You may wish to know a little about me So here it goes!
As you may have guessed after viewing parts of this website, I am professional certified and seasoned celebrant, initially trained by the United Kingdom Society of Celebrants with an advanced celebrant training qualification and certified by Choice Celebrant Training; both entities are headquartered in England. I am also a Marriage Officiant licensed by the Province of Ontario.
As a certified celebrant, I am long-term and experienced creative ceremonialist with an understanding of the cultural, distinctive and emotional nuances of a vast array of life-changing ceremonial experiences.
My primary role as a celebrant is to facilitate, create, write and lead ceremonies, customs and ceremonial rituals. This may include weddings, handfastings, vow renewals, commitment ceremonies and celebrations of life. My goal is to design a meaningful and memorable experience that truly respects and honours the individuals involved, their lives and experiences; essentially what makes them, their partners and families special and unique.
One of the key aspects of my role as a celebrant is customization. I work closely with my clients (as much as they wish) to understand their desires, values, and beliefs, then creatively personalize and write the ceremony in a variety of ways. This may involve customizing or custom-writing the ceremony, assisting with personalized vows, selecting readings, and incorporating symbolic rituals, special ceremony elements, cultural wedding and other diverse life-changing traditions.
I also have the privilege of often working with a variety of groups of people, providing cultural sensitivity and respect for different traditions and beliefs by accommodating my clients’ needs.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of helping people mark significant life events with unique and individualized ceremonies, making a positive impact on their lives and the communities I serve.
On a personal note, I was born and educated in Manchester, England and consequently an avid fan of Manchester United – my first love! However, I have lived in Ajax with my family for more than 30 years and before that in the hub of Toronto.
I am also passionate about animals, particularly dogs and owned a rescued German Shorthaired Pointer until she left this us and this world named Casey, leaving so many wonderful and cherished memories of our time together.
Photo credit Dan Berger Photography taken in the beautiful mansion at the historic Parkwood Estate in Oshawa.
Your Life is Unique
Every life is unique. We do not all travel on the same path. Therefore, a ceremony celebrating a marriage, commitment, an incredible life lived and loved, vow renewal or another rite of passage should be as unique as the individuals involved.
I will explore ways of making your ceremony memorable, meaningful and truly personalized. As a result, a distinctive and special wedding or funeral ceremony will be produced, rather than a standard ceremony with interchangeable names.
Your ceremony will be remembered for years to come and the Celebrant difference will speak for itself.
You may be wondering, what is a wedding celebrant?
The word, meaning and value of a Celebrant are generally unknown to most Ontarians. We intend to change that along with you.
Generally, public knowledge regarding wedding celebrancy in Ontario is scarce; its existence in our culture and community has been missed thus far.
Quite simply, a Celebrant is a ceremony specialist trained to write and create personal, memorable and meaningful ceremonies for weddings, commitment ceremonies, handfastings, vow renewals as well as celebrations of life. Celebrancy is not a one size fits all service.
For more information on the wedding celebrant difference, please click here to see our own blog article.
During our lives, we experience numerous milestones. Each event can be marked and celebrated with a perfect ceremonial experience created for you and for your loved ones.
Photo credit for this beautiful photo above goes to Samantha Ong Photography at Willow Springs Winery
