role launching a business - Joanne Clair Ceremonies – as a celebrant.

Inspired by the lovely but often impersonal experience encountered at some of life's key moments, such as weddings, christenings and funerals, and with an innate passion for people going as far back as she can remember, it felt like a natural career move for her following decades working with people from all walks of life, in various local government roles.

As a celebrant, every single one of Jo's services are unique to the individual(s) she is there for, with the whole celebrant approach characterised by its story-telling nature and a conscious effort from the celebrant, Jo, to really get to know the people/person she is set to 'celebrate' so she can create a one-of-a-kind script for the occasion.

Since launching in June, Jo, who is based in Sandbach but covers the entire of Cheshire, Staffordshire and Merseyside, has delivered ceremonies for a number of special occasions including weddings and naming ceremonies with funerals and vow renewals also under her list of services.

Commenting on the launch of Joanne Clair Ceremonies, Jo said: "Throughout my life I have attended many ceremonies of different kinds and while they have all been memorable and special in their own way, the majority have left me not recognising the people being spoken about, particularly true in the case of funerals.

"That, along with my love of creative writing and passion for people, was catalyst enough for me to train as a celebrant, a relatively new role in the ceremony world but one that encapsulates all the values I hold close to my heart.

"Taking weddings for example, it fills me with joy to really get to know the story of each and every couple I celebrate and provide them and their guests with their personal, one-of-a-kind love story full of emotion and personal anecdotes that truly capture a moment in time and leave a lasting impression on everyone in the room."

Earlier this year Jo delivered a ceremony for Cheshire couple, Mr & Mrs Coyne, at Macclesfield Town Hall who said: "Our wedding day was everything we'd hoped it would be and more, made even more special by the beautiful script Jo crafted which gave our wedding ceremony the personal touch we had been searching for and shined a light on the journey which had got us to that very day. We really can't thank Jo enough!"

Currently, in England, celebrants cannot legally marry people, with the main options for couples being to legally register their marriage prior to the 'main' wedding day or by having a registrar present to complete the legal side of the marriage in the same ceremony as the celebrant, with both options being popular choices and gaining popularity in the UK as more and more people opt for the personal touch celebrant ceremonies provide.

Jo added: "I'd love to hear from anyone interested in a celebrant ceremony in Cheshire and the surrounding areas and welcome the opportunity to answer any questions around how the whole process works.

"To celebrate the launch of the business, couples looking to book a celebrant-led wedding ceremony with me through Hitched will be eligible for a 10% discount if booked before the 31st December 2024. All you need to do is visit here and search 'Joanne Clair Ceremonies'."

Jo is also a founding member of local amateur dramatic society, Saxon Players, which over the last couple of years has delivered two noteworthy productions, 'Hannah's Left Hook' and 'Hannah the Hammer' both of which were inspired by books written by Jo's late father, Brian McKeown.

Jo's portrayal of her great grandmother Hannah Corcoran in Hannah's Left Hook won the Best Individual Performance in the 2022 Wilmslow One Act Play Festival. To learn more about Jo visit joanneclairceremonies.co.uk or follow her on Facebook. Jo's Facebook page is here

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