Winter Solstice.

"Let us love Winter, for it is the Spring of Genius."

Today at 3:59pm in the UK (10:59am USA) we welcome the Winter Solstice, the first day of winter, and the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Right now, in the Northern Hemisphere, dark triumphs over light, but this afternoon also brings a turning point. If we were living according to a rhythm that our souls, spirits and bodies craved, in this part of the world we would be tucked into a quiet time, not busy; a thoughtful time, not over-stimulated; a calm time, not rushed; a time of trusting, not impatience. 

 I relish the turn of the seasons, and especially this time of year when we move into a more dormant time in nature. I love that beneath what we can see, nature is preparing new life for us. The manifestation of busy Christmas holidays over the generations temps us away from the reflection and rest we need to be embracing in order to honour and welcome the grace of brighter days ahead. 

Through the years of various courses I’ve written and taught about the Seeds of Grace that enrich our lives, I’ve always emphasised that this time of year is a sort of ‘doldrums’, when we feel a bit stuck. We can’t go back to the warmth and bounty of summer. We can’t yet go forward into the renewal and enrichment of Spring. We’re really meant to go inward this time of year, to be still and to listen for and welcome inspiration that will ultimately make us aware of what we need to understand in order to keep personally growing in life - and just as in nature, to not become 'stagnant'.

But being still and avoiding ‘darkness’ seems to be a modern weakness we’ve inherited – we’ve largely forgotten how to feel negative emotions because we’ve grown to know them as inconvenient, uncomfortable, and we make ourselves feel inadequate and depressed for feeling them. 

But when we're afraid of our own dark times, we cut ourselves off from a very powerful personal growth and personal power. We need dark, quiet and reflective times in life in order to guarantee that the 'Seeds of Grace' that we've sown through the longer days behind us will actually be nurtured into something wonderful. We aren’t meant to overwhelm our lives either, but understanding with gratitude these times of feeling stuck will always be one of the best catalysts for how we are able to go forward and become an even better version of who we are meant to be as we evolve. Nature does not 'produce' 365 days a year - it needs the dark and quiet times to renew. And so do we. 

The phrase ‘Winter Solstice’ is born from Latin; ‘sol’ meaning ‘the sun’ and ‘sistere’ meaning ‘to make stand.’ Right now the sun is travelling the shortest path through the sky, a new solar journey, sharing the least amount of sunlight with earth. The axis of Earth is also pausing and shifting its direction. The sun being still is a wonderful metaphor for how we can reflect on changing the direction of our lives as we enter a new calendar year. What tweaks can we make to ensure the days ahead are fruitful and rewarding?

So, in these hectic few days coming up, allow yourself to notice the peace of the darkness, appreciating the inspiration of the changing of the seasons, and being hopeful for the brighter and more productive days ahead. Let grief or sadness wash over you like a protective embrace, let uncertainty bring you important questions for the brighter days ahead, let fear challenge your heart to become stronger, and let your soul remember how much you have been loved and how much you are loved. Be thankful for the long nights right now, because they are preparing the energy for bright and colourful times for you ahead!

It is my hope for every person reading this that you will find little moments of time in the days ahead to nurture yourself with compassion, to let the energies of soon-to-be new life work their ‘behind the scenes’ magic, and to allow whatever inspiration is eager to slowly build within you and whisper to you to get your attention. 

My wish for you is that, however you define great joy and magnificent hope, it will be your hearty and abundant harvest in 2022! 

Remembering Her 'Heart'

 

This is the face of a remarkable, deeply hearted, thoroughly generous woman. This is the face of our mum, Peggy, the kindest and most welcoming person I have ever had the great privilege to know. Peggy was my mother-in-law, and I won one of life’s best prizes when I married into her family 21 years ago. 

 

Yesterday, I officiated her funeral. After 5 years in this vocation as a Celebrant, after witnessing hundreds of grieving families who were left broken by a loved one’s death, I found myself uniquely in the most arduous position of writing about Peggy, and sharing a glimpse of her fabulous life story to our little corner of the world. Leading her funeral was beyond one of the greatest honours of my life. 

