CHRISTINE O'MALLEY
|
When couples start planning their weddings they often ask should we have a Registrar and Celebrant or should we have an Indepencent Celebrant ? If you are planning to hold your Wedding Ceremony at a venue the Wedding Co-ordinator may guide you towards the Registrar route. This is because there ar eclearly defined guidelines for Registrars and the venue knows that the whole ceremony genereally will be over in less than 20 minutes. I believe the Wedding Celeration Ceremony is the very heart of your day and time needs to be given to allow you to express your feelings and talk about your journey as a couple. So what does a Wedding Celebrant actually do ? Initially an Independent Celebrant will spend time getting to know you
Then together you will be able to craft a unique ceremony which the Celebrant will write from scratch. They will help with the writing of vows, promises and offer suggestions for poems, readings, music etc. The draft script will then be shared and discussed and redafted until it is exactly how you want it. On your day the Celebrnat will read the script and guide you through the ceremony ensuring that your ceremony is both meaningful and heartfelt. For more information please use the contact page to get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you.
0 Comments
Bringing family and friends together is a wonderful way to introduce your new child to the wider community in which they will grow and thrive. The ideal way to do this, if you do not wish to have a religious ceremony, is to have a naming ceremony. There are a number of reasons why you might choose a Celebrant led ceremony. The naming of a child establishes their individuality. Within a Naming ceremony parents dedicate themselves to the upbringing of their child and make promises regarding their future hopes. There is also an opportunity for other adults to make promises of special concern for the welfare of the child as they mature into adulthood. For family and friends who witness the ceremony it is a time to reflect on the part they may play in the child's life in the future. We can often tell by a name the era someone was born in. Some names come into fashion and then loose popularity whilst others seem timeless. Today, when seeking inspiration, parents often look at current celebrities or characters from popular programmes, where once they may have considered family names, those of film stars or prominent public figures. Some of the names which are trending at the moment for girls are Amelia, Olivia and Isla Boys names too have seen some interesting rises in popularity with names such as Noah, Oliver and Liam moving up the ratings. Choosing a name can be quite daunting and when deciding my own children's names we made a short list but put off the final decision for a few days after their birth to see which name seemed to fit them best. Candles in naming ceremony Candles have long been the symbol of light and hope and there is a tradition of using them in ceremonies of all kinds. Below is an extract from a ceremony in which a candle was jointly lit by all the people who would form the circle of support for the child. "This is a symbol of the light and warmth which has been bought into all of your lives through the birth of this child. As this candle burns brightly, so we hope that this child's pathway in life will have a bright future. May they know the warmth of the love that surrounds them." Giving a special gift to a child as a memento of their day is a wonderful way to remember the happy occasion. It also means that as the child grows older the significance of the gift can be explained. This is an extract from a ceremony I conducted in which a gift of a silver thimble was given. "In the story of Peter Pan, Peter and Wendy meet for the first time when Peter is attempting to reattach himself to his shadow. Since his attempt to stick it back with soap fails, Wendy offers to sew the shadow onto Peter with a needle and thread. Once it is attached she offers to give Peter a kiss and he holds out his hand. Not wishing to offend him Wendy places her thimble in his hand. So the thimble becomes a symbol both love and the capacity for compassion in a child." The reasons for choosing a Celebrant-led ceremony can be as diverse as the couples who choose them. However, the one thing which connects all of them is the wish to create a ceremony which is meaningful and personal. Choosing a Celebrant-led ceremony gives a couple more choice about the content to be included. It also means there are fewer restraints on time and place. So if you wish to celebrate your event at home, at an unusual venue or outdoors - a Celebrant-led ceremony would be ideal. Possibly, you would like to hold your ceremony as the sun rises, or weave together two different cultural or religious heritages. All things are possible. When considering the person who will lead your ceremony my advice would be to have a discussion with a number of Celebrants and then choose the person who you feel you can work with. Each Celebrant has their own style and approach so it’s just a case of finding the person you have a connection with. If you would like to discuss your ceremony please feel free to contact me. Each ceremony I create is unique. The starting point for any ceremony is a conversation. If it is possible I prefer to meet people face to face or via a video call. During our conversation we can discuss your ideas, I can make suggestions and we can get to know each other. Using all of this I then create a draft script. The script may go through a number of revisions until it is exactly right. I consider it to be very important that not only the words are right but also the flow and that the ceremony speaks of all those present. There are many elements which can be blended to make the perfect ceremony and these include
If I can help you with your ceremony then please contact me via my website. As a firm believer in celebrating life's important milestones with family and friends I can help you make your ceremony a truly unique and memorable occasion. Using my professional experience I can also provide additional ideas and practical advice, so that your event will be everything you dream it might be. I offer a free initial consultation, so that we can meet informally to talk about your plans, as I understand that getting the right person for your important day is a top priority. So please make contact via the contact page on this website. I look forward to hearing from you. I trained with Civil Ceremonies Ltd, one of the leading providers of the nationally recognised celebrant courses - NVQ level 3 Families and Couples. Prior to this I worked for many years in education. In recent years I have returned to Civil Ceremonies as a tutor working with students during the final assessment week of their training. I find this work very satisfying as it not only means that I get to meet a wide range of people, who are planning to become Independent Celebrants, but also it keeps my own practice up to date. In additon, I offer individual coaching to Early Career Celebarants. This is really wonderful too as I enjoy seeing them flourish and feel I am contributing in a small way to making the role of Independent Celebrant one that is seen in a positive light. One of the aspects of my work as an Independent Celebrant that I most enjoy is being able to creating bespoke ceremonies alongside my clients. I ensure that each ceremony is carefully crafted and work hard to find just the right words and tone to make each unique and meaningful. I specialise in Family ceremonies and these include
If you are planning an event, please feel free to get in touch. I |
AuthorChoosing a Celebrant to help you create that special ceremony is an important step towards making your occasion a really memorable one. Why not take advantage of the free initial meeting I offer ? I believe it is important to meet informally to discuss your ideas and what I can offer. Meeting also gives us an opportunity to explore the type of ceremony that would best suit your needs. Archives
September 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed