Inverness-shire Archives - Fuze Ceremonies

Brian Baxter

July 6, 2014by Fuze Admin

Brian Baxter, Celebrant

“I take enormous joy in helping others to create their own unique ceremony and to assist them in having the most memorable day of their lives.”

Brian is available to conduct Weddings, Civil Partnerships, Vow Renewals, Baby Naming & Funeral Ceremonies.

Brian Baxter has witnessed and ably assisted with well over 1000+ Wedding Ceremonies across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, particularly so when delivering his Highland Wedding Master of Ceremonies (Toastmaster/ MC) provision. Brian is a highly skilled public speaker and has a Robert Burns recital gift. He has an impressive Master of Ceremonies CV. Some clients have said that he is “the calm in the storm”.

He takes great joy in witnessing the freedom that a Humanist Ceremony gives to his clients, making the occasion even more memorable for the newlyweds, family and guests. He is passionate about creating and delivering dignified and meaningful funeral ceremonies too. In 2020 he decided to study for and gain the Diploma in Public Speaking and Humanist Ceremonies with UKCAPSA. After completing the diploma, he was "chuffed tae bits" when he was asked to become a Humanist Celebrant with the Fuze Foundation and Fuze Ceremonies. Delivering his first ever legal wedding ceremony in September 2020.

Brian married Val in 1989. They have one son. When not delivering weddings, vow renewals, baby naming and funeral services, Brian and Val like to take exotic Cruise Ship holidays, tae the sun!

Since age 16, Brian has had a staggering 40+ years military experience. At age 40, he took some time out from the military, ran a pub for a spell and worked in the Chamber of Commerce, Dundee, as a manager delivering learning & development to clients in a variety of age groups. He also had a 3-year period working for Local Government, as Team Leader of an Anti-Social Behaviour Team! It was back full time with the military again in 2010, and he retired fully from the army in July 2023. He says - "because it was time to use the "bus pass!"

These past working experiences and life skills gained have aided him in developing his consulting, listening, and toned communication skills, ensuring that he always listens to his clients & guides them in their aspiration to create a unique, special, unforgettable, dignified, touched with fun, a bit of witty banter and a truly personal ceremony.

Brian is by far, one of the smartest dressed male celebrants in Scotland. Owning more kilts and trews than a kilt shop, and more dress suits than any high street clothing outlet!

Brian will travel from his home in Scone to conduct your ceremony anywhere in Scotland. Please be aware though that this may involve additional fuel, accommodation and/ or travel costs in order to do so. Just ask.You can contact Brian on brianbaxter@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Brian on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok

Chris Alexander

May 5, 2014by Fuze Admin

Chris Alexander, Celebrant

Chris is available to blether for and conduct Weddings, Civil Partnerships, Vow Renewals, Baby Naming & Funeral Ceremonies.

As an actor Chris has found himself travelling the world. A passion for folk and their stories and the connections, long or short that immeasurably inspire us all our days.

It’s crucial to Chris that your ceremony is your story. In joy or grief.

As a person it was a saunter on El Camino Santiago that ignited a want to aid people. “We share stories all the time. A simple hello could have a million possibilities.” As an outdoor lover, a pal to nature and Munro bagger, Chris is happy to do any ceremony, wherever you want. Mountains, beauty spots of Scotland(What a country) to jumping in the sea(After we’ve checked for sharks). Or the local hall! Nothing is off limits. Mother Nature is a wonderful sculptor.

It was a natural flow to combine the skills as an actor and place it in humanist ceremonies. I love working with people. Travelling is a passion. “It seemed to me, to continue meeting new folk, hearing stories and sharing those stories to the people they love the most, becoming a celebrant is a new bubble of joy. It’s an honour to give the journey of a life to people that love the person or people.”

A humanist ceremony is the perfect way to include anything you want. Let's have a blether.

Chris is based in Ayrshire and conducts ceremonies throughout Scotland.

Buen Camino!

You can contact Chris on chrisalexander@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Chris on Instagram

Alicia MacDonald

May 5, 2014by Fuze Admin

Alicia MacDonald, Celebrant

"I want to use my experience, passion and professionalism to help create a meaningful ceremony that you both will remember forever".

Alicia is available to conduct Wedding, Civil Partnership, Vow Renewal & Baby Naming Ceremonies.

