Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The Celebrant Directory Ltd trading as The Celebrant Guild ("we", "us", "our", "the Guild") is committed to protecting your privacy and personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our services.

We are the data controller for the personal data we process about you. Our company is registered in England and Wales (Company Number: 11759599) with our registered office at 1 Wrockwardine Road, Wellington, Telford, England, TF1 3DA.

This policy applies to all users of our website, members of The Celebrant Guild, and users of The Celebrant Directory and The Hive community platform.


2. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

  • Contract: To fulfill our membership agreement and provide services you've requested

  • Legitimate Interests: To operate our business, improve our services, and communicate with members

  • Consent: Where you've given specific permission for certain processing activities

  • Legal Obligation: To comply with legal requirements such as tax and insurance obligations

For direct e-mail marketing to existing members we rely on the ‘soft opt-in’ under PECR. We do not carry out automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.


3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

Account Registration:

  • Full name and contact details (email, phone, address)

  • Professional qualifications and certifications

  • Payment information (processed securely by our payment partners)

  • Profile photos and business information

  • Professional experience and ceremony history

Directory Listings:

  • Business name and description

  • Services offered and specialisations

  • Geographic coverage areas

  • Photos, testimonials, and promotional materials

  • Contact preferences and availability

Community Participation:

  • Posts, comments, and messages in The Hive

  • Event registrations and attendance

  • Feedback and survey responses

  • Support requests and communications

3.2 Information We Collect Automatically

Website Usage:

  • IP address and browser information

  • Pages visited and time spent on site

  • Referral sources and search terms

  • Device type and operating system

Service Usage:

  • Login frequency and platform engagement

  • Features used and content accessed

  • Community participation metrics

  • Directory profile views and enquiry patterns

Such analytics are used only to improve service and are not used for automated decision-making.

3.3 Information from Third Parties

Professional Verification:

  • Training organisation confirmations

  • Professional references where provided

  • Public directory listings (for verification purposes)

  • Insurance and legal requirement checks


4. How We Use Your Information

4.1 Service Provision

  • Creating and managing your membership account

  • Processing payments and managing billing

  • Providing directory listings and community access

  • Delivering professional development opportunities

  • Managing insurance coverage and claims

4.2 Communication

  • Sending membership updates and important notices

  • Providing customer support and technical assistance

  • Sharing relevant professional development opportunities

  • Conducting member surveys and feedback collection

  • Marketing communications (where consented)

4.3 Business Operations

  • Improving our services and user experience

  • Conducting research and analytics

  • Ensuring security and preventing fraud

  • Complying with legal and regulatory requirements

  • Managing partnerships and business relationships

4.4 Directory Services

  • Displaying your profile to potential clients

  • Facilitating enquiries and bookings

  • Providing search and filtering functionality

  • Generating performance analytics and insights


5. Sharing Your Information

5.1 Public Directory Display

Your directory profile information is publicly displayed to help potential clients find and contact you. This includes:

  • Professional name and business information

  • Contact details (as you specify)

  • Service descriptions and geographic coverage

  • Photos and testimonials you provide

  • Professional credentials and certifications

5.2 Service Partners

We share limited information with trusted partners to provide our services:

Payment Processors: Billing information to process membership payments Insurance Providers: Professional details for coverage verification and claims Technology Partners: Necessary data for platform functionality and security Professional Development Partners: Registration information for events and training. Some partners are located outside the UK/EEA; see Section 9 for transfer safeguards.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, regulation, or legal process, including:

  • Court orders or legal proceedings

  • Regulatory investigations or compliance requirements

  • Protection of our rights, property, or safety

  • Prevention or investigation of fraud or illegal activity

5.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the new entity, subject to the same privacy protections.


6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations:

Active Membership: Throughout your membership period Directory Listings: For 12 months after membership ends (then anonymised) Financial Records: 7 years for tax and legal compliance Insurance Records: As required by insurance providers and regulations Community Content: Indefinitely (but anonymised upon request) Website Analytics: 26 months maximum

You may request earlier deletion of your data, subject to legal and contractual obligations.


