A Paisley wedding celebrant who has already married 130 couples this year now has his own cause for celebration after winning a top award.
Paul Browett, 39, performs official ceremonial proceedings at weddings in place of a religious figure.
And now he’s been named Celebrant of Year 2022 at the inaugural Your Scottish Wedding Awards.
The gala awards event took place on Sunday, November 13 at the Double Tree by Hilton in Glasgow and was hosted by Elaine C Smith.
Only couples who married between July 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022 could nominate a celebrant.
The entries were then verified against the National Records of Scotland marriage database to ensure validity.
Couples were invited to vote for up to 15 different wedding suppliers who played a part in their big day.
The award tops off a head-spinning year for Paul, having conducted over 130 weddings across Scotland, and last month he married his fiancé Laura across the pond in Sarasota, Florida, at the Ringling Circus Museum.
Paul said: “It’s been a busy year in which I’ve seen so many beautiful and amazing weddings, including my own, and favourite, to Laura.
“The Circus Museum was once a place where the Greatest Showman would fall in love with his Tattooed Lady, so this will forever be a poignant and special place in our hearts.
“Winning the Your Scottish Wedding Celebrant of The Year Award is such an honour, and I can’t thank enough each one of my couples who took the time to nominate and vote for me.
“It means so much to be recognised.
“I was up against the best in the business in my category and I congratulate each of my fellow finalists on their achievement also.”
It’s a line of work that is increasing in popularity as more people opt for humanist ceremonies as opposed to religious ones.
Data from the National Records of Scotland show that there were 6,477 such marriage ceremonies in Scotland in 2021, compared to 2,377 Christian ceremonies.
Paul explained what attracted him to the career choice: “Ever since speaking at my twin sister Nicola’s funeral, I knew from that moment that I wanted to start my exciting journey as a celebrant.
“Previously working as a retail manager, I really enjoyed my job and met some amazing people, however the sense of pride that I got from conducting ceremonies was immeasurable, therefore I decided to become a full-time celebrant and have never looked back.
“Having the chance to tell people’s life stories and love stories is such a privilege and to be such an important part of a wedding couple’s journey really is amazing.”
Paul works as a Humanist wedding celebrant at Fuze Ceremonies.
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