I was honoured this week to deliver a memorial service for a lady who left us at the very start of covid, because of the funeral restrictions at that time her family were unable to give her the send off they knew she deserved and would have liked, so after 18 months they planned her send off in the most beautiful and personal way, a because she was a lover of a party and very sociable being they booked a room, provided food and music and there was a bar! I have never delivered a memorial in a room where you could literally hear a pin drop, because of the time since her death, the initial rawness of grief had passed and family members were able to contribute with their own words, it was beautiful, such heartfelt words, her 17 year old granddaughter could be a celebrant in the making, her poetry of words and her eloquence of speaking was amazing. Afterwards the music played were all the family party favourites, ones that brought back amazing memories of family celebrations, the celebration of life continued for many hours, so a fitting and true celebration for a very special woman.
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I am so proud and happy to have been nominated by some lovely families for the global funeral celebrant award, it is very humbling when you have written and delivered a funeral eulogy for a family who have lost their loved one, it is even more humbling when they have nominated you for an award, I have also had some lovely messages from bereaved family members from the past 2 -3 years who have let me know they have voted for me, I get so much job satisfaction from my role as a funeral celebrant it is always amazing to get lovely feedback, and especially when the family members have taken the time to write that review on The Celebrant Directory, Facebook and Google, this action makes such a difference to me as an independent celebrant with regard to my on line profile and marketing. I would like to therefore thank all the families I work with when I am planning a funeral or wedding as those reviews do make a difference to me.
Yesterday I was privileged and honoured to take the funeral service for a much loved family man, his family had so many amazing stories, the fun they'd had, the way he always put them first, a true northern soul.The funeral was limited in numbers because of the pandemic but it still has all the elements his family wanted for his send off. It was a funeral service held in a crematorium followed by a short, dignified car procession to his local graveyard which was full of family graves, all lovingly cared for, lots of funeral flowers, predominantly yellow roses which brightened the scene. The funeral director and all staff wore yellow ties and I wore a yellow scarf as this was his favourite colour. Some lovely words said at the graveside whilst flowers were placed onto his coffin. A funeral that was full of love and laughter as well as some sadness at what the family will miss. I get a lot of job satisfaction in my role as a funeral celebrant, for me the honour of being asked to take part and create a special funeral ceremony for a families loved one is something I never take for granted, this is the last thing families can do and it is important that the service /ceremony is created and delivered with the utmost respect for their loss and to ensure the true story of the deceased is told.
We are all living with many restrictions in 2020, masks, minimal socialising, small weddings.
I have done four micro weddings this year and I have to say they were stunning, very intimate and happy. All the trimmings were there but on a smaller scale. The ceremony took on a special meaning because of the intimacy of the small numbers. The guests informed me they were particularly honoured to have been invited and really went out of their way to create a loving and special day. Remember when planning a micro wedding to consider all aspects of your wedding, photography - you will have time to set up some special shots inside and outside of your venue, you won't need to rush your photographer. Your flowers can be as fabulous and gorgeous as planned for a larger wedding. Your food will still be amazing and the staff serving won't be rushing to get out large numbers of meals worrying about it being hot. You will be able to chat to all of your guests in a relaxed way instead of spending time making sure you speak to everyone you will be able to spend time with all of your guests, your guests will be one happy , chatty group, there won't be small separate groups. A micro wedding is a beautiful intimate celebration of your love, with your most special people there, enjoy every minute of your day. So here we are, heading towards Halloween, why not have a lovely autumnal celebrations, all the lovely autumn colours, beautiful pumpkins carved and place at the end of your guest seating with candles in - this will look stunning, consider a themed wedding, I did an outdoor wedding last year with a Halloween theme, it was fabulous, all woodland style table decorations with small pumpkins, the wedding cake was chocolate and decorated like a tree with pumpkins in, very simple but so impressive, let your imagination run free, let your wedding celebrant write you your unique and personalised ceremony bringing in the theme you have chosen.
When I was asked to do a wedding ceremony to be beat the very restrictive Covid rule changes, I was quite excited, I was even more excited when I found out the couple had a little boy, who they were planning a separate naming ceremony for, my suggestion to them was to combine it with their wedding. So off I went ideas in hand, incorporated a sneaky naming element into the ceremony - non of the guests or guide parent knew, what a surprise lots of tears and happy people, humanist style, inclusive ceremony, and the whole thing was live streamed to everyone who couldn't be there, a magical day.
Incorporating the naming made the day even more special because it became a ceremony, not just about the couple, but about their family unit. Whether you want traditional wedding vows, modern or humorous vows, why not have them written uniquely for you? That is why you need a celebrant to help you make those important vows as special as they can be, why have the bog standard that everyone else uses? make them unique to you and your story. As a celebrant I can help you to think and decide what style of vows you want and help you create them with you, so they say exactly what you feel, what your hopes and dreams as a couple are for your future together. Photograph by 14Photographers
So at last the rules have changed, you are now able to have small weddings with a reception afterwards, as long as the venue is Covid compliant and you still practice social distancing.
If a small, intimate, private classy wedding is good enough for Princess Beatrice why don't you have one and buck the trend for large and lavish. The Princess Beatrice wedding yesterday may have had the Queen present, which you can't have, but in every family there is someone who is treat like a queen so make sure they are invited. 30 guests can mean you qualify for a lot of wedding venues special offers of a package, it could leave you extra cash to spend on your honeymoon or extra money to decorate or furnish your home. A small wedding is so personal and enjoyable as a couple you won't need to feel you are rushing around all day trying to engage and chat to loads of people, you can spend time with your guests in a meaningful way. You could be the trailblazer and start a new trend among your friends - after all as the saying goes 'good things come in small packages'. Get in touch if you want a chat I have just completed an update on LGBTQ rights, very interesting, especially the information on non binary and the use of language, even though I am a member of the LGBTQ Equality weddings directory I learnt something new today. If looking for a wedding to suit you be sure to check out LGBTQ views and attitudes, you deserve the wedding you want and the wedding that reflects your life and love as a couple. Inclusivity all the way.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2021
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