7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have the following rights:

7.1 Access and Portability

  • Request copies of your personal data

  • Receive your data in a portable format

  • Understand how your data is being used

7.2 Correction and Completion

  • Correct inaccurate personal data

  • Complete incomplete information

  • Update your preferences and settings

7.3 Deletion and Restriction

  • Request deletion of your personal data

  • Restrict processing in certain circumstances

  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests

  • Object to processing of your data for direct marketing at any time

  • Object to decisions based solely on automated processing

7.4 Marketing Communications

  • Opt out of marketing emails at any time

  • Choose your communication preferences

  • Withdraw consent for direct marketing

To exercise these rights, contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected].


8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data:

Technical Safeguards:

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest

  • Secure hosting and backup systems

  • Regular security updates and monitoring

  • Access controls and authentication measures

Organisational Safeguards:

  • Staff training on data protection

  • Privacy by design in system development

  • Regular security assessments and audits

  • Incident response and breach notification procedures

  • We will notify you and the ICO of any personal-data breach where legally required

Third-Party Security:

  • Due diligence on all service partners

  • Contractual data protection requirements

  • Regular security assessments of partners

  • Monitoring of third-party compliance


9. International Transfers

Your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the UK/EEA for:

  • Cloud hosting and backup services

  • Payment processing and fraud prevention

  • Customer support and technical services

  • Key suppliers include cloud hosting and payment processors

We ensure adequate protection through:

  • Adequacy decisions by relevant authorities

  • Standard contractual clauses with data processors

  • Certification schemes and codes of conduct

  • Your explicit consent where required


10. Cookies and Tracking

10.1 Essential Cookies

We use necessary cookies to provide our services:

  • Authentication and security

  • Session management

  • Load balancing and performance

  • User preferences and settings

10.2 Analytics and Performance

With your consent, we use cookies for:

  • Website analytics and user behaviour

  • Service improvement and optimisation

  • Error monitoring and bug fixes

  • Performance measurement

10.3 Marketing and Social Media

Where consented, we may use:

  • Social media integration cookies

  • Marketing campaign tracking

  • Personalised content delivery

  • Cross-platform analytics

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie preference centre.


11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that a child has provided personal data, we will delete it promptly. Parents or guardians who believe we hold data about a child may contact us for immediate deletion.


12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect:

  • Changes in our services or business practices

  • Legal or regulatory requirements

  • Industry best practices and standards

  • User feedback and requests

We will notify you of material changes by:

  • Email notification to registered members

  • Prominent notice on our website

  • Update notification in member dashboard

  • Posted notice in The Hive community

Your continued use of our services after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.


13. Contact Information

13.1 Data Protection Officer

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights:

Email: [email protected]

Post: Data Protection Officer, The Celebrant Directory Ltd, 1 Wrockwardine Road, Wellington, Telford, England, TF1 3DA

13.2 General Enquiries

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thecelebrantguild.com

13.3 Supervisory Authority

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):Website: www.ico.org.uk

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF


14. Specific Service Privacy Notices

14.1 The Celebrant Directory

  • Your profile information is publicly searchable

  • Enquiry forms collect basic contact information

  • We track profile views and search interactions

  • Client testimonials require your permission to display

14.2 The Hive Community

  • Community posts and interactions are visible to other members

  • Private messages are encrypted and not monitored

  • We may use aggregated community data for service improvement

  • Member directory facilitates professional networking

14.3 Insurance Services

  • Professional details shared with insurance providers for coverage

  • Claims information processed according to insurance requirements

  • Regular risk assessments may require updated information

  • Coverage verification requires sharing professional credentials


15. Your Responsibilities

As a member, you are responsible for:

  • Providing accurate and truthful information

  • Maintaining the security of your account credentials

  • Respecting other members' privacy in community interactions

  • Reporting any privacy concerns or data breaches

  • Keeping your contact information up to date


The Celebrant Directory Ltd trading as The Celebrant Guild

Company Registration: 11759599

Registered Office: 1 Wrockwardine Road, Wellington, Telford, England, TF1 3DA


This Privacy Policy is effective as of the date last updated above and supersedes all previous versions. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.