Spring brings warmer weather, a sense of hope and optimism, and a revival and renewal of plants and animals. Flowers bloom, and baby birds, cows and sheep appear across the country. Spring is also the busiest time of the year for weddings and many people are enjoying attending weddings as a guest, member of the bridal party or the happy couple themselves. This sense of love and excitement may inspire happily married couples to renew their wedding vows.
TCN Celebrant and today's guest and regular blogger Melanie Lawson from Oberon, NSW talks about the renewing wedding vows.
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Oct
09
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Oct
03
School holidays are here and many of us are spending more time with the young people in our lives. For Year 12 students, school and childhood are coming to an end as they prepare for final exams next term and a transition to adulthood. TCN Celebrant and today's guest blogger Melanie Lawson from Oberon, NSW talks about the different types of ceremonies we celebrate with children.
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Oct
23
A behind the scenes look at being a civil celebrant
Have you ever wondered "What exactly does a celebrant do?"
Have you ever thought "Gee, that looks like an easy job - just talking for 20 minutes on a weekend!"
Well, you can be half forgiven for thinking those things because you might only see the celebrant for 20 minutes on a weekend, but the majority of a celebrant's work is done way before they turn up at the ceremony.
Before your ceremony they will have:
Attended meetings and rehearsals, researched, writen a unique ceremony that suits each individual couple or family, assisted couples and families with writing their own personal wedding vows or poems to their children or loved ones, organised paperwork, including accepting the legal Notice of Intended Marriage form, answered questions, given opinions and made suggestions.
Have you ever wondered "What exactly does a celebrant do?"
Have you ever thought "Gee, that looks like an easy job - just talking for 20 minutes on a weekend!"
Well, you can be half forgiven for thinking those things because you might only see the celebrant for 20 minutes on a weekend, but the majority of a celebrant's work is done way before they turn up at the ceremony.
Before your ceremony they will have:
Attended meetings and rehearsals, researched, writen a unique ceremony that suits each individual couple or family, assisted couples and families with writing their own personal wedding vows or poems to their children or loved ones, organised paperwork, including accepting the legal Notice of Intended Marriage form, answered questions, given opinions and made suggestions.
Then your ceremony day arrives and they will arrive at least 45 minutes before your guests to make sure everything is perfect, greet your guests, calm people's nerves and then perform your ceremony, coordinating the music and the bridal party and the flower girls and page boys and whoever is holding the rings. They will also be kind and compassionate and have an very good understanding of what you're going through when you are saying goodbye to your loved one.
After your marriage ceremony your celebrant will lodge your marriage certificate with the BDM and securely keep all of the necessary legal documents.
And that's just for your ceremony.
They've also kept their office running with invoices, receipts, notes, creating, printing, filing, purchasing legal stationery, financials, taxation, websites, social media, advertising...
Before any of that can happen though, each celebrant must successfully complete a Certificate IV in Celebrancy and then once the certificate has been awarded, the candidate then must apply to the Attorney General to become registered. This is a fairly costly exercise - $600 for the applicaiton alone and that must be paid whether the AG registers them or not.
Each year every registered civil celebrant is required to attend an OPD - (Professional Development) at their own cost.
So, whilst you might only see the Celebrant for 20 minutes whilst the ceremony is happening, please be assured that they have worked very hard before the ceremony even starts.
If you'd like to meet one of our hard working TCN Celebrants, click HERE for find a celebrant in your area.
???
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!
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And that's just for your ceremony.
They've also kept their office running with invoices, receipts, notes, creating, printing, filing, purchasing legal stationery, financials, taxation, websites, social media, advertising...
Before any of that can happen though, each celebrant must successfully complete a Certificate IV in Celebrancy and then once the certificate has been awarded, the candidate then must apply to the Attorney General to become registered. This is a fairly costly exercise - $600 for the applicaiton alone and that must be paid whether the AG registers them or not.
Each year every registered civil celebrant is required to attend an OPD - (Professional Development) at their own cost.
