| Born in Tasmania to an artist and Ships Captain, I spent
my early days travelling Australia. In my teenage years we moved
to Perth and I became a “Freo” girl. After uni and
some work, I spent three years overseas and then a couple of
years in Manjimup before I returned to Fremantle. I have been
married for 10 years, have 3 step children and 2 dogs. We live
in an old workers cottage that we have been renovating for several
years.
I am one of the “new” Civil Celebrants. This
means that I am comparatively young (late 30s) and that I
have fresh new ideas to offer you! I completed my Diploma
of Wedding Celebrancy in 2003 and was authorised as a Civil
Marriage Celebrant by the Attorney General’s Office
in December of the same year. I have now been the celebrant
at over 30 ceremonies and no two have been the same.
Some examples of recent ceremonies include barefoot on the
beach at sunrise with 5 guests, in formal attire under a beautiful
old gum tree with 80 guests, in medieval robes in a manicured
garden for a Handfasting and at the end of Woodman’s
Point Jetty with 100 guests, gale force winds, fishermen and
pelicans! And I loved being part of them all.
I became a celebrant because I had reason to attend several
funerals over the course of a year and was able to compare
the several ceremonies as a result. I noticed the effect the
ceremony had on those present. Only one ceremony was a healing
event that allowed mourners to express their grief, say goodbye
and gain some closure. The other ceremonies were at best cold
and distant or at worst unsettling and disrespectful. I felt
so moved by the single positive funeral I attended; I decided
to become a celebrant and conduct dignified, healing ceremonies.
As a teacher, I believed in education and so I sought out
a course of study for aspiring celebrants. At the time there
were only two; both in Melbourne. I signed up for the distance
education course offered by the International College of Celebrancy
and completed a Diploma in General and Marriage Celebrancy.
Though my inspiration was to become a funeral celebrant,
I soon discovered weddings and namings as well as other ceremonies
of transition and change. I also trained to become a Rite
of Passage Facilitator.
I believe that a ceremony is a sacred event, one that marks
a significant change in our lives. As such I feel it should
reflect the personality, beliefs and values of those involved.
To achieve this I work with those involved to develop a ceremony
filled with words and symbolism that hold meaning and relevance
to them. We draw on the huge amount of beautiful prose and
poetry already available and I write original sections as
required. I also give advice on staging so that the ceremony
looks and sounds beautiful and flows seamlessly from one section
into the next.
Ceremony has become my passion. I love the whole process;
from the initial enquiry to the research and drafting, to
the presentation on the day. I am honoured to have been part
of so many significant ceremonies and I am blessed to have
met so many wonderful, caring people through my work.
I hope this information has been of interest and helped you
to know me a little better.
I look forward to hearing your
story and hopefully working with you to develop the ceremony
of your dreams.
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