Scott + Story
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Terms and conditions

These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") set out the basis on which Scott + Story provides its services. They apply to all bookings and form a legally binding contract between you and Scott + Story Limited once a booking is confirmed in the way described in Section 4. Please read them carefully and keep a copy. By paying your booking fee (deposit) you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to these Terms.

1. Who we are

In these Terms, "Scott + Story", "we", "us" and "our" mean Scott + Story Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 17251414), whose registered office is at Owl Barn Main Road, Dunsby, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 0UB. The company provides celebrant-led ceremony and speech services through its director, Hannah Scott, operating from Bourne, Lincolnshire (PE10) and serving Stamford, Rutland, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and the wider United Kingdom.

  • Business: Scott + Story Limited (registered in England and Wales, company number 17251414)
  • Director: Hannah Scott
  • Contact: hannah@scottandstory.com / 07884 915647
  • Websites: scottandstory.com / scottandstory.co.uk
  • VAT: Scott + Story Limited is not currently VAT-registered, so no VAT is added to our prices.

"You" and "your" mean the person or people who book our services (the client). Where a couple books together, each of you is jointly and individually responsible for the obligations in these Terms, including payment.

2. Definitions

  • "Ceremony Services" — celebrant-led ceremonies including wedding ceremonies, elopements, vow renewals, and intimate, at-home, naming and child-inclusion ceremonies, as described in Part A.
  • "Speaking Services" — speechwriting and delivery coaching for wedding and event speakers (for example father of the bride, best man, maid of honour, groom, parent or host speeches), as described in Part B.
  • "Services" — the Ceremony Services and/or Speaking Services we agree to provide to you.
  • "Booking Confirmation" — our written acceptance of your booking (by email), together with these Terms and any agreed booking details.
  • "Deposit" — the non-refundable booking fee payable to secure your date or place (see Section 5).
  • "Fee" — the total price for the Services as set out in your Booking Confirmation.
  • "Event" — the ceremony, occasion or date on which the Services are delivered.

3. The Services we offer

Part A — Ceremony Services

We create bespoke, celebrant-led ceremonies, written from scratch for each client. There are three ceremony packages, which differ mainly in who delivers the ceremony on the day:

The Full Shebang — designed, written and delivered by me.

Typically includes: a free 30-minute Connection Call; a getting-to-know-you process (in-depth discovery conversation(s)); 1:1 vow coaching where relevant; a ceremony written from scratch; up to two rounds of collaborative planning to refine structure, tone and key moments; full delivery of the ceremony on the day by us; and your written ceremony script provided to keep after the Event.

The Ghostwriter — designed and written by me; delivered by your nominated person.

Typically includes: a free 30-minute Connection Call; the getting-to-know-you process; a dedicated session with your chosen presenter; a complete, delivery-ready ceremony script written for their voice, with stage directions and timing notes; coaching for your presenter on delivery; revisions as agreed; and your written ceremony script to keep. Delivery on the day is by your nominated person, not by us.

The exact inclusions, package and Fee for your booking are confirmed in your Booking Confirmation.

The Intimate Ceremony - designed, written and delivered by me for a smaller scope (e.g. at-home or intimate ceremonies to mark namings or renewals). 

Typically includes: free 30-minute Connection Call; getting-to-know-you process; prep meeting(s); on-site rehearsal where required; a shorter, fully bespoke ceremony written from scratch, delivered on the day at one location; written script to keep. Does not include vow-writing coaching, readings curation or legal-paperwork liaison.

The exact inclusions, package and Fee for your booking are confirmed in your Booking Confirmation.


Important — legal status of celebrant-led ceremonies. In England and Wales, a celebrant-led ceremony is not legally binding on its own. To be legally married, you must also complete a separate civil registration with your local register office. We will explain what applies to your situation from our first conversation, but it is your responsibility to make and complete any separate legal arrangements required to be legally married or to register your relationship. We are not responsible for the legal validity of your marriage or partnership.

Part B — Speaking Services (Speech Support)

We provide speechwriting and delivery coaching for people delivering speeches at weddings and other occasions — for example the father of the bride, best man, maid of honour, groom, parent or host. This is offered as a single combined package:

The Total Speech package — our combined speech service: a consultation to gather your story and material; a written speech drafted from scratch with a round of edits (the writing element); and delivery coaching on timing, structure, pacing and presence (the coaching element). We write it and rehearse it together.

Where we agree that we will deliver or co-deliver a speech on your behalf, this will be stated expressly in your Booking Confirmation. The exact inclusions, number of revision rounds and Fee for your booking are confirmed in your Booking Confirmation.

4. Booking and how a contract is formed

  1. Initial enquiries and the free Connection Call carry no obligation and do not create a contract.
  2. A booking is only confirmed — and a binding contract formed — when both of the following have happened: (a) we send you a Booking Confirmation, and (b) you have paid the Deposit. Until both occur, your date or place is not reserved and we may accept another booking.
  3. We reserve the right to decline any enquiry or booking at our discretion.

