“I love this job. But it doesn’t feel like a job. And I like that feeling…” Lou Fowkes (every day!)
Photo courtesy of Drew Linford.
Hi! My name is Lou and I am a Marriage, Family & Funeral Celebrant, offering creative storytelling with love, joy, care and compassion, that captivates and evokes the true meaning of life’s milestone moments. With a background in arts and entertainment, both on and off stage, I always wondered if a career as a celebrant would work for me. Friends and family had, over the years, said I’d be perfect. Working on stage as an actress and singer and off stage as a director, producer and writer, it turned out to be the perfect fit – putting together a ceremony is a bit like putting on a theatre production – it’s all in the storytelling…
So whether you’re organising your wedding and would like something that truly reflects you as a couple, celebrating your lasting love by renewing your vows, welcoming your beautiful new baby into the family or giving your loved one a warm and uplifting farewell, I am passionate about creating bespoke, authentic and heartfelt ceremonies that offer the freedom and flexibility to give unique and treasured memories for you and your family.
“Lou was fantastic to work with and nothing was too much trouble…”
“…a delight from start to finish.”
“It was lovely to be able to leave it to you, with complete confidence that you would say the right things and sum up the great man that he was.”
“It was an absolute delight to have Lou lead and create our personal and entertaining ceremony!”
“Honestly, cannot recommend her enough.”
“Lou’s delivery is perfect with the right amount of seriousness peppered with humour.”
“I don’t think I just found a celebrant in Lou, I think I’ve found a friend!”
“Lou was warm, kind and professional.”
“Lou is charismatic, creative and full of energy and she made us feel at ease throughout the whole wedding planning process.”
Photo courtesy of www.annamariestepney.co.uk
Having trained with and now a Member of The Fellowship of Professional Celebrants, I cover Kent, Essex, London, Sussex and Surrey and am happy to officiate at ceremonies that respect all beliefs, and none, as well as being LGBTQ+ inclusive. I am fully insured with Public Liability Insurance and Professional Indemnity Insurance. I am originally from Surrey but, together with my husband Rodger and son Sam, we upped sticks and moved to Whitstable (or ‘The Bubble’ as us locals like to call it!) in 2011 and have never looked back. I now adore walking my West Highland Terrier Bobbi along the seafront and then winding up at one of the many restaurants consuming the local delicacy of oysters – washed down with a good, cold Kent beer!
“The moment I first talked to Lou on the telephone, I had a good feeling.”
“…she spoke with such passion and elegance.”
“Our ceremony was wonderful, a true reflection of ‘us’, and we have Lou to thank for this.”
“Lou was the addition to our big day that we didn’t know we needed!”
“The ceremony itself was just perfect.”
“This is a job you hope to only need to call upon once, so if you do, Lou at Kent Creative Ceremonies is a fantastic call and literally made our wedding.”
Photo courtesy of www.thecapturedpicturecompany.com
When I’m not standing in front of guests delivering a ceremony, I am standing in front of music lovers, as I am a singer with a blues/rock band called Stormy Sundays, as well as touring my own show around the country, celebrating sassy female singers. I also work part-time in the Box Office at my local arts centre The Gulbenkian in Canterbury. And when I am not doing that, I am cleaning the house… Ooh and I’m currently in Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine (and online) and was featured in Kent Life Magazine (March 2025 edition)!
So that’s me in a nutshell (sort of) – now I want to hear all about you…
Lou x
Kent Creative Ceremonies is delighted to support Whitstable based charity Revival Food & Mood; a family friendly café and mental health hub in the heart of the High Street. Offering support and events, together with a safe place to eat and drink, Revival is an inclusive, innovative and dynamic social enterprise, championing mental health and wellness for all. For more information, please visit their website at www.revivalkent.co.uk
NEWS
A Wonderful Whitstable Wedding!
