Falkirk celebrant wins top title at the UK wide Nation's Wedding Awards 2023

Craig Flowers was named as Celebrant of the Year at the recent Nations Wedding Awards.

The awards were held for the first time this year and recognise wedding professionals across the UK that have gone above and beyond and made a real difference in the industry with their excellent services.

Craig, 47, lives in Maddiston and has been working as a celebrant for Independent Humanist Ceremonies for around 12 years.

In recent years, Craig has been nominated for a few industry awards for both his funeral and wedding work. Last year he won Scottish Celebrant of the Year 2022 at the Scottish Wedding Awards and the nominations have continued this year. As well as his win at the UK wide Nations Wedding Awards, Craig was aslo nominated for Celebrant of the Year at the Scottish Funeral Awards 2023, the Your Scottish Wedding Awards 2023 and the Scottish Wedding Awards 2024.

Craig said: “It’s a real honour just to get nominated for these awards as they come from recommendations and reviews submitted by people who have used my services, in the case of weddings, happy couples. When I found out I had been nominated for a UK wide award I didn’t think for a second that I would win. I was really keen to attend the award evening, but I had a wedding to conduct that same afternoon in Edinburgh so it wasn’t possible. I gave my mum my ticket and she and my dad (also a celebrant) attended the big do in Manchester. When I got the call from my mother to say I’d won, I didn’t believe her at first. I was shocked and delighted.

“I genuinely love my work and doing my little bit to help make a couple’s day special. For them to nominate me and to convince a judging panel that I should be worthy of this accolade is very humbling and it really hasn’t yet fully sunk in.”

The awards, organised by Oceanic Events, acknowledged the talented individuals, teams and businesses whose sole aim is to provide their couples with the most magical memories and a wedding day to remember.

A spokesperson for the Nation’s Wedding Awards 2023 said: “It was another opportunity for us to showcase those who have shown great commitment, professionalism, creativity and care for their clients. The winners truly deserve this recognition for their exceptional work, and we hope that their success will inspire others in the industry to strive for excellence. We want to congratulate all of our winners.”