Celebrant

Phuket Wedding Celebrant — Paul Cunliffe

A Phuket-based wedding celebrant focused on one thing — writing and delivering a personal, well-paced ceremony for the couple in front of him.

What a celebrant actually does

The celebrant's job is to make the ceremony feel like yours. That means writing a script that sounds like the two of you, holding the room calmly, and giving your guests a clear, well-paced experience — from the processional to the kiss to the recessional.

How the process runs

Introductory call to discuss dates, venue and tone
Planning questionnaire and notes from you and your partner
Three full ceremony examples sent across to read through — cherry-pick favourite lines, choose one outright, or start fresh
Full personalised draft, with revisions together until you're both happy with the final version
Coordination with your planner and photographer ahead of the day
Arrival on site early, ceremony delivery, signing of certificates

Every ceremony is written from scratch around the couple — short or long, traditional or unconventional. Anything is possible, and we work on it together as the day approaches.

Reviews

What couples say

How the ceremony planning works

Around 80% of my bookings come directly from resorts across Thailand or from established wedding planners. In these cases, I am booked directly and sent the couple's contact details so the ceremony planning can begin smoothly.

A couple of months before the wedding, I email the couple with example wedding ceremony scripts so they can start to design their ceremony in a relaxed and structured way.

Once the process is complete, I have:

a completed bespoke wedding ceremony
the couple's full names
the full names of any witnesses for the certificate
the couple's preferred colours for the Unity Sand Ritual

At that point, the planning is complete.

The couple may, during this process, schedule an online call to introduce themselves and cover any specific requests. This online call is not always necessary, as I always arrive early on the wedding day to meet the couple in person and offer guidance for a relaxed and memorable ceremony.

However, I am always available for an online call, as I understand that this is an important day in the couple's life and some couples appreciate that extra reassurance.

Legal & planning clarification

My role, and how it fits with your planner

In some countries, such as Australia, celebrants can legally marry couples and often act as wedding planners as well. This is not the case in Thailand.

As a wedding celebrant in Phuket, my role is to conduct the ceremony only. The legal marriage process in Thailand is handled separately, and suitable arrangements such as the venue, ceremony setup and event logistics are normally coordinated by a wedding planner or resort event manager.

This ensures that:

the ceremony location has confirmed permission
the setup is properly arranged
flowers and décor are in place
timing is coordinated with the venue
the ceremony runs smoothly

I can only conduct a ceremony at a location where express permission has been granted. In practice, this is not an obstacle, as most couples work with a planner or book through a resort.

I am also the co-owner of Unique Phuket Wedding Planners, together with my partner Supparin. This means couples who are just starting their planning journey can arrange their venue, ceremony setup and full wedding planning support, with me as their celebrant.

This combined experience helps ensure that both the planning and ceremony elements work seamlessly together.

Next step

Let's talk about your ceremony

Tell me about your dates, your venue and the kind of ceremony you have in mind. I reply personally, usually within a day.

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