So, I was so chuffed to collaborate with so many creative and talented wedding pros yesterday at the shoot. Working together to produce some beautiful images that we can all use on our websites and social media, showcasing each and every brilliant business, was what it was all about. And our models Carmen and Linn did an absolutely amazing job of smiling throughout the whole day – even though the weather was somewhat breezy!
The weekend started naturally on Friday afternoon with model prep. And who better to beautify their hands and feet with a manicure and pedicure than our fantastic High Street salon www.purebythesea.co.uk
Janine’s team got to work offering a totally relaxed couple of hours in this wonderful Whitstable establishment, that has been successfully booking treatments for both locals and visitors alike since 2003. The girls had a lovely time and you’ll see the results very soon…
Image of Carmen taken by me.
Wanna know more about the shoot and the businesses featured? Then hop over to my Instagram @kentcreativeceremonies to find the Whitstable Wedding Shoot Team…
CELEBRANT / ORGANISER – Me!
VENUE – Whitstable Castle
PHOTOGRAPHY – David King
MODELS – Carmen & Linn
HAIR & MAKE-UP – Tess Copping
BRIDALWEAR – Boheme Brides
BRIDAL STYLING – Hannah Copping Styling
BRIDAL VEILS – Carmen Hanna Bridal
BRIDAL PEARL JEWELLERY – Pearl Shop Whitstable
WEDDING RINGS – Lisa McKean Jewellery
FLOWERS – Jane at Graham Greener
WEDDING TRANSPORT – Wedding Wolf
WEDDING CAKE – Cakes by Petula
VENUE STYLIST – Wedding Dreams & Party Themes
BEAUTY PREPARATION – Pure By The Sea
Posted: Monday 7 April 2025
Brides in the Bubble – A Wonderful Whitstable Wedding
I am absolutely delighted to be bringing together some fabulous local professionals for this unique wedding shoot to showcase our wonderful Whitstable! As we all know, our town is a much loved destination throughout the year for day trippers, weekenders and holidaymakers. But for those of us who work in this industry, we also know that it’s also a fantastic location for weddings!
I have chosen Whitstable Castle as our venue, as it is so inherently linked to the town’s history, as well as being a uniquely stunning building that I believe stirs even the coldest heart. AND it’s just recently been re-furbished so it’s perfect timing! The panelled rooms and gorgeous gardens will be a beautiful backdrop to our shoot – plus it’s location, right on the seafront, will allow us to feature our beautiful beach and coastline. The day’s gonna be a lot of fun! Posted: Friday 21 March 2025
Kent Life is the gloriously colourful lifestyle magazine for our county and I’m pleased to say I’m featured in their ‘Local Legends’ section on page 116. Now, the description of ‘legend’ sounds a bit strong if you ask me but you know what – I’ll take it! Pick up your March edition from your local retailer now! Posted: Friday 28 February 2025
As we welcome in 2025 and all that a forthcoming twelve months has to offer, I am delighted to announce that I am now the ‘Go to…’ celebrant for Kent in the international Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine for 2025, which is also online. This is all very exciting for me, as now when couples search for an independent celebrant in Kent, it’s me they find – just little old me! And although I am based in the centre of Kent (and possibly one of the best places to live; the gorgeous destination that is Whitstable) I am always delighted to travel wherever my work takes me. You can find me at www.weddingsandhoneymoonsmagazine.com Posted: Monday 20 January 2025
As we gear up for the festive season, I always take time to reflect on the past year; what I’ve learnt, what life has thrown at me and what I’m hugely grateful for. In this job, I spend time sharing in couples excitement about their big wedding day or perhaps their renewal of vows. I meet parents as they celebrate their new baby with a naming ceremony, or I am being warmly welcomed into the home of a family who have just lost a loved one. And I never fail to be utterly humbled, privileged and honoured to be in every single space with them. Life is precious. Love is everlasting and family is everything. You may know already that I live on the Kent coast, in wonderful Whitstable, and try to swim in the sea as much as I can. So these words, that I found recently, really resonated with me:- “For me, life is swimming in the ocean of gratitude, love, joy, humour, wonder, curiosity, passion, hope and creativity, and never finding the shore.” Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams Posted: Wednesday 20 November 2024
