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!
The “bad” side of Weddings
Sometimes weddings bring out the worst in people. Luckily for me, I have only experienced a few examples of this, but not everything has always gone entirely smoothly! Of course, I have been at the receiving end of rudeness, or shall we say, thoughtlessness. People...
Choosing your Wedding Readings
I'm often asked for help with choosing wedding readings. It's a tricky one indeed! You have to factor in individual preferences, the tone of the ceremony, length of reading (and proficiency of the reader!), and the message (if any). So the piece can be partly - or...
What Exactly is a Civil Celebrant?
For many people, using a celebrant is a grey area. What exactly is a Civil Celebrant? What do they offer? Why use one at all? The expected benefits If you use a civil celebrant, you expect a friendly, professional service. You can count on them to offer sensible...
What shall I celebrate?
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...
St Valentine’s Day
For a celebrant like myself, St Valentine’s Day, with its associations of romanticism, ought to be a big deal. In practice, in a dozen years as a celebrant, I have never conducted a ceremony on that particular day. So it has less significance than you might have...
So Rewarding!
It's relatively easy to conduct a ceremony that is light and full of joy. That usually goes for a wedding or celebration. Sure, there will be solemn sections, although even these can be tempered with amusing moments. (Think of a couple's own Vows, for instance.)...
Who Does What at a Wedding?
There is a certain amount of confusion about who does what at a wedding. Time to sort it out! Before I launch into this subject, I would like to point out that the roles are not set in stone, and there is no compulsion to use any or all of the roles I discuss. Indeed,...
Make the Most of your Civil Celebrant
To make the most of your civil celebrant, you need to have some idea what they offer! They don’t come with an instruction manual, so you need to ask some questions to find out why they can make such a difference. As next best thing, here are some answers to a few of...
Cheap Weddings?
Cheap Weddings are not common. I think you already knew that, didn’t you? But they don’t have to be that expensive. There are ways of cutting corners without skimping on quality. Obviously, not everyone’s budget or wishes are the same. I’m therefore going to...