 

Peggy’s life was a beautiful illustration, a sort of tapestry, made from hundreds of thousands of tiny little threads and pieces, woven together, each one representing a time when she touched someone’s life. And that’s something many of us don’t realise; we have no way of understanding just how many lives we touch as we walk through our ordinary, everyday lifetime. 

In recent years, arthritis took much of the life out of Peggy’s hands, but to me, her hands were beautiful because they told the story of who she was. Her hands were the part of her body that she used the most - for sewing, needlework, gardening, knitting, cooking, writing, planting, baking … and especially for holding, hugging. Her hands and her heart were profoundly connected and she embroidered the essence of who she was into everything her hands touched, especially everyone she loved dearly.

 

The sting of mum’s death lingers in our minds, our memories and certainly in our hearts – and tucked away in our hearts is where she lives now. I feel a poignant good fortune for us because I know this means she’ll never really leave us. But even having reached the age of 86, we feel cheated by her departure, though she’s now impossible to forget because memories of her are already beginning to mend the spaces where we were broken by the news that she had moved beyond the adventure of this life. 

As a grieving family, we had the bittersweet honour of having loved Peggy completely, and her departure from this life has now left us with some pieces that we need to put back together, in a different way. Even so, we all feel such immeasurable gratitude for having walked with her by our side through so many life experiences. That’s both the beauty and the risk of loving someone so thoroughly; it doesn’t come without the certainty of grief, but it most definitely comes with the gift of our memories already beginning to mend the spaces where we shattered at the news of her death. And faintly, on the horizon, we begin to feel the early days of healing.

 

It’s Peggy’s ‘heart’ that we’ll remember, and how her eyes, her smile and her hands were painted with the extraordinarily beautiful light that permanently emanated from her soul. 

RIP Mum. Fly now in that place where your spirit is as wide as the world is tall. 

                                

 

 

So, How DOES a Celebrant Write an Amazing, Personalised and Beautifully Meaningful Wedding Ceremony?

Couples always tell me they want their guests to feel joyful, captivated, to feel the love, experience the passion in their relationship, and generally have a heartfelt experience from their wedding. Ceremonies that are personal to a couple's story are written to capture the couple in a way where the whole idea of wedding ceremonies seems to have been invented solely with them in mind.

So, how DO Celebrants write amazing, personalised and beautifully meaningful ceremonies?

To read more from my latest blog at The Celebrant Directory, click here:

How Do Celebrants Write Wedding Ceremonies?

The Wisdom of Sorrow

I'm so pleased to introduce my debut as a resident blogger for The Celebrant Directory!

As a Wedding, Family and Funeral Celebrant, I am greatly privileged to be part of some of life's most meaningful and emotional moments with some of the loveliest people. Sometimes those moments are joyful and sometimes those moments are filled with sorrow.

This first article is born from such an experience and it is a personal story of mine about officiating the funeral by a stillborn baby who was otherwise fully healthy in the womb.

These words may trigger emotions, and if they do then it is my hope that those emotions take you further along the journey of healing.

https://www.thecelebrantdirectory.com/blog/celebrant-stories-coping-with-emotions-during-funerals/

Invite Your Guests to 'Bless' and 'Warm' Your Rings

Have you ever wished you could somehow involve your guests in your Wedding or Vow Renewal Ceremony, and in a way that was meaningful and tasteful? 

Many couples I work with like the idea of including a symbolic gesture in their ceremony, but they aren't entirely comfortable with anything too dramatic, wanting to keep the experience of their ceremony somewhat traditional but with a personal touch.

The perfect way to achieve this is through a suggestion I refer to as a Ring Warming or a Ring Blessing. If the couple is exchanging rings, this is the perfect way to involve guests. It is a very loving and gentle way for guests to offer their hopes, wishes and blessings for the couple's marriage, with very little fuss. 

