There is a fair bit of truth in the saying, ‘if it wasn’t for weddings and funerals, we’d never get together’. The troubling thing is, these days, there are fewer of these ceremonies being held.
When a ceremony does not reflect the individuality of the person, their beliefs or their intentions, it can feel awkward – and who wants to feel awkward, especially at an emotional event?
Imagine attending a ceremony that is meaningful and memorable!
The societal push towards a new type of ceremony began decades ago. Dissatisfied with the choice between religious or ‘city hall’ wedding ceremonies, Australia was the first nation to appoint Celebrants to perform weddings. Starting in the 1970’s, Civil Celebrants offered secular ceremonies, rich in ritual and symbolism. The role quickly evolved to include officiating at baby welcoming and end-of-life ceremonies and rapidly took hold in the United Kingdom. The Celebrant role is relatively new in Canada, however there are more than 3,000 Celebrants worldwide, who have presided over one million ceremonies over the last forty years.
Celebrants are ceremony specialists who design and officiate at ceremonies that honour the new beginnings, achievements and the losses we encounter throughout our lifetimes. A Celebrant ceremony is personalized. It is created to be felt - not just heard, be meaningful - not just emotional and to be respectful of your values and beliefs; it is created to be memorable and live on in the hearts and minds of those who attend.
In 2009, I came across an article on Celebrants in the USA Today newspaper: Secular ‘celebrants’ lead more funerals: Clergy-led ceremonies becoming less popular. I was intrigued - this article introduced me to a role I didn’t know existed! I still have the clipping of this article; it hangs on my office wall.
When I researched the Celebrant role, I found a considerable degree of diversity in the use of the title and with respect to the training. Courses ranged from an hours-long week-end attendance approach, to months of participation, interaction and evaluation to achieve the title Celebrant.
Originally drawn to the Funerals program, I extended my reach to achieve certification as a Life-Cycle Celebrant® and developed the skills to officiate at Funerals, Weddings, and Family & Children ceremonies. Over 16 months, I completed four programs through the Celebrant Foundation & Institute. The Celebrant fundamentals program offered an incredibly rich exploration of rites of passage across cultures and faiths, the works of Arnold van Gennep and Joseph Campbell, ceremony structure and the importance of ritual and symbolism. In each of the Funerals, Weddings and Family & Children specialty courses, I completed case studies, created ceremonies, observed ceremonies and actively participated in an online environment to earn my certification. As a Life-Cycle Celebrant®, I have over 60 colleagues in Canada and hundreds in the US.
People ask why I am drawn to the Celebrant role. Quite simply, I believe it is important that we mark the beginnings, transitions and losses in our lives. Through Ceremony we can honour those who share our lives and build bonds within our families and across our social networks. In the words of Linda Stuart, a Life-Cycle Celebrant colleague, “Few experiences surpass the power of ceremony”.
People are so intrigued that the Celebrant role exists and there is so much interest! To help increase recognition of the Life-Cycle Celebrant role for end-of-life ceremony, I agreed to create and host the podcast program, Make Ceremony Matter More. Through interviews, this program explores the power of ceremony and the role of Life-Cycle Celebrants as they work with clients to create meaningful end-of-life ceremonies. There are such amazing examples of ceremonies that fit! If you are interested, I invite you to listen at www.funeralradio.com/make_ceremony_matter.
I am currently working on an ash-scattering ceremony for the spring. As often happens after a cremation, the family has held the ashes of the grandparents for some time. They died years apart and now the family wants to release them together. It will be a small ceremony, yet a fitting gesture for this wonderful couple who were married for almost 60 years.
Weddings are new for me; I was just added to Ontario’s officiant listing in December 2013. Happily I have already secured my first booking for 2014. A young couple looking for a secular ceremony saw the Celebrant approach as a “perfect fit” for their wedding.
I am eager to perform baby naming and welcoming ceremonies, to formally welcome new additions to the family fold. These ceremonies weave together elements of heritage and culture that are the foundation of your child’s future. Parents and grandparents are honoured in their new roles; guide-parents can be named who will commit to nurturing the child’s development. The dreams you have for your new family will find words, and will shine brighter when you share them with others.
Ceremony matters in our lives, it is important we take time to pay tribute to life’s milestones. Including a ceremony within an event provides the opportunity for people to acknowledge the purpose of the festivities in a guided fashion, ensuring the tribute is appropriately delivered.
