It may somehow have escaped your notice, but it’s World Celebrants Week this week.
I’d like to tell you why I became an independent Civil Celebrant ten years ago, if I may.
I certainly had no plan to become one – in fact, I had never heard of such a thing!
In 2010 and 2011, I was doing a lot of self-improvement, but otherwise in a rut. I was in network marketing, selling lovely natural health products that made a difference. That was rewarding, but not rewarding financially, so I was drifting.
One day I attended a networking event, and chanced on my first-ever celebrant. When he told me a bit about his work, my ears pricked up. I was particularly impressed when he pointed out that he could enable people to have the ceremony they actually wanted on their big day. Wow! Why shouldn’t they have their special day as they wanted?! It made such good sense.
And I could help them achieve that!
I took his business card and rang him up a couple of days later with questions. Satisfied, I realised I was hooked and I decided to commit. Off I went into deepest Oxfordshire for a weekend’s residential training for my Diploma in Wedding Celebrancy.
While on the course, we had to prepare and deliver (fictional) wedding addresses in front of the group. When I did mine, several people said I had a good voice for funerals. Well, I wasn’t quite sure how to take that, but I guessed it was OK. So I enrolled for my Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy a couple of months later.
Joining the AOIC (a trade association with high standards) was the final link, and I was ready to be let loose on the world!
Interestingly, perhaps, I put myself forward to take my first funeral fairly quickly, and it went OK. For no good reason, I was more frightened about taking a wedding, and only put myself forward minimally. However, after a few months, my website was picked up and an enquiry came in.
That’s quite a story. I’ll tell you about it next time, so watch this space!