5. Fees, deposit and payment

  1. Fee. The Fee for your Services is set out in your Booking Confirmation. Our current package prices are published on our website. Prices may change from time to time, but the Fee quoted in your Booking Confirmation is the Fee that applies to your booking. As we are not currently VAT-registered, no VAT is added to our prices.
  2. Deposit. A non-refundable Deposit of 25% of the Fee is required to secure your date or place. The Deposit forms part of (not in addition to) the total Fee. Subject to your statutory cooling-off rights in Section 6, the Deposit is non-refundable.
  3. Balance. The remaining balance is due no later than six (6) weeks before the Event, unless a different date is stated in your Booking Confirmation. For bookings made fewer than six weeks before the Event, the full Fee is payable at the time of booking.
  4. How to pay. Payment is by bank transfer to the account details provided with your Booking Confirmation.
  5. Late or non-payment. If the balance is not received by the due date, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you (see Section 7), retain the Deposit, and release your date. We are not obliged to deliver the Services until cleared payment of the full Fee has been received.
  6. Travel. Travel within 50 miles of Bourne, Lincolnshire (PE10) is included in all Fees. Travel beyond 50 miles is charged at 45p per mile. Where overnight accommodation is reasonably required (for example for early-morning ceremonies or remote locations) it is charged at cost. Any travel or accommodation costs will always be confirmed and agreed with you in writing before booking.

6. Your 14-day right to cancel (cooling-off period)

Where you book remotely (for example online, by email or by telephone) or away from our business premises, you have a statutory right under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to cancel within 14 days of the date the contract is formed, without giving a reason.

  1. To cancel within this period, tell us clearly in writing (email is fine) at hannah@scottandstory.com before the 14 days expire.
  2. If you cancel within the 14-day period and we have not yet started work at your request, we will refund all sums you have paid, including the Deposit, within 14 days.
  3. Bookings within the cooling-off period. If your Event falls within 14 days of booking, or if you ask us to begin work (for example to start consultations, planning or writing) before the 14-day period ends, you expressly request that we begin during the cooling-off period. If you then cancel, we may charge you a reasonable amount in proportion to the work already performed up to the point you tell us you wish to cancel. If the Services are fully performed within the 14-day period at your request, you lose the right to cancel under this Section.
  4. After the 14-day cooling-off period ends, cancellations are governed by Section 7.

Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer.

7. Cancellation, postponement and changes by you

  1. Cancellation after the cooling-off period. If you cancel after the 14-day cooling-off period (or where no cooling-off period applies), the Deposit is non-refundable. If you cancel after the balance has fallen due or been paid, we will refund the balance less (a) the Deposit, and (b) any travel, accommodation or third-party costs we have already reasonably incurred or committed to on your behalf, and (c) a reasonable amount reflecting work already carried out.
  2. Postponement. If you need to move your date, tell us as soon as possible. Where we are available for your new date, we will transfer your booking and Deposit to the new date at no extra charge (other than any difference in Fee, travel or accommodation costs). If we are not available for your new date, the postponement will be treated as a cancellation by you under clause 7.1. We can hold one postponed date per booking; further changes may incur an administration charge.
  3. Changes to the booking. Reasonable changes to the scope, location or content of the Services may affect the Fee. Any changes and any revised Fee will be agreed in writing.

8. Cancellation or changes by us

  1. Illness or unforeseen circumstances. In the unlikely event that we are unable to attend or deliver your Event (for example due to serious illness, accident or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control), we will tell you as soon as possible and will use reasonable efforts to arrange a suitable substitute celebrant or speaker, or to provide you with the prepared materials so another professional can deliver them. Where a suitable substitute cannot be found and we cannot deliver the Services, our liability is limited to a refund of the Fees you have paid, less the value of any work already completed and delivered to you (for example a completed ceremony script or speech).
  2. Force majeure. We are not liable for failure or delay in performing the Services caused by events beyond our reasonable control (see Section 16).
  3. We will not cancel a confirmed booking other than for good reason.

9. Your responsibilities

  1. Accurate information. You agree to provide accurate, complete and timely information, names, pronunciations, stories and materials we reasonably need to prepare the Services. We are not responsible for errors arising from information you have given us, including incorrect names, dates, facts or pronunciations.
  2. Approvals and deadlines. Where the process includes drafts, planning rounds or approvals, you agree to provide feedback and approvals within the timescales we agree, so that the Services can be completed in good time before the Event.
  3. Venue and logistics. For Ceremony Services, you are responsible for booking and paying for the venue, obtaining any necessary permissions, and arranging anything we reasonably need to deliver the ceremony (for example access, a suitable space, and — where used — a working sound system or microphone). For outdoor or unusual locations, you are responsible for suitable contingency arrangements.
  4. Legal arrangements. As set out in Section 3, you are responsible for completing any separate legal registration required for a legally valid marriage or partnership.
  5. Conduct. You agree that you and your guests will behave reasonably and not subject us to abusive, threatening, discriminatory or unsafe behaviour. We may stop or leave an Event if our reasonable safety is at risk or behaviour is unacceptable, without refund.

