September is a celebration for me – 15 years ago I became a Marriage Celebrant, something worth celebrating! I have had the pleasure of working with many beautiful couples and families over the years, many who have become cherished friends.
Over the years, I have enjoyed helping my couples celebrate weddings, commitment ceremonies, vow renewals, baby naming’s, even business naming’s! I have worked with religious ministers for multi-faith weddings, to enable both sides to be involved as well.
I have always been a massive supporter of same sex marriages, or as I like to call them, marriages! I cried at the first one I did, which luckily was for friends of mine, so they didn’t mind! Of course, there have been some real highs and some not-so high moments.
Being an event Manager of many (many) years, being adaptable and finding solutions is something I excel at. I’ve had grooms forgetting rings, florists forgetting petals for the flower girl, music malfunctions, vomiting brides, weather disruptions, and wind blowing so hard, all of our dresses were showing a lot more than they should!
Like the mechanic with the bad car, my own wedding was (for me anyway) a learning experience! Being on the other side, and being somewhat of a control freak, it was illuminating to say the least. The main part to remember is that your ceremony is your choice. You can personalise your vows, your ceremony, whatever you prefer, as long as the legalities are covered, which is my job!
I’ve heard some incredible vows, funny, light-hearted ones, ones that catch you in your throat, some straight
out of a romance novel, and some that make you want to go home and hug your own loved ones. All these experiences have helped create a valuable library of lessons to be learnt and passed on to my couples. My favourite saying is “A wedding is not a performance or a party, if at the end of the day you are married to your soulmate, then it all went right”