During a Ring Warming ceremony, the couple's wedding rings are passed around to the guests, on a cushion or in a special decorative pouch or box. I instruct each guest to hold the rings for a few seconds, silently offering their wishes, hopes, prayers for the couple. 

I like to put the best man/best woman or another responsible person in charge of making sure the rings are back well ahead of when they are needed in the ceremony. By the time the vows are ready to be said, and the rings exchanged, the rings have made their way around the room amongst the guests, passed from row to row, and all of the loved ones in attendance have given their own personal 'blessing'.

Alternatively, in a space that is less structured with rows, such as an outdoor wedding in the forest, or at the seaside, the rings can be passed from guest to guest along ribbons or sections of string that are woven between the guests. The rings remain safe because they are 'travelling' through the ribbons from person to person so there is no danger of them sinking into the sand, the sea or the floor of the forest! 

If you like the idea of a Ring Warming, but do not want your rings passed from guest to guest, another option is to have the rings displayed at the ceremony entrance. As guests make their way to their seat, they can stop for a brief moment, hold the rings, offer their blessings, replace the rings, and then find their seat. With this option, I ask one of the ushers, or a family member or friend, to greet guests at the entrance and explain the request.

When it comes time for the couple to exchange rings, I remind them that not only are the rings precious because they are a gift that the couple are exchanging with each other on their wedding day, but they are made even more precious because the rings now contain the heartfelt wishes and blessings of every guest in attendance.

It is such a lovely way to include guests, and an even lovelier way to add sentiment and meaning to an already beautiful ceremony!

Check out my profile on The Celebrant Directory, a new resource for helping you hire the perfect celebrant for your ceremony! While you're there, browse through the fantastic articles and inspirational ideas!  The Celebrant Directory

Amanda Found Her Dream Venue (But It Isn't Licensed!)

"Everything is falling into place so perfectly!", Amanda thought with a certain element of excitement, And relief. Amanda had always wanted to be married in September, her favourite month of the year. She has already purchased her dream wedding dress, one she has had her heart set on wearing for ages. Her closest friends are all excited to be part of her wedding party; even her best friend,  her Maid of Honour, will be home from her overseas work assignment in time for the wedding. Her dream venue is available on the day that she and her fiancé wish to be married. It is an idyllic venue, a fabulous, rustic barn surrounded by acres of the most gorgeous and lush gardens. It was like something out of a movie set. Amanda almost couldn't believe how well her plans are coming together.

She visited the venue, intending to finalise her commitment and make the deposit. While walking around the grounds with the on-site wedding coordinator, discussing general ideas for the celebration, Amanda is almost overcome by how fortunate she is to be getting married here, at this stunning place. "The gardens are perfect for the ceremony, everything I imagined for a beautiful wedding", Amanda says with a great big smile on her face. "Where will we stand with the Registrar, at the top of the garden?" she asks.

"Oh", the wedding coordinator replied, "We're not licensed at this venue so you can't actually have a legal ceremony here".

Amanda felt as though her dream was crushed. She had her heart set on this location for the ceremony and the celebration afterwards. She absolutely loved this venue; she had been thinking about it ever since she got engaged. She felt drained of the joy that surrounded her just a moment ago. She just couldn't imagine starting the process over again in order to find another location. She wanted to be married at this venue, in these gardens, in that barn.

Completely upset, Amanda called her Maid of Honour. Kate was the perfect friend to talk with right now, she always had a sensible approach to things. Amanda was in such a state of despair when she told Kate about this sudden glitch in her wedding plans.

"Amanda, stop worrying! You can still have your wedding there. Just hire a Celebrant to write and officiate a personalised ceremony on the day. You can schedule a brief legal ceremony at the Register Office a day or so beforehand, and then on your wedding day, you can have the wedding ceremony of your dreams with a Celebrant officiating!" Kate sounded so certain about all of this but it was complete news to Amanda and her head was spinning a bit with Kate's words. She had no idea that this option even existed in the UK. Every wedding she had been to was either in a church, or a Civil Ceremony officiated by a Registrar at licensed venue.