If you’re interested in working with a Celebrant, ask about their training and background – make sure they are responsive to meeting your vision. Your ceremony should be just that – your Ceremony!
http://localmagazine.ca/
When a ceremony does not reflect the individuality of the person, their beliefs or their intentions, it can feel awkward – and who wants to feel awkward, especially at an emotional event?
Imagine attending a ceremony that is meaningful and memorable!
The societal push towards a new type of ceremony began decades ago. Dissatisfied with the choice between religious or ‘city hall’ wedding ceremonies, Australia was the first nation to appoint Celebrants to perform weddings. Starting in the 1970’s, Civil Celebrants offered secular ceremonies, rich in ritual and symbolism. The role quickly evolved to include officiating at baby welcoming and end-of-life ceremonies and rapidly took hold in the United Kingdom. The Celebrant role is relatively new in Canada, however there are more than 3,000 Celebrants worldwide, who have presided over one million ceremonies over the last forty years.
Celebrants are ceremony specialists who design and officiate at ceremonies that honour the new beginnings, achievements and the losses we encounter throughout our lifetimes. A Celebrant ceremony is personalized. It is created to be felt - not just heard, be meaningful - not just emotional and to be respectful of your values and beliefs; it is created to be memorable and live on in the hearts and minds of those who attend.
In 2009, I came across an article on Celebrants in the USA Today newspaper: Secular ‘celebrants’ lead more funerals: Clergy-led ceremonies becoming less popular. I was intrigued - this article introduced me to a role I didn’t know existed! I still have the clipping of this article; it hangs on my office wall.
When I researched the Celebrant role, I found a considerable degree of diversity in the use of the title and with respect to the training. Courses ranged from an hours-long week-end attendance approach, to months of participation, interaction and evaluation to achieve the title Celebrant.
Originally drawn to the Funerals program, I extended my reach to achieve certification as a Life-Cycle Celebrant® and developed the skills to officiate at Funerals, Weddings, and Family & Children ceremonies. Over 16 months, I completed four programs through the Celebrant Foundation & Institute. The Celebrant fundamentals program offered an incredibly rich exploration of rites of passage across cultures and faiths, the works of Arnold van Gennep and Joseph Campbell, ceremony structure and the importance of ritual and symbolism. In each of the Funerals, Weddings and Family & Children specialty courses, I completed case studies, created ceremonies, observed ceremonies and actively participated in an online environment to earn my certification. As a Life-Cycle Celebrant®, I have over 60 colleagues in Canada and hundreds in the US.
People ask why I am drawn to the Celebrant role. Quite simply, I believe it is important that we mark the beginnings, transitions and losses in our lives. Through Ceremony we can honour those who share our lives and build bonds within our families and across our social networks. In the words of Linda Stuart, a Life-Cycle Celebrant colleague, “Few experiences surpass the power of ceremony”.
People are so intrigued that the Celebrant role exists and there is so much interest! To help increase recognition of the Life-Cycle Celebrant role for end-of-life ceremony, I agreed to create and host the podcast program, Make Ceremony Matter More. Through interviews, this program explores the power of ceremony and the role of Life-Cycle Celebrants as they work with clients to create meaningful end-of-life ceremonies. There are such amazing examples of ceremonies that fit! If you are interested, I invite you to listen at www.funeralradio.com/make_ceremony_matter.
I am currently working on an ash-scattering ceremony for the spring. As often happens after a cremation, the family has held the ashes of the grandparents for some time. They died years apart and now the family wants to release them together. It will be a small ceremony, yet a fitting gesture for this wonderful couple who were married for almost 60 years.
Weddings are new for me; I was just added to Ontario’s officiant listing in December 2013. Happily I have already secured my first booking for 2014. A young couple looking for a secular ceremony saw the Celebrant approach as a “perfect fit” for their wedding.
I am eager to perform baby naming and welcoming ceremonies, to formally welcome new additions to the family fold. These ceremonies weave together elements of heritage and culture that are the foundation of your child’s future. Parents and grandparents are honoured in their new roles; guide-parents can be named who will commit to nurturing the child’s development. The dreams you have for your new family will find words, and will shine brighter when you share them with others.
Ceremony matters in our lives, it is important we take time to pay tribute to life’s milestones. Including a ceremony within an event provides the opportunity for people to acknowledge the purpose of the festivities in a guided fashion, ensuring the tribute is appropriately delivered.
If you’re interested in working with a Celebrant, ask about their training and background – make sure they are responsive to meeting your vision. Your ceremony should be just that – your Ceremony!
http://localmagazine.ca/