Welcome to my blog

This blog is a compilation of thoughts, musings and experiences of my life as a Civil Celebrant, mixed in with my reactions to relevant current events and news stories. There’s always lots to talk about!
Weddings from Hell!

Weddings from Hell!

In my experience (10 years as a celebrant), I have been involved in a few weddings from hell. True, the vast majority of these events have been delightful, happy, beautiful occasions. But a few stick in the memory for entirely different reasons! Sometimes,...

Ceremony Readings

Ceremony Readings

Whatever the occasion you are marking, the event can be appreciably improved depending on the texts you use. People often assume that they need to follow a standard liturgy for ceremony readings. Obviously, this is the case, if you’re having a church ceremony....

How to Make a Civil Celebrant Really Work for You

How to Make a Civil Celebrant Really Work for You

A lot of people don’t think of using a Civil Celebrant. One reason is that they don’t know how to make one work for them. There is a lot of misunderstanding about what a celebrant does (or does not) do. No two celebrants are the same  - and that is part of the...

Proposing on Leap Day

Proposing on Leap Day

Thursday sees that relatively rare event – the extra day added to our calendar to mark Leap Year. It’s a correction to counter the fact that Earth’s orbit isn’t precisely 365 days a year. It gives rise (for some reason) to “bachelor’s Day”. This is an Irish tradition...

Does a Celebration justify the expense and effort?

Does a Celebration justify the expense and effort?

Finances are not easy for many of us. We are often reluctant to spend. It’s natural to want to hold on to what one has got. Organising an event, even with the help of professionals, can be daunting. And expensive. So why bother? The Attractions One reason for a...

Sorting Out Roles at a Wedding

Sorting Out Roles at a Wedding

Just as there may be flexibility about the roles at a wedding so there is often a little confusion. Let's see if we can uncloud the waters. As far as one can generalise, here are my guidelines. Bride The star turn – everybody looks forward to the bride walking down...

How to Choose the Best Wedding Venue

How to Choose the Best Wedding Venue

Let’s set aside cost for the moment, shall we? What (else) is going to make you opt for one venue over another? It’s important to get this right, as so much will depend on the venue. Obviously, location, atmosphere, facilities and accessibility are likely to enter...

Making it all Worthwhile

Making it all Worthwhile

It's really nice to be appreciated! I recently received this thank-you email, and it made all the work so worthwhile! "First I would like to thank you from myself and Allan and family for the wonderful order of service you gave at my brothers funeral. Your help was...

Saving Money on your wedding

Saving Money on your wedding

Weddings can cost a shedload of cash, of course. You may well choose to use professionals, and, as their name suggests, they’re going to want paying. It’s not unreasonable, as they will be giving up time and drawing on valuable experience and expertise, not to mention...