"But that feels a bit odd, getting married beforehand and then getting married again at the venue. Is that even legitimate?", Amanda asked, still intrigued by Kate's idea but unsure how it all worked.

"It's not odd at all", Kate replied, "and it's completely legitimate! I know a lovely couple who got married in a Celebrant ceremony a few months ago, and it was such an amazing ceremony. In fact, I'm sure they'll be happy to talk with you and pass along the details of the Celebrant they hired. They were thrilled with the idea that they could co-write the ceremony exactly as they wanted it to be - there were no surprises on the day because they got to edit the whole ceremony. They even included a beautiful symbolic gesture after their vows and ring ceremony - it was so lovely and emotional - and the Celebrant did a beautiful job of personalising the ceremony to make it completely about them. They were even able to write their own vows and choose exactly the music and the readings they wanted to include. You won't find that sort of personalisation and flexibility in a civil ceremony."

"Wow, I had no idea", Amanda said, thoughtful for a long moment and then added, "But did it seem like an actual wedding, you know, with all the traditional aspects of a civil ceremony? I don't want it to just be like a party, I want it to be like a proper wedding. I want my guests to feel they are attending a real wedding".

Kate jumped in quickly. "Amanda, it was exactly like a civil ceremony, only better I think, because it was a traditional wedding that was so personal to the couple. Everyone who was there couldn't stop talking about how lovely it was, and how sentimental and personal the words were, and how it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever attended. You won't be disappointed and it will be a day that will be remembered by everyone as something very special and memorable."

Amanda was getting excited now, and the despair she was feeling only moments ago had ebbed. "Okay! So what do I have to do then?"

Kate had all the advice Amanda needed to start the process. "Well, you know that you can book the venue because you know it's available on the date you want, so talk with the coordinator there and tell them that you want to have a marriage celebration beforehand, some people call it a marriage blessing, and you'd like the garden to be arranged for that. As long as they aren't expecting you to hold the 'legal' ceremony there, they'll be very happy to accommodate you - it's a win-win for all of you", Kate said.

And that is exactly what Amanda did. She and her fiancé booked a small, private legal ceremony that was held at their local Register office a few days before their wedding ceremony at the venue. They brought their parents along as witnesses and then had a lovely lunch out together afterwards. They didn't even exchange their wedding rings on that day because they wanted to save that as a special moment in their wedding ceremony.

They had to choose from standard vows for the civil ceremony, but for their wedding ceremony, they could write their own vows to each other. Amanda wanted to include a reading as well, and she was able to choose anything she wanted without being restricted by the content. She and her fiancé also decided to include a 'Ring Warming' and their rings were passed around, tied onto a little white cushion, from guest to guest during the ceremony. Each person held them in their hands for a moment and silently put their love, blessings, wishes, prayers, and hopes into the rings for the couple, before passing them along to the next guest. It was such a lovely choice and their guests were delighted to be able to be part of the ceremony that way.

Amanda and her fiancé did, in fact, have an absolutely beautiful personalised wedding ceremony, on the day of their choosing, at the venue they desired. And they had their legal ceremony as a quiet affair just days before. They had the best of both worlds!

And. It. Was. A. Perfect. Day.

Amanda's story highlights a rapidly growing, and very popular trend developing in how couples are choosing to design their wedding ceremony. No longer is it expected that couples must adhere to strict rules and perspectives imposed by others around when and where they can hold their wedding ceremony.

Interestingly, when a child is born, their birth is not legally registered on the same day of their birth. When someone passes away, their death is not legally registered on the day they died. So, it stands that when a couple has a wedding ceremony, that does not need to be on the same day that they completed their legal paperwork.

A wedding is not an occasion that comes along frequently in life, so it stands to reason that a couple should be able to design their special day according to how 'they' wish it to be, not around restrictions and guidelines that are influenced by outsiders who aren't personally invested in the couple. The greater portion of a Wedding Ceremony should be about the couple, the love they share, the strength of their relationship, their intentions in honouring their marriage, their ambitions as a married partnership.

