What was the driving force behind you becoming a celebrant?
The truthful answer is not a deep one, I'm afraid. Really, I am just such a sucker for weddings!
My favourite movies always feature a wedding somewhere in the action. As I write this I think of that gorgeous and triumphant music score played when Julie Andrews processes down the nuns' chapel to meet Christopher Plummer at the altar in the movie The Sound of Music, (that wedding veil train filmed from above!)
Also, I often think it has something to do with Andy Warhol's famous observation that "Everyone has their 15 minutes of fame", or in the case of a big wedding, it could be half an hour to an hour, depending on what the bridal couple have in mind. This is the opportunity for every couple to have their time in the spotlight - their bit of magic. No matter how big or small the ceremony - including registry ceremonies.
Of course, it is a privilege to marry couples. To be the person instrumental in creating and delivering a ceremony that meets their desires is a responsibility to be taken seriously... and when it goes beyond their expectations, that becomes (excuse the pun) the icing on the cake for me.
If my couples tear up amidst their smiles and laughter, I know I have done a fairly good job. In the four years of being a celebrant, what a joy for me to see their joy! So much happiness and hope when they say their vows to each other. What a gift to be part of this incredible component of human experience called marriage - a component that has endured for centuries. Wow!
We often hear that expression "the dream job", well, it has taken me 40+ years to find mine, and I cherish every moment of it!
What involvement do you have/have had with CANZ at a branch or national level?
I have been an active CANZ member since 2021, having been voted as committee secretary at the 2021 APM, a role I continued with right up until this year's 2025 APM. I remain on the committee this year, simply because my colleagues are fabulous people - hard-working, committed, and always up for a bit of fun. I recommend spending time on committees such as ours, if you want to really understand how CANZ functions, what it provides members, and most important of all, forge solid friendships in the profession.
Tell us about the ceremonies you perform.
Becoming a VCANZ celebrant in late October last year has expanded my ceremonies from the personalised to now providing registry type ceremonies as well. I have come to learn that though the registry ceremony may be a more or less set script from BDM, there is still an individual beauty to each registry ceremony I have officiated thus far. Many of the brides have gone all out to look as stunning as they can for their partner, and many of the grooms have been just as nervous and anxious as if it was a big, grand affair.
Something I will always remember is the lovely Pacifica bride who while listening to her groom reading his legal vow, her face registered such concentration on the words he spoke - the vow may have been a short, official one, but the meaning behind the vow was not taken lightly by the bride. She hung on every word. Watching her earnest attention brought home to me the truth of that adage, it's the quality, not the quantity, that counts.
What are the most enjoyable things about being a celebrant?
Too many to list them all here, but the opportunity to meet some wonderful people and hear their love stories...then have the challenge of doing their story justice on paper.
Standing with the groom, sharing jokes, soothing his nerves, the comedy of surreptitious glances at watches and cell-phones in the countdown to the bride's entrance, the relieved and ecstatic smiles of the groom as his bride processes towards him.
The laughter and tears and trembling hands during personal and ring vows.
Driving home after a ceremony and knowing I did the best job I could, evidenced by the near euphoric joy of the couple as they greet guests' post-ceremony; the overall atmosphere humming with happiness, and every so often, a lovely guest who buttonholes me on my way back to the car to compliment me on delivering a beautiful ceremony.
What are some of the hardest parts of the job?
Explaining to teen witnesses that yes, they do need to actually fill out the second Copy of Particulars, exactly as they did the first!
Trying to encourage the bride to take her time before beginning her walk down the aisle...especially if they have chosen really beautiful music and they start their procession only after the opening bars have been heard. There is nothing more jarring to a ceremony intro than having gorgeous music cut short when it was just starting to build into something really amazing.
Keeping the couple focused on their needs and not trying to please immediate family, pushy relatives or well-meaning but not helpful friends. The time passes so quickly and the last thing I want is for a couple to feel short-changed or disappointed that they listened to the wrong advice instead of putting themselves first.
Leaving a great celebration post-ceremony and driving home to do something mundane, such as putting dinner on or household chores. It kinda brings you down to earth quicker than you would like!
What was the most memorable ceremony you have performed?
My first ceremony of course! But it was sooo amazing for me because I got to marry dear family friends who had both found love the second time around at a golden age. My bride wore red and looked so radiant - she did positively glow with happiness - and my groom looked impeccable in his splendid grey pinstripe suit. Four years on and they never forget to let me know on their wedding anniversary how I helped make their big day such an unforgettable one.
What does your typical day look like?
Being a freelance writer means I get to choose the writing projects I do now, and these days my creative juices mostly centre around writing wedding ceremonies.
Recently, I had to write my first funeral ceremony, again for some very close friends, and in my writing of it, I really wanted to honour the life of K. and the woman I knew for many years, as well as the woman who was a wife and mother to her family.
In the writing of ceremonies, I go full out writing the first draft, and after that I rewrite and rewrite, consult with my clients on the final draft I send for their feedback, and only once I get their okay do I type out the CEREMONY READY script.
Being a writer means that personally I am never really happy with the script - I will look at it again, perhaps a couple of weeks after the ceremony and think Darn! that would have sounded so much better!
What advice do you have for someone new to the industry?
Approach every ceremony as if it is your first, because every ceremony is unique from the one before it and the one to follow it.
Always be prepared to be surprised by your clients - sometimes you will be asked to share the strangest things with guests, but as long as your clients are happy for this to happen, just go with the flow and remember that it is their day.
Remember what being a CANZ celebrant is - we are a professional body and when we go out and officiate before the public, we have a duty to our organisation to represent them in the most respectful and professional manner - at all times.
That is what we strive to have our clients remember us for - that we present to the highest of standards, and that we bring our CANZ learning, knowledge and experience to every ceremony.
Lastly, love your work and enjoy every moment you are working in your field. Our work is like wearing a bespoke suit; it feels like it has been crafted with the utmost care from beginning to end; its uniqueness in cut and design is the reason it stands out from the rest.
That is what a good celebrant should provide - a service that is par excellence, that always seeks to go above and beyond for clients, that never settles for mediocrity in production or delivery.
If your name becomes a word-of-mouth recommendation, then be assured you are representing your vocation well and can be proud to be called a celebrant.
How do you like to relax?
When not tapping away on my laptop on a writing project, I keep house for my small but fabulous clan of hubby and cat.
I spend leisure hours practising both snare and tenor drums for the pipe band my husband and I belong to, and I love my weekly ballet classes with the fantabulous Silver Swans. Whoever said ballet is only for the young is so out of touch!!
Winding down time is reading, reading, reading or watching yet another movie that features a wedding - or two, and a movie with a funeral can also be a great watch, especially when people start to misbehave around the graveyard!
You can find out more about Celine here.
[IMAGE: Zayd Images]