Alicia’s passion is weddings!! She loves meeting with couples, getting to know them and helping them plan such a significant day in their lives. She has worked in the wedding industry for over ten years as an Events and Wedding Planner, working with couples to bring together the vision of their big day in to a reality.

Having been involved in many weddings over the years, Alicia has always enjoyed the wedding ceremonies performed by Humanists. It seemed to resonate with her more, she enjoyed how personalised they were and how they opened up a more open, capturing wedding ceremony.

Having met Anne from Fuze Ceremonies through working in the weddings Industry, Alicia knew the exact person to contact when it came to organising her own wedding. Anne married Alicia and her Partner in October 2014, performing a beautiful, personalised ceremony, one that they will always cherish.

Now working as a Humanist celebrant, Alicia wants to use her experience, passion and professionalism to help create a meaningful ceremony that a couple will remember forever.

Her other passion in life is travel!!! It is something she gets extremely excited about. She loves researching new places to visit, experiencing new cultures and meeting new people.

Alicia and her husband are fortunate enough to have travelled across the world together and visited some truly amazing places. They spent a year living and travelling around the whole of Australia, they have backpacked through Thailand and Indonesia, spent a Summer Island hopping in Greece and have visited many European countries and other World-Wide destinations in-between. Their most recent adventure took them to New Zealand where they had an incredible two years working, travelling and living in this amazing country.

During their time in New Zealand they found out they had a mini hitch-hiker travelling with them. So they returned home to Scotland in summer 2016 and their beautiful baby girl, Fearne was born soon after.

Alicia say that Fearne changed their whole lives the day they met her, her presence has encouraged them to be the best possible versions of themselves. She can’t quite talk yet but already her influence on them is incredible. What she hasn’t changed is the couple’s passion to travel, thankfully this little addition to their tribe loves to travel too. At eight weeks old she flew back to New Zealand with them to live for six months. They had a great time living and travelling through this country making memories they can one day share with her. During the trip they spent some time travelling in a campervan were she was truly in her element.

So as you can tell, Alicia’s three passions in life are weddings, travel and being a mummy. Weddings have taught her to be approachable and organised, Travel has taught her to be open-minded and laid-back, Parenting has taught her that she can function as a fairly ‘normal’ human on very little sleep.

Alicia’s passions aside, she wants to hear about what makes you happy, what your adventures have been as a couple and the love that’s brought you to this stage in your relationship.

It is her goal to make you feel at ease, to ensure your plans are put together with care and efficiency to create wonderful memories to start this new chapter of your life together.

Alicia is based in Inverness and covers Inverness-shire.

You can contact Alicia on aliciamacdonald@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Alicia on Facebook

Jackie Jeffrey

May 5, 2014by Fuze Admin

Jackie Jeffrey, Celebrant

Jackie lives in a small Perthshire village with her partner and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Known by family and friends as the Queen of organising, she really does love a list!

Having worked closely with people all her life, across different career paths, Jackie has always had a genuine interest in people and loves hearing all about their lives and experiences. She is a great peoples person, warm, funny, sincere and has a natural talent to write and tell a story.

Jackie is also a Life Coach, a role that commands a lot of listening and understanding but one that she finds very rewarding. Becoming a Celebrant was the next natural step for her, giving her the opportunity to continue learning peoples stories, meet amazing people and share their life events.

It is important to Jackie that you have a ceremony as unique as you and one that reflects your hopes and dreams for the future or honours the life you have lived.

Jackie is a very optimistic person and it will be an honour and a privilege for her to conduct your ceremony with professionalism and integrity and she won't eat all the wedding cake!

Lifes what you make it, make it the best life you possibly can.

Jackie is based in Perthshire and conducts ceremonies in Aberdeenshire & Moray, Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway, Edinburgh & Lothian, Glasgow City & East /West Dunbartonshire, Inverness-shire, Perthshire, Fife & Angus, Scottish Borders, Stirlingshire and Western Highlands & Islands.

You can contact Jackie on jackiejeffrey@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Jackie on Facebook and Instagram

Simon Houston

April 8, 2014by Fuze Admin

Simon Houston, Celebrant

Simon is available to conduct Weddings, Civil Partnerships, Vow Renewals, Baby Naming & Funeral Ceremonies.

Simon lives in Glasgow, has been married 25 years and has three wonderful children and a gorgeous Pug called Rita. He is a writer, public speaker and part-time stand-up comedian who is delighted to combine his many life skills to become a Humanist Celebrant. His career as a journalist has seen him work as a news correspondent and features writer all over the world. He got himself into the occasional hair-raising scrape while working as a war reporter in the Balkans and Middle East - and if you have a spare three hours, he'll happily tell you all about it!

