From Homelessness Service to 'I Do' - The Story Behind Sam Conroy, Celebrant

Sam Conroy, Scottish Humanist Celebrant / Glasgow, Edinburgh and all of Scotland

If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d end up standing at the front of ceremonies, holding space for people on the biggest days of their lives, I’d have probably laughed. And then cried. And then said yes immediately - because honestly, looking back, it makes complete sense.

I grew up in Cumbernauld. Yes, that Cumbernauld. The one from the advert. Literally everywhere I go, someone asks.... 'What's it called'? (There as an infamous advert back in the 80's!). I’ve made my peace with it - I’m even back living there now, which either says something profound about coming home, or something deeply questionable about my life choices. I’ll let you decide.

I live with my husband, my daughter and five animals — two dogs and three cats. Noah had his ark, I have my living room. They are completely and utterly my world.

When I’m not celebrating love for a living, you’ll find me running, at the gym, or with my nose buried in a book - I’m rarely without one. Take me to a movie pub quiz and I will win it for you. Every time. Don’t even get me started on the pink questions in Trivial Pursuit.

Travel is something my husband and I agreed early on to always protect - no matter how chaotic life gets, we get out into the world together. And what a world it is. From the places that take your breath away to the ones that quietly change something in you, travel has given me a perspective on life and people that I carry into every ceremony I write. Also, I'm great for Honeymoon destination suggestions! Win!

Closer to home, I’ve spent years quietly turning my garden into a nature haven. Birds, squirrels, bees, butterflies and hedgehogs are daily visitors now. It started as a project and became one of my greatest joys — watching something thrive when you give it the right conditions. Which, now I think about it, isn’t unlike what I do with ceremonies.

Family and friends are the beating heart of everything. Always.

The Long Way Round

My path to celebrancy was — let’s call it eclectic.

I left school as a qualified jeweller and gemologist, with genuine aspirations to become a diamond grader with De Beers. Then in 2001, my daughter arrived and quietly rearranged every plan I’d ever made. She remains, without question, the greatest thing I have ever done.

As I found my feet in motherhood, I worked in the private sector as an Account Manager and Business Development Manager before deciding to go back to studying. I spent a year at college, then went to Glasgow University where I studied to Masters level - an honours degree in Sociology followed by an MSc in Drug and Alcohol Studies.

What came next was some of the most meaningful and most demanding work of my life.

I worked for Shelter Scotland as an Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate. I worked with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, going into A&E departments to engage with patients affected by violence and try to break the cycle. I worked for Simon Community Scotland, leading a homeless accommodation service for adult males and managing a community outreach team.

I became a specialist associate trainer for SafeLives. I was invited to the Queen’s Garden Party in 2019 for my work within Violence Reduction. I spoke with the then Home Secretary and her team at the Houses of Parliament in London. I was also on the Victoria Derbyshire show - talking about the problem of violence in Scotland. I'm incredibly proud of these achievements and of all the people I've supported along the way.

I was also, at various points, administering rescue medication to people in overdose so regularly that it started to feel as ordinary as making breakfast. That’s not something I say lightly. It’s something I say because it’s important you understand the weight of that work - and why, eventually, something had to give.

The Lightbulb Moment

The COVID pandemic stopped everything. And in that stillness, I had to be honest with myself. I had become all things to all people. I was heading for burnout. The work I had given everything to was taking more than I had left to give.

And then I started planning my wedding.

I got completely absorbed in it — particularly the ceremony. I found myself thinking back to ceremonies I’d attended over the years. Some had been genuinely beautiful. Others had felt generic, hollow, like they could have been for anyone. And somewhere in that reflection, a thought appeared that refused to leave:

I could do that. But I could do it properly.

So I signed up for the UKCAPSA SQA Diploma in Celebrancy. And everything changed.

The Training That Made It Real

The UKCAPSA course was outstanding from beginning to end. It’s self directed study, but with full access to tutors, a brilliant online platform and regular feedback throughout. Every task was relevant, every assessment purposeful. It gave me the knowledge, the confidence and — crucially — the ability to say with genuine conviction that I am qualified in this area.

There is a lot to celebrancy. More than most people realise. And I don’t see how you could step into this role without that solid foundation beneath you.

Highly, highly, highly recommend. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Three Years On

I have now been a celebrant for over three years. And I can honestly say — if Carlsberg did dream jobs, this would be it.

I work predominantly in weddings and vow renewals, and I bring every single part of my background into that room with me. The listening skills developed in social care. The understanding of people and their stories from years in sociology and community work. The knowledge that life is complicated and beautiful and messy and extraordinary — and that every couple deserves a ceremony that reflects exactly that.

The jeweller in me still appreciates the details. The sociologist in me is fascinated by people. The social care worker in me holds space without judgement. And the woman who has travelled the world, watched hedgehogs waddle across her garden and won more than a few movie pub quizzes - she makes sure there’s always warmth, and always a little joy.

I also hold a very special place in my heart for funeral celebrancy. To support someone at their point of unimaginable pain. To help create something so personal and unique in celebration of a life lived. To ensure that someone so deeply loved is never, ever forgotten. It is one of the most humbling privileges I have ever known.

I came back to Cumbernauld recently. Full circle, as they say. And I am having the most extraordinary time.

If you’re planning a wedding, a vow renewal, or any ceremony that deserves to feel completely and unashamedly like you - I would love to hear your story.

Because your story? It’s worth telling beautifully.

-----

Thinking about a humanist wedding in Scotland and want to know more? I’d love to have a conversation. I’m based in North Lanarkshire and cover Edinburgh, Glasgow and all of Scotland.

[Get in touch here](https://www.samconroycelebrant.com) — let’s talk about your story.