The Celebrants Network Inc - BLOG

We kiss people every day, and we generally know what's appropriate for each situation... but you know, the first kiss after the celebrant declares you married? The one with everyone watching as you lip lock in public with the cameras and videos working overtime. Yes, that kiss. That's not an everyday kiss that you will automatically know what to do. Today we're looking at what type of kiss is appropriate...

Underage marriage is a sensitive and complex issue that affects communities around the world.  This issue impacts on women and girls who marry at a young age and often without giving consent.  Our guest blogger, TCN Celebrant Melanie Lawson - takes us through the stats and legalities of underage and forced marriage...

The Celebrants Network is a not-for-profit association for professional civil celebrants with a focus on promoting our celebrant members and also a range of ceremonies and celebrations to the public. 

Our members are marriage celebrants, religious celebrants, memorial and funeral celebrants, family and naming celebrants, student celebrants and celebrants for all occasions. 

In this post, Celebrant Susie Roberts takes us through 11 of the reasons why you should join us...

What is your background in celebrancy?

I was appointed a Commonwealth Civil Marriage Celebrant at the age of 42, after working in schools and the health department in a range of roles. I was looking for a career that used my skills and talents, as well as give me the flexibility to work when I chose.

The goal was probably achievable given that a substantial number of celebrants were making a wage from the work - the statistics in 1995 indicated that celebrants averaged 64 weddings per celebrant per year, nothing like the 10-11 average now.

Although I had extensive experience from my previous careers, I had no training in business knowledge and skills.  Also, as a government appointee, one could not ‘tout for business’. One could not advertise in any way that made you stand out from another celebrant, a simple White or Yellow pages line was permissible as was a single line in the Public Notices of a local paper, Nothing more.

There are a number of things to consider when deciding to go to a Conference. 

By Roslyn McFarlane 

As celebrants we hear some common misconceptions about weddings, so today Celebrant Melanie Lawson from Oberon in NSW is going to bust some myths!

There are so many very good reasons to tell or record your life story, and a great way to express this is in a photo book. A beautiful book that tells the story of your life in words and photos. Written by Celebrant, Leslie Ridgeway from Ocean Grove, Victoria

The 16th of May was Global Access Awareness Day – the focus of this day is for the technology experts to think about how to ensure that the digital world is inclusive and accessible to all... Today, Celebrant Melanie Lawson is taking us through what we as celebrants can do to be more inclusive.

Australian people come from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds – 270 ancestries to give some idea. Canberra Celebrant Susanna Jose shares what we can do to promote and model cultural diversity...

We’ve been gearing up to ‘live with COVID’ for almost 2 years now and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon.  In this opinion piece, one of our members, Mike Perry is sharing his thoughts on how you can deal with events that bring uncertainty…

Christmas can be a time for family togetherness, happiness and love.  Combined with good cheer and optimism about the year ahead, the festive season can prompt many loved-up couples to get engaged.  If this is you, congratulations!  Celebrant Melanie Lawson takes us through what to do next...

Goodbye 2021 – this time last year we hoped you would behave far better than 2020 and you really let us down.  We can only hope that you will tell 2022 that we are ready for improvements.  Our esteemed Association Chairperson, Sonia Collins reminisces about this past year...

Each year, December 3 marks the International Day of People with Disability.  This day aims to raise awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability. Celebrant Melanie Lawson spoke with her friend, Carolyn about how we, as celebrants, can be more inclusive in our work.

In 2023 we will be celebrating 50 years of a civil celebrant program in Australia.  In today’s blog celebrant Sonia Collins gives a brief history of the program as part of our celebrations for World Celebrants Week 2021.

Each year since 2009, the 31st of March has been the day when people around the globe celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility. It’s a day when we pause and reflect on the efforts and achievements of trans activists and culture changers, both past and present who have fought and continue to fight for equal human rights enjoyed by the rest of the general community.

Celebrant Bronte Price, the writer of today's blog, is a gay cis male. He’s aware that it’s preferable for trans people, rather than cis people, to write about trans issues. He apologises for any information in this blog that is inaccurate – that was not deliberate. 

Should you write your own wedding vows?  For so many couples, this is not an easy question to answer... but never fear, Celebrant Melissa Jones from Goulburn, NSW is helping us to navigate through.