So, whilst you might only see the Celebrant for 20 minutes whilst the ceremony is happening, please be assured that they have worked very hard before the ceremony even starts.
If you'd like to meet one of our hard working TCN Celebrants, click HERE for find a celebrant in your area.
???
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
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Apr
24
Why are ceremonies important?
The dictionary defines "ceremony" as:
ceremony
/ˈsɛrɪmənɪ/
noun (pl) -nies
1. a formal act or ritual, often set by custom or tradition, performed in observation of an event or anniversary
1. a formal act or ritual, often set by custom or tradition, performed in observation of an event or anniversary
I recently came across a great webpage belonging to a Canadian Celebrant, and thought that her explanation of why we have ceremonies was spot on and I couldn’t have worded it any better myself....
Here's what Celebrant Michele Davidson of Modern Celebrant says on her webpage: http://moderncelebrant.ca
"Longing to Connect
"Longing to Connect
Have you ever wondered why we put so much effort into celebrating the start of a marriage with a wedding ceremony? Or why celebrations of life, memorials and funerals feel so incredibly important to do – and to do right? What about the feeling we have when we bring a new life into this world…. doesn’t it feel like there should be some sort of community event?
One of the most beautiful aspects of being human is how strongly we yearn to connect with the people we love. We quite naturally long for emotional richness and a sense of significance when it comes to the big experiences of life. For some people it’s a very conscious desire; for others it is something they can’t quite name or put their finger on.
It’s such a shame that in our fast-paced society, many people no longer truly ‘get’ the profound opportunities ceremony offers! They either do nothing, or go through the motions with perfunctory (just get through it) ceremony.
It’s such a shame that in our fast-paced society, many people no longer truly ‘get’ the profound opportunities ceremony offers! They either do nothing, or go through the motions with perfunctory (just get through it) ceremony.
We’ve evolved and grown in so many ways – as a culture and as individuals – but for some reason we play small when it comes to honouring life changes.
Ceremony should be a Catalyst
Ceremony should be a Catalyst
A well thought out and lovingly conducted ceremony takes you through a gateway. Metaphorically through the words and gestures of your ceremony, you move with greater intention from one phase of your life to the next; from one way of ‘being’ into another. For instance, a wedding ceremony is not merely saying, “I do.” A wedding ceremony should be a catalyst that allows two individuals to really ‘get’ that they now step forward into a life that is shared.
Your ceremony should actually mean something. Not be just a pretty sparkly thing that is soon forgotten.
Something that you will remember forever."
[thank you to Michele Davidson - Modern Celebrant for allowing us to use her webpage]
Ceremonies happen at many events:
* At birthdays we blow out candles and sing "Happy Birthday" - would the party mean as much if we didn't do those things?
* We celebrate people's greatness by giving out awards and making speeches - would the recipient feel as special and appreciated if we made no fuss?
* At funerals and memorials we lay flowers and recite poetry to show respect to lost loved ones - how would we feel if we didn't mark their death in some significant way?
[thank you to Michele Davidson - Modern Celebrant for allowing us to use her webpage]
Ceremonies happen at many events:
* At birthdays we blow out candles and sing "Happy Birthday" - would the party mean as much if we didn't do those things?
* We celebrate people's greatness by giving out awards and making speeches - would the recipient feel as special and appreciated if we made no fuss?
* At funerals and memorials we lay flowers and recite poetry to show respect to lost loved ones - how would we feel if we didn't mark their death in some significant way?
* We exchange rings and vows at a wedding because it actually means something to the couple. They're saying 'I choose you to take this next step in life, will you join me?' It's binding, not just legally, but emotionally.
The more that we pay attention to the ceremony, and accept that it is there to help make our transitions through life smoother, the easier it will become to understand why it is so important.
Talk to a TCN Celebrant today about adding ceremony to your next life event
???
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
The more that we pay attention to the ceremony, and accept that it is there to help make our transitions through life smoother, the easier it will become to understand why it is so important.
Talk to a TCN Celebrant today about adding ceremony to your next life event
???
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
2634 Hits
2634 Hits
Thank you Melanie