Some couples will arrange to have a quiet legal civil ceremony in a church or temple first, rather than with a Registrar - it depends on their personal preference. Either way, the legal portion of a marriage is properly completed and then a couple are completely free to plan a celebration of that marriage in any way they wish, and in a way that honours what they believe, as well as taking their personalities and their expectations into consideration.

As a celebrant, my job is to work with you to write, design and officiate a bespoke, personalised, completely meaningful, beautifully orchestrated wedding ceremony - precisely how you wish it to be on the day. I provide you with a wealth of comprehensive wedding ceremony planning resources and between us, we will create, literally, the perfect wedding ceremony for you!

You get to tell me how you wish the ceremony to be -  not the other way around. Do you want the ceremony to be more traditional? Or, do you wish it to be as simple as possible? Do you want your ceremony to be unique to your personalities, or do you want to create a special theme for your ceremony, perhaps based on a favourite pastime? Do you want to include any family traditions or cultural gestures in your ceremony? Perhaps you want a blend of all of those options? You can include symbolic gestures, or not. You can include spiritual or religious elements, or not. Your Wedding Ceremony should be designed entirely with your wishes at the forefront.

And most important, you can hold your wedding ceremony absolutely anywhere you wish ~ in a family garden, at a national park, at the seaside, in a pub or restaurant, at an historic home, in a field, on a mountain, at a lakeside, atop a landmark building, in a barn, in a teepee, at a campsite, in an orchard, by a river, at a waterfall, on a boat, in a forest.

The beauty of a Celebrant-led wedding ceremony is that you can choose anywhere you wish for your venue. As it's not the legal event, you are not restricted in any way as to content or location (though some public locations might like you to let them know if you plan to have a ceremony in the area).

For more information, visit my website at Ellen Bower Ceremonies! If you'd like more perspective on how a bespoke ceremony can be arranged, completely without obligation, get in touch via my website. Or visit my Facebook Page.

What Should You Ask a Celebrant ... BEFORE You Hire Them?

Now that the wedding season for 2016 is starting to slow down a bit, many couples are thinking about organising weddings for next year or beyond. And finding a Celebrant to officiate the ceremony is likely at the top of most lists.

Your ceremony is the most significant event in your life at this time and, in a way, you are asking someone to 'hold your heart' while they tell your story, which you hope will be in a beautiful, meaningful and passionate way.

What are YOUR questions?

Here are some of the things many couples wonder about when they research Celebrants and begin the process of enquiring about their services. Perhaps you'll find some of your answers here!

I want someone who will 'tell our story' in a meaningful way. How will you do that?

This is such an important occasion in your life and the person responsible to officiate must be able to do so with professionalism, with the right level of emotion, as well as with an understanding and an empathy for the story being told on your behalf. You might gain an idea of someone's style by speaking with them or meeting with them before you make a decision.

It is very important to me that I get to know both of you, and learn as much as I can about your family and friends before I write your ceremony. With this perspective, I can write in a style that will suit your personalities, as well as meet your expectations of what will be said in the ceremony on the day.

I would like someone with a lovely voice, clear and easy to listen to; someone who captivates our guests. What do people say about your speaking voice and how do you engage an audience?

Similar to the above response, you will gain a good feeling about a Celebrant by speaking with them, either by phone, by Skype, or in a face-to-face meeting. A Celebrant should always be willing to accommodate this request before expecting you to book with them. You will also want to have a sense for whether the Celebrant will be 'performing' or whether their personality and style will blend well into the ceremony.

My clients all tell me they love the tone of my voice. I have a soft American accent (Californian), which is very appealing in this British culture. I am told often that my voice is captivating and that it is a great style for story-telling - and let's face it! Telling your story is what will make your ceremony unique!

Why do you enjoy your role as a Celebrant?

