There are lots of celebrants out there, all with their own approach and beliefs. Here are some features about me to help you decide if I am a good fit for you:

1. I care about being a celebrant of the highest quality

   If you want a ceremony with a warm atmosphere, where people feel valued and included, I am a definitely celebrant to consider. Reviews of my ceremonies are very positive and the most common word used to describe my celebrant style is warm. The word support features heavily also, as clients highlight how I supportive I am in the build up to and during the ceremony. The next three words common in reviews to describe me are inclusive, calm and engaging.

   Being a good quality celebrant means being serious about practical responsibilities like health and safety, insurance and handling confidential data. With my detailed training and a long track record of leading community health charities, my safe practice skills are sharp. You can put your trust in me.

2. I am trained and qualified as a celebrant

   Before becoming a celebrant I completed a celebrant training course. I also achieved a nationally recognised celebrant qualification, which is unusual. Most training organisations do not offer a nationally recognised qualification as a celebrant it is not a legal requirement. I really value good quality training. As part of my continuing development I am doing a course in advanced celebrant skills, called Celebrant Plus.

3. I am a celebrant for all ceremony types and moods

   From the outset I knew I wanted to be a celebrant from baby naming to end of life ceremonies and everything in between. To me, the essence of being a community celebrant is sharing key milestones with people at all stages of life. A good ceremony holds space for people to be together to express their love and gratitude, whether in joy or sad loss. I am comfortable with the emotions that come with that. I welcome laughter at a funeral, tears at a wedding and whatever people feels like they want to express.

4. My work is shaped by my values

   Some of the ways I work are a little unusual. For example, I don’t ask funeral directors for referrals. Instead, I promote myself to the public. In many ways this is a more difficult way to work approach, as it means I will get fewer clients, However, my values tell me to work this way, as I I believe people should be encouraged to choose their own celebrant. I know some funeral directors don’t give people a choice of celebrant. By not letting myself become reliant on funeral directors, I work for families and with funeral directors, not the other way around.

5. I am willing to push for changes to make ceremonies better for people

   I am passionate about promoting choice in ceremonies. I believe people should have choice over the words spoken in ceremonies, the places where ceremonies are held, and how they express their identity and beliefs in ceremonies. Choices have been restricted for a long time and I am committed to challenging this. I make sure the people I work with are aware of their right to choose, as I find many people don’t know what the possibilities are. I am also happy to speak out in public about issues I think need to be addressed, such as funeral poverty and out of date wedding laws.