The human and animal relationship has existed for millennia and the way they have been regarded has varied greatly between cultures over time.  The ancient Egyptians and some Asian religions regard some animals as Gods, while in other societies they were simply food or beast of burden.

The keeping of animals as pets has been practiced for thousands of years.  In today’s society we celebrate our animals in many different ways... Celebrant Ros McFarlane is talking to us today about pet ceremones...

As a Celebrant, what would be your biggest nightmare? The mind boggles at the thought of something going wrong, yet alone something nightmarish.... Celebrants Leslie Ridgeway from Ocean Grove, Victoria and Susie Roberts from Grafton, NSW take us through a list of potential catastrophies that you should have a plan for...

Well... Congratulations! You have just got engaged, you might be wearing shiny new rings, and you have a wedding to plan. Celebrant Leslie Ridgeway is going to take you through the basics of getting married.

When the time comes that you need to engage a Funeral Celebrant, you may not be in the mindset to think of all the questions you'd like to ask... in this blog Celebrant Melanie Lawson has tried to make that as easy as possible for you...

Everyone has a story to tell, but all too often it is not one that is known to everyone who is closest to you. We all want to be remembered, for more than the money and possessions that we leave behind... today's blog is written by: Celebrant Roslyn McFarlane from Pakenham, Victoria.

Insurance and copyright can be fairly confusing topics, but Celebrant Susie Roberts helps us make sense of it all...

Who's up for an adventure?  In today's blog Celebrant Melanie Lawson takes us through a rollercoaster of  adventurous ideas for your ceremony...

Have you just become a celebrant or are thinking about embarking on that journey?  Registered Celebrant and member of The Celebrants Network, Leslie Ridgeway gives us some insights into what you need at the business end of Celebrancy.

In Australia, any two people over the age of 18 can marry provided they are not already married, not in a prohibited relationship and they give real consent.  They do not need to be citizens or residents of Australia and they can choose any time and place for their marriage ceremony.  Celebrant and member of The Celebrants Network Sonia Collins from Batemans Bay NSW discusses how celebrants are legally required to be sure that both parties consent to the marriage.

Having celebrant buddies is really important for a number of reasons. Celebrant Susie Roberts takes us through just a few...

How do celebrants keep their knowledge and skills up to date? How do a couple know that their celebrant has the knowledge to make sure their marriage is legal? 

The answer to both questions is “professional development”. This week celebrant Sonia Collins discusses the importance of professional development for celebrants.

Do you know the history behind International Women's Day? Celebrant Susie Roberts does and it makes for a very interesting read... 

We all want to hear that we've done a great job, but feedback offers more than just a pat on the back... it helps us to improve and grow in our profession.  Celebrant Melanie Lawson gives us her thoughts on asking your couples and families for feedback.

Ever wondered what it is like to be a Marriage Celebrant?  Celebrant and trainer, Karen Faa from Queensland explains it so well...

It takes a very special type of person to work with grieving families; to show empathy and care at such a trying time; to be able to talk about a person, that they probably never met, in a way that shows respect, dignity and professionalism.  One such Funeral Celebrant is Sonia Collins from Batemans Bay in NSW and today shares with us the special skills that it takes to be a Funeral Celebrant.

2020 - What a year! Sonia Collins, Celebrant and Chairperson of The Celebrants Network Inc looks back on how celebrants were affected this year.

The 3rd of December is the International Day of People with Disabilities and as a progressive association of celebrants, we aim to be inclusive not only with our members, but with the couples and families we serve in our communities as well.  Today we have a guest blog writer, Marriage and Funeral Celebrant Roslyn McFarlane from Pakenham in Victoria to talk about ways we can make sure everybody is included in our ceremonies...

COVID-19 has knocked all of us for six and it doesn’t appear that the situation will change anytime soon.  Join celebrant Mel Lawson from Oberon in Victoria as she reflects on how Covid has affected our industry...

More people are opting for Memorials for their loved ones instead of a funeral service, so it begs the question - What is a Memorial Service and how does it differ from a traditional Funeral Ceremony? Celebrant Leslie Ridgeway from Ocean Grove in Victoria is going to take is through the details....