This is a good question to ask because you likely want a Celebrant who believes in the joy, love and emotion of your occasion in the same way that you do. This is an extremely reasonable expectation, and while it may not be possible to fully know a Celebrant's background or current personal

   circumstances, a comfort level should come through

   during your initial contact and subsequent meetings. If

   you do not feel that the Celebrant you are interviewing has

   the level of empathy and/or emotion that you desire, then

   they are not the right person for you.

   I created my vocation as a Celebrant because I

   delight in celebrating occasions and special

   moments in life; I believe it is so important to

   mark our experiences especially when they are so

   meaningful.

I want a Celebrant who is organised and who we can trust to be punctual and prepared on the day. How do you organise your clients and your workload, particularly during peak season?

Great question! How a Celebrant first contacts you, and what they say and provide as resources is a very good indicator of their general professionalism and organisation. A Celebrant should reply to your query within 48 hours or sooner; if they cannot reply in depth then at least an acknowledgement should be sent. Their reply email should be fairly indepth, attempting to answer some of your initial questions. Their reply should provide you with a good glimpse into how they run their business and how serious they are about wanting to take you on as a client. For example, the Celebrant should explain their process, what they expect from you in terms of payment schedule, offer insight into what you can expect when you work with them, and highlight any resources they will share with you when you book their services. Following on from that, when you pay a booking fee or deposit, the Celebrant should email you a 'receipt' straight away upon receipt of the funds. You should never have to chase a Celebrant for things like receipts, nor should you have to chase a Celebrant about writing your ceremony draft; they should be on top of that and should be communicating with you closer to the date.

I thrive on being prepared and early! I always arrive at the venue 30-60 minutes ahead of time, and I always prepare a playlist of the wedding music on my own iPad as a back up (there is nothing more stressful than someone forgetting the music on the day)!

I want a Celebrant I can trust and who will make my event a priority. What happens if, for some reason, you are unable to attend our occasion on the day?

A trustworthy Celebrant will be clear about their terms and conditions, and those should be printed on the booking form that you will sign. You have every right to know what alternative plans will be made should the person you hire not be available on the day. And the reason for a Celebrant to not be available should be dire (such as a severe illness, an accident preventing them from travelling, a family emergency, and so on). The Celebrant you hire should be able to offer you alternative plans as assurance that your ceremony will take place despite their presence. Fortunately, by the time the day of your ceremony arrives, your ceremony will have been written, approved by you and finalised. So, the first alternate plan is for your Celebrant to arrange for another Celebrant from their organisation to fill in on the day. If that is not achievable, then the Celebrant should refund the final balance, with the understanding that you find another Celebrant, or you can secure a friend or family member to officiate the ceremony for you.

I network frequently with other Celebrants and I have my own list of Celebrants who have a similar style to my own, and whose intentions and ethics match my level of working with people. 

We want our ceremony to be very traditional so our guests feel they are attending a Civil Ceremony. Will a you be able to create a ceremony so that everyone thinks this is the 'real' legal ceremony?

This is one of the most common requests. Couples are warming to the idea of completing their legal ceremony at the register office ahead of the wedding ceremony, but often couples want their guests to feel they are attending the actual legal ceremony. A Celebrant-led ceremony is not a legal event, however most components of the legal ceremony can be included. This is a perfect option because couples can have a 'traditional' ceremony, while personalising it with more romance, with more of a focus on the couple, and with any religious or non-religious content they desire. The Ceremony can also include readings, singing (if desired), symbolic gestures, vows (traditionally repeated or spoken to each other), ring promises, and so on.

We want our ceremony to be non-traditional, laid back and unique to us, without the standard components of a civil ceremony. Will a Celebrant be able to create this?

This is an equally common request. Many couples see a Celebrant-led ceremony as an acknowledgement of their legal ceremony. Some refer to this as a Marriage blessing or a Commitment Ceremony. In this case, the couple decides which components of a ceremony they wish to include, plus the addition of any symbolic gestures they desire (e.g.  Sand Ceremony, Marriage Box, Hand-Fasting, Ring Warming, Candle Lighting etc.).

I have never been short on ideas! I am an excellent resource for ways to make your ceremony special and unique!

