My name is Jim Trimmer. I spent my working life in communications and much of my leisure time enjoying and performing plays, poetry and all kinds of music. .

Since I started conducting ceremonies in 2001, I have met so many lovely people, and learned so much about how different our lives are and yet how similar our beliefs and aspirations.

I have also acquired an encyclopaedia's worth of experience in conducting initial interviews, developing rapport, striking the right notes in the ceremony script, advising on symbolic elements from sand blending to hand-fasting and on music and readings. I'm a big fan of participation, so my weddings usually incorporate some degree of audience involvement.

I live in Kingston on Thames so usually work with couples who are based in London or Surrey - although thanks to email, Skype and so on, it's possible to create a ceremony even if we are thousands of miles apart.

The ceremony itself can be anywhere your imagination (and your budget) takes you! So far that has included private houses, pub gardens, schools, public parks, several stately homes, two museums, a number of dedicated wedding venues and posh hotels, a country club in Morocco and a riverbank in Languedoc. ​