Well, as we reach the end of the Summer (what Summer I hear you cry?) I always start to reflect on the wonderful wedding season – although to be honest, I still have ceremonies to conduct right up until New Year! However, it’s been a busy time over the last 4 or 5 months for celebrants like myself as we walked couples through the planning process of perfecting their special day and then happily watching them as they walked down the aisle. I never get more excited as I (and their family and friends) hear the opening bars of music they have chosen to kick off their ceremony. Anything goes! And I love that. In fact I love everything about this job. This job that I don’t call a job. It’s just an absolute joy. Posted: Tuesday 27 August 2024
I was delighted to attend the National Funeral Exhibition 2024 on Friday 14th June, assisting with the Fellowship of Professional Celebrants stand. I trained with Terri Negus , who founded and runs the fellowship and I continually receive ongoing guidance and support from this fabulous organisation, which has truly helped me develop into the confident and compassionate celebrant I am today. The exhibition was attended by those working in the funeral industry; celebrants, funeral directors, crematoriums, suppliers of cremation and burial equipment, mementoes, gifts and keepsakes, memorial jewellery, coffins (and some fabulously artistic ones on display – things have really moved on from just plain wood!) music providers, hearses…etc etc. For those of us working in this unique industry, it was a brilliant exhibition to be at, and I learnt so much – not just from my fellow celebrants (we were sharing stories and ideas all day long!) but also from those visiting our stand. The exhibition takes place every two years, so I’ve already pencilled the 2026 week in my diary! Posted: Saturday 15 June 2024
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FEATURED & WORKING WITH THE FOLLOWING:-
The Fellowship of Professional Celebrants – www.professionalcelebrants.org.uk (Trained & Supported)
The Celebrant Directory – www.thecelebrantdirectory.com (Featured & Listing)
Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine 2025 – www.weddingsandhoneymoonsmagazine.com (Featured and Listing)
Bridebook – www.bridebook.co.uk (Listing)
Kent Life Magazine – www.kentlifemagazine.co.uk (Featured)
Your Kent Wedding – www.yourkent.wedding (Featured & Listing)
The Celebrant Magazine – www.thecelebrantmagazine.co.uk (Interview)
Whitstable Website – www.whitstable.co.uk (Interview & Listing)
A Kentish Wedding – www.akentish-wedding.co.uk (Wedding Fairs)
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THE FELLOWSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL CELEBRANTS
All of our celebrants are trained to write bespoke and personalised ceremonies for every person, couple or family whom we serve. We never train or encourage any celebrant to use pre-written templates for services and our ethos is very much that every person is unique and therefore every ceremony should be unique. Any member of the public or professional who engages with us, such as Funeral Directors and Wedding Planners, can be assured that in choosing an FPC Celebrant, they are choosing someone who has been professionally trained to an exceptionally high standard. They are choosing someone who is fully certified and has no criminal convictions; providing total piece of mind in an un-regulated profession. All of our celebrant members have completed one or more of our own acclaimed training courses, and have proved that they have met the required standards of competence in both writing and delivering ceremonies. Our celebrants adhere to a strict Code of Ethics, and Standards of Service. We are also the only celebrant organisation in the UK to have a Criminal Records Disclosure policy for public safeguarding, which was set up under the guidance of Sussex Police.
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WHITSTABLE
Based on the North Kent Coast, pretty Whitstable is a traditional fishing harbour town hugely popular with visitors throughout the year for its quirky independent shops, colourful beach huts and tasty fresh seafood. Just over an hour from London and accessible from motorway and mainline stations, it is perfectly situated to place your wedding by the sea. It offers you and your guests a multitude of options in terms of hotels, wedding venues and those all important photographic opportunities, as it is celebrated for its truly beautiful sunsets. For more information on the town and all the wonderful things Whitstable has to offer, please visit www.whitstable.co.uk
Please Note: Header photo courtesy of Matt James Photography.