In my homeland Australia it’s not unusual for Civil Marriage Celebrants to conduct 2, 3 or even 4 or more personalised and unique ceremonies in the same day, especially on weekends. When I get to conduct more than 1 ceremony in the same day here in Ireland, I am absolutely thrilled with the extra excitement it brings to the day!
Others claim to have a 1 ceremony per day policy for all ceremonies they “perform” – so they can “ensure your ceremony has their full attention”. This implies that others (like myself) who won’t hesitate to conduct more than 1 ceremony a day, won’t be capable of providing their full attention.
This claim is false and misleading on so many levels.
Here’s a couple of good questions to ask yourself about a Celebrant who makes such claims:
Would you ever trust a hairdresser who won’t book more than one client per day because if they did, they wouldn’t be able to give each client the full attention they deserve ? Or book your car into a motor mechanic who will only ever book one car per day because if they book more than one car per day, they won’t be able to give each car the attention it deserves?
Does that sound like a suitably experienced professional who is able to stay focused enough to deal confidently and competently with the unexpected should it arise on your big day?
I didn’t think so.
The most experienced and capable Celebrants (like myself and many others) won’t hesitate to conduct more than 1 ceremony a day if requested. Of course I do have certain criteria like they must be within 15 minutes drive and at least 3 hours apart. I have conduct ceremonies at 11am and 2pm, 12 noon and 3pm, 1pm and 4pm and so forth on the same day, each with my utmost attention and focus.
If you prefer that I don’t book any other ceremonies on your special day for any reason at all – that’s not a problem. You can choose my Exclusive VIP option – which guarantees that I won’t conduct any other ceremonies on your big day, guaranteed!
Many ceremonies I conduct will naturally fall into this category anyway due to their country location, or being on a weekend day, ie. when there is more traffic on the roads making it not at all ideal for more than one ceremony per day.
I don’t “perform” ceremonies, I conduct them. To me your ceremony is never a performance, to me it’s never about acting on a stage. To me your ceremony is real and authentic, a role which is so fundamentally missing from modern society, who have so drastically turned away from Religion and spirituality on such a vast scale.
Despite the many reasons this cultural shift is happening, what Religion did for ceremony is that it preserved a certain level of authenticity and dignity by turning a ceremony into a spectacular community and cultural event. When Religious ceremony is done well and with true honour and dignity held by a wonderful facilitator (and there are/were plenty of good ones!) Religion kept the Spirit and magic and the true art of ceremony alive!
For a ceremony without the Spirit and magic of celebration, is nothing more than a speech.
Now society is going full circle with the return of the art of ceremony to its native roots – where the ceremony was never defined by doctrines of a Religion, but was instead defined by the wishes and beliefs of the couple to give them good luck and a wonderful start and help to ensure their successful future together.
Celebrancy remains an essential community skill which is all about capturing the true Spirit and character of the couple and creating the special magic of the moment for them and their guests in the celebration of their new lives together.
No matter what kind of ceremony I create & conduct, the smiles at the conclusion of the ceremony is what makes all my efforts worthwhile,
With over 30 years experience in the art of ceremony – I have the expertise and experience you need to ensure your ceremony exceeds your expectations.
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