Some of our family are quite religious. Is there any way to include something that can honour their beliefs without compromising our preference for a non-religious ceremony?

I am often asked to write special prayers or blessings that can be offered during a ceremony. Sometimes I am asked to include standard prayers from the couple's faith. In a Celebrant-led ceremony, you can include anything that you desire. The decision is yours and your Celebrant should honour those wishes without hesitation. I have officiated wedding ceremonies with leaders of other faiths joining in by offering prayers (e.g rabbis, vicars, etc.) and wedding ceremonies influenced by various cultures (e.g. Hindu, Chinese, Spanish, Scottish, Korean, and so on). And at other weddings that have had a Buddhist influence, I have officiated a blessing to meet those beliefs.  Whatever the wishes of the couple, those can be honoured.

We would like to involve our children in some way. Is this something we can do?

Including children in a ceremony is lovely and there are many ways this can be achieved. Many of the symbolic gestures that I will share with you can be adapted to include children, particularly one like the Sand Ceremony where each person in the family can have their own unique coloured sand to blend together with the others. There are many ways that children can be included so be sure to explore those ideas with your Celebrant.

Do our guests need to know that we had our legal ceremony on a different day? We'd prefer to keep that private.

No need whatsoever for your guests to know when you completed your legal ceremony. The wedding ceremony will be officiated as a traditional Civil Ceremony if that is your wish. While I am present as a Celebrant and not a Registrar, there is no reason why the wedding ceremony cannot mirror a traditional ceremony on the day.

I want to include a new tradition. Is that something we can do?

Absolutely! The beauty of a celebrant-led ceremony is that you can include any new traditions or existing family traditions in the ceremony. This is the perfect occasion to start a new tradition or to blend cultures if that suits your family.

I was brought up Christian but not do not go to church any more. Can we still have some prayers in our ceremony?

Yes, as mentioned above, I am often asked to write special prayers or blessings that can be offered during a ceremony. Sometimes I am asked to include standard prayers from the couple's faith. In a Celebrant-led ceremony, you can include anything that you desire. The decision is yours and your Celebrant should honour those wishes without hesitation.

What do you generally wear to officiate ceremonies?

I always check about any theme or particular colours that the bridal party will wear because I want to be sure that the colours I choose on the day complement the general colour scheme. I tend to wear outfits that blend in well, the sort of outfits I might wear to a wedding as a guest. I personally prefer not to wear suits as it is not my particular style.

Can we have our wedding ceremony outdoors? In a field or at the seaside? In the woods or in a park? In my family's garden. In a favourite pub or place of interest?

Yes, anywhere! You can choose to hold your wedding ceremony anywhere you like, and that includes all locations that are not licensed. Since this is not the legal ceremony, you are not restricted to following strict regulations. As long as the venue you choose is receptive to the idea of organising the space for a ceremony, then you can hold your ceremony there. The only advice that I will offer is that if you choose an outdoor venue (and many couples have their hearts set on an outdoor wedding), please consider alternative plans should the weather not cooperate. A small drizzle or occasional shower is fine, but if the day is blustery and stormy, then you'll want to be under cover. This can be achieved either by arranging with the venue to use a room on the day, or using a marquee for the ceremony, which can then be reset for the meal and entertainment portion of the day.

Can we have any theme we want for our Ceremony? Will a Celebrant cooperate or do we have to follow specific guidelines?

   Yes, of course! If there is a particular message or theme
   you wish your ceremony to portray, then the Celebrant
   should work with you to achieve that. And this can be
   written into the Ceremony script as well, especially if there
   are any passages or readings that are theme-oriented. If
   your theme includes fancy dress, then you can also
   ask the Celebrant if they would cooperate by dressing in a
   particular way on the day in honour of the theme. Most
   should be willing to accommodate that wish.

  

What questions do you have about hiring a Celebrant?

For answers to your questions about hiring a Celebrant, contact me and I'm happy to offer you some guidance! www.ellenbowerceremonies.com or bower_ellen@yahoo.com