A natural-born storyteller, he brings a wealth of experience to his new role with Fuze Ceremonies. Simon is a people person and a listener. He loves interviewing real people and hearing all about their own unique and interesting journeys - before bringing those stories to life, capturing the serious, the fascinating and the fun. He has become a skilled obituary writer who prides himself on his compassion, empathy and attention to detail.

Recently, he turned his hand to stand-up comedy and has performed in clubs around Scotland while also making his debut at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe.

Having attended a number of Humanist weddings and funerals in recent years, he found himself magnetically drawn to the role of a Celebrant and looks forward to implementing his writing and speaking skills to deliver memorable ceremonies.

You can contact Simon on simonhouston@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Simon on Facebook and Instagram

Sam Conroy

April 8, 2014by Fuze Admin

Sam Conroy, Celebrant

“My passion is to help others create little pieces of happiness too, both in celebrating love and celebrating life.”

Sam is available to conduct Weddings, Civil Partnerships, Vow Renewals, Baby Naming & Funeral Ceremonies.

What's the secret to happiness? You can find it in nature, in family, in shared history, and maybe, just maybe, you can find it here. J.M Barrie - creator of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and a thousand magical memories - said it best: 'Not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do, is the secret to happiness'.

Sam is based, not in Neverland but in the heart of lovely Scotland. Living with her husband, daughter and her adorable dogs (her world!), She loves nothing more than spending time with family and friends. For many years Sam has worked within the social care sector supporting and working alongside some of society’s most vulnerable and disenfranchised groups, roles that have not only allowed her to garner great interpersonal skills but have enabled her to do the other thing she loves the most, working with people.

Now, as a qualified celebrant, Sam gets to do that in a different way, by helping people to celebrate life rather than helping them to relearn how to live it. She can't think of any better way to spend the rest of her working days, than surrounded by love! Each ceremony is exclusive, exquisite, personalised and unique. Inclusive and welcoming. Infused with joy, happiness and love and most importantly, it is infused with you, your loved ones and those you hold dearest to you.

Mr Barrie was right. And Sam doesn't just like what she does - she loves it. And can't wait to work with you, to plan the most magical and beautiful script, and deliver the most memorable ceremony on your very special day.

Sam is based in Cumbernauld and covers Argyll & Bute, Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway, East Renfrewshire & Renfrewshire, Edinburgh & Lothian, Glasgow City & East /West Dunbartonshire, Inverness-shire, North & South Lanarkshire, Perthshire, Fife & Angus, Scottish Borders and Stirlingshire

You can contact Sam on samanthaconroy@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Sam on Facebook , Instagram and Tik Tok

Matthew Tett

April 8, 2014by Fuze Admin

Matthew Tett, Celebrant

Matthew is available to conduct Weddings, Civil Partnerships & Vow Renewals.

Matthew was born and brought up in the Highlands. During his corporate career, he spent 14 years as Buying Director within retail in 6 different countries, leading multinational teams. He returned home to Nairn with his wife of 22 years, Ailsa, and their three children and trained to become a Tourist Guide with the Scottish Tourist Guide Association.

Matthew is a passionate, empathetic communicator who has honed his skills leading holidaymakers throughout the Highlands, explaining, directing, listening, and ensuring that they have a wonderful day, the way they want. These professional skills, coupled with a good sense of humour and passion for working closely with individuals and groups' naturally led Matthew to become a Celebrant in 2021.

Professional and respectful, Matthew will put you at ease and guide you through the whole process. Matthew will work with you to craft a structured, bespoke and memorable ceremony that reflects your wishes.

When Matthew is not at Culloden Battlefield, Cawdor Castle or up a mountain, he can be found walking or running along stunning Nairn Beach with the family Golden Retriever, Missy.

You can contact Matthew on matthewtett@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Matthew on Facebook

Julie-Anne Kinnear

April 8, 2014by Fuze Admin

Julie-Anne Kinnear

Julie-Anne is available to conduct Weddings, Civil Partnerships, Vow Renewals & Funeral Ceremonies.

