It’s always good to celebrate a happy occasion or event! We rather got out of the habit of marking special days because of lockdown. Now we are less timid. And it’s genuinely important to hold such occasions. They are something to look forward to. They help bring people together and encourage a positive mind-set.
If you agree, the next question may be “What shall I celebrate?”.
It sounds obvious, but may repay some restating.
The following is not exhaustive (I’m only choosing three out of many possibilities), but these are the sort of ceremonies I have most often been conducting for people in the decade or so that I have been a celebrant.
One lovely way to foster a spirit of joy, unity and support is to celebrate a wedding. The choices are many – not least, the type of ceremony and then the reception. I cover these in other blogs, so will only mention here a couple of areas that you can explore.
The type of ceremony can be religious (eg church), secular (Register Office) or a combination (civil celebrant).
The venue (depending on the type of ceremony you choose) can be in your church, simply in the Register Office, or at a hotel, say, or less conventionally, in the open air.
The reception can be formal or not and can cater for all ranges and types.
You may well be approaching an anniversary that ends in -5 or -0. Why not organise an event to mark it?
Or things have changed, and you want to redo and/or proclaim your vows.
The beauty of a Vow renewal is that you have no ties or restrictions. With a wedding, certain words must be uttered (and witnessed); in this case, the wording is up to you (working together with your celebrant). You can celebrate wherever you want – some of the Vow Renewals where I have officiated have ranged from a canal towpath to a tepee to a plush hotel. You can choose a venue that has significance for you. Likewise, the ceremony content can be entirely open to your input.
And then you can mark the event with a reception of your choice.
I have deliberately not called this section “Baby Namings”. Of course, most people think of babies when it comes to namings, and I have been invited to do a number of these and they have been beautiful, meaningful ceremonies.
However, you can hold naming ceremonies for older people, even adults. The reason could be that someone was never baptised, say, and wants some kind of recognition. You may have adopted a child, so such a ceremony would be appropriate. Or maybe you are blending two families (each with children), so this would be a suitable way to mark the event.
It is possible to mark many other events (even including a separation!), but I hope I have got you thinking how you may be able to celebrate a special occasion. If so, feel free to contact me for more input and help!