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.
The Celebrants Network Inc - BLOG
This blog is updated by passionate celebrants. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss the latest from The Celebrants Network
More Blog posts can be found in the Blog Categories to the right.
More Blog posts can be found in the Blog Categories to the right.
Feb
17
Dec
31
2020 - What a year! Sonia Collins, Celebrant and Chairperson of The Celebrants Network Inc looks back on how celebrants were affected this year.
Dec
17
Robyn O'Connell is a Funeral Celebrant and the Founder of the Rebecca Jane Foundation - a volunteer run charity helping families who are experiencing financial hardship as well as going through the heartbreaking loss of a baby. The foundation is named after Robyn's own baby girl who passed away at almost 10 months of age. In today's blog, Robyn is sharing her thoughts on what it's like to grieve through 'happy family occasions' such as Christmas...
Dec
03
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...
Oct
29
Weddings today reflect the wishes of the couple. They may be held in any venue at any time or on any day. Your choice might be a beautiful building, a garden, a boat, a forest or beach. Apart from some legal requirements you can structure the ceremony however you wish. Even though weddings are becoming more modernised, many couples still like to keep the traditional structure of a wedding ceremony, so Celebrant Shell Brown is talking us through the tradition order of ceremony...
Sep
17
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...
Sep
26
It's Time! Spring equinox 23rd September 2017
It's officially spring....
the flowers are blooming...
new life is emerging....
It's officially spring....
the flowers are blooming...
new life is emerging....
Aug
31
Aug
27
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....
Jul
29
Usually when a celebrant is engaged by a family or a couple it will be first time that they've met and therefore they will need to get to know each other. They do this by asking each other questions..... but are we asking the right questions?
Jul
23
Jul
03
Jun
17
Jun
11
Jun
04
Celebrant and regular blogger Sonia Collins shares the importance of recording your life story while you still can....... “Why would I want to tell my life story? I’m not rich or famous, no one is interested in my life”...... This is often the first response from people at workshops on recording life stories. Before I start to give them ideas why they might want to record their life stories I always ask one question – “Who in this world knows the most about your life?”
Apr
08
The Australian government has set strict limits on numbers at funerals as part of the effort to contain the Coronavirus - COVID19. There is currently a limit of 10 people at any funeral – and that includes the celebrant and the Funeral Director’s staff. (Note: since this article was written in early April, the number has increased to 10 mourners plus celebrant and FD staff - these rules are likely to continue to change over the coming months)
Social distancing must be in place so offering comfort is difficult. We all understand the reasons for these limitations but they can be very hard for families, friends and colleagues to come to terms with.
Sonia Collins - Marriage and Funeral Celebrant, regular blogger and Chairperson of The Celebrants Network, takes a look at new ways to say our last goodbyes during this current pandemic.
Apr
18
This month’s topic is about marketing ideas. There are a range of ways in which you can let people know of your services, and this blog will cover some of these ideas. However the current COVID-19 restrictions have drastically affected our work. So what should you be doing in the current climate? Celebrant and regular blogger Melanie Lawson from Oberon, NSW takes us through a few ideas...
Mar
17
This special blog post is a little different to our regular program, however, it is full of much needed information about our current Coronavirus - Covid19 situation, how it affects us as celebrants and those who are holding or planning ceremonies in the near future. Today's blog is written by professional celebrant, author, trainer, and Network member, Wendy Haynes.
Feb
05
So, there you are smack bang in the middle of a ceremony and something goes wrong….what do you do. I'm sure that there are many, many more, but let’s look at just a few things that could go wrong.
Today's Blog is written by Celebrant Susie Roberts from Grafton
Jan
29
Loss and grief affect all of us. We can experience loss through the death of a family member; a relationship breakup; or the loss of a home – as we have seen so much of in the recent fires across Australia. Join Celebrant and regular blogger, Melane Lawson as she takes us through the five stages of grief.
Jan
09
It's pretty hot out there at the moment and it's very important that we look after ourselves when working in the heat. Celebrant, valued member of The Celebrants Network and regular blogger, Susie Roberts is taking us through all the tips and tricks for what to do when you have an outdoor ceremony in the heat.
Dec
11
Many of us feel anxious about public speaking or being the centre of attention. Added to this, if you are getting married to taking a central part in an important ceremony such as funeral or baby naming, you may have the added anxiety of getting your part ‘right’. The Celebrants Network's resident guest blogger, Mel Lawson is here to let us in on some ways to calm those nerves...
Jun
18
Be prepared! That was the motto of the scouts and it is also the mantra that celebrants live by. Our blogger today is TCN Celebrant Sonia Collins and she is talking about the ins and outs of ceremony presentation...
May
30
Marriage is a solemn and binding relationship. In fact, marriage celebrants are legally required to remind a couple of this during their marriage ceremony. But a marriage ceremony doesn’t need to be all solemn and serious and while marriage celebrants aren’t stand up comedians, there are many ways to include humour in your ceremony.... Today's blog post is written by TCN Celebrant Kim Waddington.
May
27
Today's blog is the Part 2 of Writing your own vows - the final instalment written by TCN Celebrant, author and guest blogger, Susanna Jose from Canberra, ACT.
May
22
Writing your own marriage vows? Not sure where to begin? Today's blog is the first of two parts - written by TCN Celebrant, author and today's guest blogger, Susanna Jose from Canberra, ACT.
Apr
29
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...
