A CIVIL celebrant from Wirral is a finalist in the County Brides Northwest Wedding Awards 2024.

Jeanette Roberts is in the running for 'celebrant of the year’ category and will find out if she will be crowned winner during a black-tie gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly on June 12.

The honours recognise wedding suppliers across the North West who really go the extra mile. The award nominees are voted for by brides and grooms who had 'outstanding experiences'.

Jeanette, from Tranmere, decided she wanted to become a wedding celebrant after she gave her sister away at her Australian wedding in 2014.

She worked in a secondary school at the time and when she arrived home from Australia she could not afford the training to become a celebrant as her youngest twins were going to university at the time.

In 2016, a voluntary redundancy came up at Jeanette's school and so she decided to leave to pursue her dream of becoming a celebrant. She qualified with The Fellowship of Professional Celebrants (FPC).

On her nomination for 'celebrant of the year’, she said: “It was with great excitement that I received an email from County Brides regarding my nomination to their 2024 North West Wedding Awards.

"There are so many wonderful and talented Celebrants who are going above and beyond every day, so it is always a privilege to be recognised with a nomination for an award."

County Brides will be raising much needed funds for Destination Florida a Children’s Charity again this year and would love to beat last year's total of over £8,000.

Over the last few years, they have raised enough funds to send 10 children on a holiday of a lifetime.