10. Speaking Services — additional terms

  1. Material you supply. Speeches are written from the stories, facts and material you provide. You are responsible for the accuracy, lawfulness and appropriateness of that material. You confirm that any anecdotes or information about third parties are, to the best of your knowledge, true and that you are entitled to share them.
  2. Revisions. Your package includes the number of revision rounds stated in your Booking Confirmation. Additional revisions, or substantial changes after final approval, may incur a further charge agreed in advance.
  3. Approval. Once you approve a final draft, the speech is considered complete. You are responsible for checking the final speech and for what you choose to say when delivering it.
  4. Delivery and outcomes. Where coaching is provided, it is guidance and practice support; the delivery on the day remains yours. We give no guarantee as to audience reaction or outcome.
  5. Taste and content. We may decline to write or include content that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, or that we reasonably consider inappropriate.

11. Intellectual property and use of materials

  1. Copyright. All ceremony scripts, speeches, outlines, drafts and other written materials we create remain our intellectual property and copyright until full payment of the Fee is received.
  2. Your licence. On receipt of full payment, we grant you a perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use the final delivered script or speech for your own personal, non-commercial use (for example to keep, read, or have read at your Event). We retain the underlying copyright.
  3. No resale. You may not sell, license, reproduce for profit, or pass off our materials as a template for others, or publish them commercially, without our written permission.
  4. Our portfolio. We may reuse our own general structures, techniques and non-personal wording in other work. We will not reuse the personal details of your story for another client.
  5. Recordings. Any audio or video recording of a ceremony or speech is for your personal use only.

12. Photography, recordings and publicity

  1. We may wish to refer to your Event in our marketing — for example a short testimonial, first names, the type and location of ceremony, or selected photographs. We will only use identifiable details, quotes or photographs with your prior consent, which you can decline or later withdraw by emailing us.
  2. You are responsible for obtaining any permissions needed from your own photographer or venue before sharing their images with us for our use.

13. Liability

  1. Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.
  2. We hold professional indemnity insurance of £1,000,000 and public and products liability insurance of £5,000,000, arranged through our membership of The Celebrant Guild and underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Ltd. A copy of our current certificate of insurance is available to you or your venue on request.
  3. Subject to clause 13.1, our total liability arising out of or in connection with the Services, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, is limited to the total Fee paid by you for the relevant booking.
  4. We are not liable for any loss that is not a foreseeable result of our breach, or for any business losses (we supply Services to consumers for private use only).
  5. We are not responsible for failings of third parties you engage (for example venues, photographers, sound technicians, or the register office), or for matters within your control under Section 9.
  6. This Section does not affect your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, including the right to services carried out with reasonable care and skill.

14. Data protection and privacy

  1. We process your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Scott + Story Limited is the data controller for the personal information you provide.
  2. We collect and use your information only to provide the Services, communicate with you, take payment and meet our legal obligations. We do not sell your data. We keep it only as long as necessary — as set out in our Privacy Notice — and apply appropriate security.
  3. Because ceremonies and speeches often involve personal and sometimes sensitive details about you and others, we treat that information with care and confidentiality, and use it only to prepare and deliver your Services.
  4. You have rights over your data, including the rights to access, correct and request deletion of it. To exercise these rights, or for our full privacy notice, contact hannah@scottandstory.com. You may also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

15. Complaints

We want you to be delighted. If something is not right, please tell us as soon as possible at hannah@scottandstory.com so we can put it right. We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and aim to respond fully within 14 days.

16. Force majeure

We are not liable for any failure or delay in performing the Services caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including illness, accident, bereavement, severe weather, fire, flood, epidemic or pandemic, government restrictions, transport failures or utility failures. If such an event prevents the Event going ahead, we will work with you in good faith to reschedule where possible, subject to clause 7.2.

17. General

  1. Whole agreement. These Terms and your Booking Confirmation are the entire agreement between us and replace any earlier discussions.
  2. Variation. Any change to your booking must be agreed in writing. We may update these Terms for future bookings; the Terms that apply to your booking are those in force when you book.
  3. Severability. If any provision is found to be unenforceable, the rest remain in force.
  4. No waiver. If we do not enforce a right, that is not a waiver of it.
  5. Third parties. No one other than you and us has any rights under these Terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
  6. Assignment. You may not transfer your booking to anyone else without our written agreement.

18. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms and any dispute arising out of them or the Services are governed by the law of England and Wales, and you and we submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.