Apr
10
Becoming a celebrant has generally been a second, third or even fourth career change for some people. Most celebrants you speak to describe their work as 'a vocation', 'a calling', or 'a real labour of love', but once you've arrived at your destination of becoming a celebrant, it's hard to turn away. In today's blog we're introducing you to two TCN Members - Karen Dearing from Cobbitty, NSW and Katherine Sessions from Bendigo, Vic, who are sharing the stories of how they transitioned into the the world of celebrancy...
Apr
09
TCN Celebrant and Guest Blogger, Susanna Jose from Canberra is sharing her thoughts on what you should do to plan for your Plan B - something we should all have in place, but all hope we never have to use.....
Apr
02
Today's Guest Blogger is TCN Celebrant Karen Faa.... this is the story of Brent and Alyce, married a few days ago at The Chapel Montville. It was absolutely spellbinding. Karen has written what she thought Brent may have been experiencing as he showed the vulnerability and beauty of pure love. There was not a dry eye in the place!
Aug
31
"Love; it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you,
it will set you free"
Mumford and Sons
Each of these celebrants is offering you a credit for any ceremony if you call today to make a booking.
So, check out these amazing celebrants and get on the phone and start booking ………we are sharing the LOVE. 
Jan
02
Why do we make New Year's Resolutions? We make them every year and a couple of weeks into the new year, we're inevitably disappointed because we didn't stick to them. In fact apparently only 8% of people stick to their resolutions - mainly because we set goals that are either unobtainable or could be achieved, but when we don't see results straight away, we quit. So why do we make them in the first place?
Dec
19
As Australians gear up to summer with public holidays and end of the year/new year celebrations, it is time for focus on families and friends.
Whether you are of a Christian faith or another faith - we have a wonderful mix in Australia - or have your own ethical value system based on respect for your fellow human beings and our world, the coming holidays are a special time.
Whilst these days we tend to think of holidays are being times where we are exempted from work or normal business, the origin of the word "holiday in English was hāligdæg, meaning a holy day.
Whether you are of a Christian faith or another faith - we have a wonderful mix in Australia - or have your own ethical value system based on respect for your fellow human beings and our world, the coming holidays are a special time.
Whilst these days we tend to think of holidays are being times where we are exempted from work or normal business, the origin of the word "holiday in English was hāligdæg, meaning a holy day.
A “Holy Day” usually means a day set aside for a special purpose or remembrance and the origin of the word connected with Old English hal (see hal) meaning "health".
Holidays are healthy - for taking time out - for being thankful for what we have in our lives - especially family and friends.
What is special about this time of year under the Southern skies?
The end of one calendar year and the beginning of a new. Time to take stock, trim the old and embrace the new.
So why a "dark side"?
An end to the old and embracing the new is often symbolised by the birth of a child. Along with the joys of having a new bub, can come sadness with the loss of personal time, as well as the previous roles and pleasures as non-parents.
Other things some people have to deal with at this time of year are:
Dealing with death
Many people find the emphasis on loved ones - family and friends - especially difficult when a loved one has died.
Dealing with death
Many people find the emphasis on loved ones - family and friends - especially difficult when a loved one has died.
Dealing with loneliness
Playing 'happy families' once a year for families who are fractured, can cause more pain than pleasure.
Dealing with stress
Big holidays come with extra stress, eating and drinking too much, and extra work, especially for those with children and other dependent family members.
Dealing with debt
Of course, sometimes we spend more than we planned.
Many famlies these days are finding ways to limit the money they cannot afford to spend.
There are many ways to do this
One example is:
One example is:
- Make other love languages as important as gift giving. After all for many people, the other love languages are more important : quality time, touch/hugs, acts of service, words of affirmation.
TCN even suggests a combined group gift certificate for a Wedding Anniversary or Birthday in the new year where everyone contributes to the gift of engaging a professional celebrant to lead the occasion.
Search our TCN Directory for a TCN Celebrant near you.
Read TCN's full article on Special Holidays - The dark side of celebrating for more examples and ways to deal with some of issues mentioned above.
Remember - Holidays are meant to enrich our lives, our health and well-being.
Let's make that the focus of this special time of year.
???
Thank you for joining us....
?? We would love it if you would let us know what you think ?.
There is a comment section ? at the bottom ⬇ of the blog for you to do just that.
?Click on the word "Comment" and go for it!
? Don't forget to subscribe ? to this blog - the "subscribe" button is up the top of the page ⇞⇞⇞ and the blog will magically ?? appear in your email inbox ?.
Also please feel free to share ? our blog on your social media ? so we can spread the love ?!
Please use this ? link: https://www.celebrations.org.au/blog when you share. ?
Find us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter
Jan
30
Apr
11
May
22
Civil Celebrants charge their own fee depending on the services they provide. There is a myth that goes around from time to time that Civil Marriage Celebrants charge from $500 for 20 minutes work. Let’s explore this myth a bit further and see where it takes us...
Mar
15
Civil funeral celebrants are a popular alternative today and contrary to some beliefs are often happy to include religious components to the ceremony. The role of the Celebrant is to work with individuals and families to create and conduct a ceremony appropriate to the person; it is important to spend time with them to makes sure you are clear about what they want and that you can provide it for them...
Jan
13
Feb
27
We are definitely living smack bang in the middle of the digital world and technology is progressing every day. So what does that mean for us as celebrants?
Feb
07
One of the great things about Australia is our ability to embrace and adopt the spirit of other cultures. This is demonstrated every day by walking around a major city in Australia and seeing how much cultural cuisine is on offer! From Asia to Africa, Europe and the Pacific, Aussies love to eat. We are currently enjoying the Lunar new year festivities, celebrations which have grown from the traditions of a cultural minority to include a wide range of groups and shared and enjoyed by all. Here is how we can include all kinds of culture and tradition in a civil marriage ceremony...