Whether a love-story or life-story, Julie-Anne will listen to you and work with you to create your unique ceremony. As a Humanist Celebrant she will guide and support you when exploring specifics such as personalised vows, how you want your love-story or the life-story of a loved one to be shared, the music, poetry or readings you want to include, how you want to involve others (people or pets!) in the ceremony, inclusion of symbolic gestures and any other quirks or details to make your ceremony personal and meaningful.

Reflecting the values of Humanism, Julie-Anne embraces life wholeheartedly, believing this helps us to mark and celebrate the important stages from birth to death with vim, vigour and vitality. Whilst her ceremonies are appropriately dignified and respectful of the nature of the circumstances, they are never dull or dark – they have energy, light, emotion and where appropriate incorporate laughter and joy.

Julie-Anne moved from Belfast to Scotland aged 20. She has met lots of diverse and interesting people on her journey, all of whom have enriched her life one way or another. This quote from Dolly Parton sums up her outlook on life - “Dream more, learn more, care more and be more”.

Julie-Anne is based in Angus and covers Aberdeenshire & Moray, Edinburgh & Lothian, Inverness-shire & Perthshire, Fife & Angus.

You can contact Julie-Anne on julie-annekinnear@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Julie-Anne on Facebook and Instagram

Hazel Dale

April 8, 2014by Fuze Admin

Hazel Dale

Hazel is available to conduct Weddings, Civil Partnerships, Vow Renewals, Baby Naming & Funeral Ceremonies.

Hazel first became aware of humanist ceremonies when she attended the funeral of a close friend. She was immediately struck with how personalised and uplifting the service was, and she decided to learn more about humanism. She quickly realised that Humanism had always been at the very heart of her core values and felt that along with her own individual skill set, she was particularly suited to become a Humanist Celebrant herself.

Hazel has a long-term background in Policing and since retirement has continued to build upon her people-focused skills by becoming a holistic therapist. This background brings with it an ability to listen empathetically, great communication skills, diplomacy, attention to detail, and quick thinking!

She is very much person-focused and feels that this is a particularly rewarding way to bring comfort and indeed happiness to people. Hazel is committed to providing unique, creative, bespoke ceremonies to suit the individual needs of each person who seeks her assistance.

Hazel has a bustling family life and a fantastic circle of friends so her leisure time is orientated very much around her three children and socialising.

Hazel is based in Erskine and covers Argyll & Bute, Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire & Renfrewshire, Glasgow City & East /West Dunbartonshire, Inverness-shire, Stirlingshire and Western Highlands & Islands.

You can contact Hazel on hazeldale@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Hazel on Facebook and Instagram

Gayle Morrison

April 18, 2010by Fuze Admin

Gayle Morrison, Celebrant

Gayle is available for Vow Renewals & Baby Naming, and Funeral Ceremonies

Gayle is based in Stirling and covers Aberdeenshire & Moray, Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway, East Renfrewshire & Renfrewshire, Edinburgh & Lothian, Glasgow City & East /West Dunbartonshire, Inverness-shire, North & South Lanarkshire, Perthshire, Fife & Angus, Scottish Borders, and Stirlingshire

Gayle has always loved hearing the stories of people’s lives – where they were born and brought up, how couples met, trips they have taken that they refer back to for years to come, and moments of laughter and sadness that they carry with them. Gayle believes each turn of someone’s life can change the direction of their future, and being asked to pull this together for a Humanist Ceremony is something Gayle thrives on. Gayle focuses on keeping everything as personal as possible and telling the story of a life or lives.

Becoming a Humanist Celebrant was something Gayle was always interested in, but the moment had to be right, and when her daughter got engaged, that was the sign she needed. Putting the story of people’s lives to paper and bringing it all to life is something Gayle will never get bored of or take for granted. With each ceremony, she strives to represent those involved as best she can. Gayle is intrigued with life stories and believes there is no role like this. She loves finding out information about people where the phrase “never judge a book by its cover” is never more appropriate.

Gayle was raised in the Outer Hebrides and loves the outdoors. She is now based in Stirling, the heart of Scotland, and takes advantage of the vast open space available to walk and run in when she gets the chance. Gayle can talk for hours about her cat and loves to travel at any opportunity with her partner Robert. She has two grown-up children, both of whom are making their own way in the world, and she could not be prouder of them.

Gayle says ‘It is a huge honour to be asked to conduct a life moment, and I take that very seriously.’

You can contact Gayle on gaylemorrison@fuzeceremonies.co.uk or you can see more of Gayle on: Facebook , Instagram and YouTube