The Celebrants Network Inc - BLOG

A good celebrant is much more than a good performer. They need to be  .. . . .

READ MORE

ASK A CELEBRANT BLOG:
www.askacelebrant.org.au

My wife and I were married by a Civil Celebrant in our back garden. I believe this was the catalyst that set me on the path of where I am today. After further study I received a Certificate in Funeral Celebrancy and another in Marriage Celebrancy and in 2009 was appointed as a Marriage Celebrant by the Attorney General.

My most special memory is of marrying a couple who had been together for many years. When the groom was diagnosed with cancer they chose to marry before he became too ill. I was then honoured a few months later when asked to perform the funeral service.

ASK A CELEBRANT BLOG

Before becoming a registered celebrant in August of 2011, being a celebrant was not a career which had ever entered my mind.  My pursuits up to then had revolved around sport - being a secondary school Physical Education/Science teacher and later having my own massage and personal training businesses.
 
A girlfriend of mine began a wedding planners course, and suggested I would make a good celebrant.

Read more

This weeks featured celebrant is Sue Lee-Archer from Launceston TAS.

Born and raised in Melbourne, I attended Prahran Tech and RMIT, studying commerce. Then got into music at age 18, and performed as a folk singer and musician (guitar). I've always worked as a stenographer/ secretary and had an interest in writing. In fact, I submitted a short story for the Alan Marshall Short Story writing awards in 2009, but alas, no luck.

In 1976, I moved to Launceston and got into folk-rock (electric bass and vocals). However I'm no longer regularly involved with performing, but play cello, and am teaching myself violin and piano.Since 1996 I've worked for my husband as office manager . A long time interest in craft work is one of my passions, and I'm sharing a site with a friend at the Deloraine Craft Fair, Tasmania, November this year. WHOOPPEE!! - so hard to get into.

ASKACELEBRANT BLOG

On a Pop-up Wedding Day several couples are married at the same venue, in carefully controlled timeslots throughout the day.   They are certainly a fun, low cost alternative to the traditional large wedding.  For around $1000 and an hour of your time you have a short ceremony with a registered celebrant, photos in a pretty setting, a glass of champagne and some cake.  You don’t need to invite anyone – there will be witnesses on hand – or you might take a couple of guests with you. The ideal answer for couples who want a low key, no fuss, intimate occasion. 

Or is it? 

You should know that you can cut the costs and the fuss and still have total control of your wedding.  Choose a place that you both love and decide the day and time that suits you, book a celebrant for a simple short ceremony, book a photographer for a one hour shoot or take along a talented friend with a camera, chill a bottle of decent bubbly, pick up a cake (or your favourite food) and enjoy your special day your way. Fun to plan whether it’s your secret or shared with some close friends, unique and personal. Plus, you’ll definitely save money!

I have a diverse career background including retail, chef, SCUBA instructor, Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and Head of Hall of a university student residence for 500 young people. I have a range of qualifications including Cert III Commercial Cookery (chef), Cert IV Celebrancy, Cert IV Training & Assessment, Bachelor of Communication, Master of Management and currently undertaking a Grad Dip in Community Counselling.

ASKACELEBRANT BLOG:

A Message from the National Chairperson of our Australian celebrant peak body for marriage celebrants - The Coalition of Celebrant Associations.

Dear Colleagues

It is with saddened hearts the Coalition of Celebrants Association (CoCA) Inc wishes to inform all our colleagues in the celebrancy world that Robyn Caine our CoCA Chairperson until 2 days ago and  founding member of CoCA passed away this afternoon. Robyn will always be a treasured part of our lives and her work will live on in the fabric of our celebrancy world and beyond.

May Robyn’s family, friends and colleagues have peace of mind and heart in saying farewell to such a courageous and gracious lady, find  support needed in the times ahead when Robyn’s presence will be missed and give thanks for having the privilege of sharing Robyn’s love and  journey through life.

Tributes for Robyn may be placed on a special webpage CoCA has set up here on the CoCA website.

Kindest regards

Dorothy Harrison
CoCA Chairperson & MCA Delegate

ASK A CELEBRANT - FEATURED CELEBRANT

"Sports over the years have played a major part of my life being as a player and as a committee member and I am a life member of a local football and sports club". shares Paul Watts from Perth WA.

"Over many years both family and friends have encouraged me to become a marriage Celebrant which I did and was registered in January 2010."

"I enjoy public speaking and over many years have been the Master of Ceremonies at numerous weddings, birthdays, engagement parties, funerals and various other occasions."

Read more about Paul and other celebrants in our ASK A CELEBRANT profiles and snapshots section.

ASK A CELEBRANT - FEATURED CELEBRANT

One of my first weddings was an outdoor wedding and the week leading up to the event had been cloudy, there had been afternoon storms and blustery winds. I asked my bride and groom what if it rained on the day.

They were a fairly young couple but just so amazing, mature and sensible.

This weeks featured celebrant is Kathy McKimm from Gippsland VIC.

I'm a Kiwi by birth, and an Aussie by choice!! I have 2 sons both at Melbourne University, and by day I manage a Medical Practice. I'm a nurse/midwife and have always enjoyed working with people from all walks of life and place family values high on my list of priorities.

This weeks featured celebrant is Liane Kirwan from Brisbane QLD.

My name is Liane Kirwan and I am an Authorised Marriage Celebrant and Justice of the Peace (Qualified). I am also a Speech and Drama Teacher, and, being a bit of an actor, I thought Celebrancy would be right up my alley.

So, about 15 years ago, I enquired about becoming a Marriage Celebrant and used to make a phone call to Canberra every year or so to see if they were appointing more Celebrants. I was delighted to find out, after years of waiting, they were accepting more Marriage Celebrants, so I completed my training and was registered in September 2007.

This weeks featured celebrant is Elizabeth Wilkie from Brisbane, QLD.

My name is Elizabeth Wilkie and I am a newly appointed Celebrant as of June 2009. I’ve been married to Anthony for nearly 20 years now and we have two beautiful boys Paul 16 and Christopher 14. Anthony and I run a small building renovation business which has given me the flexibility to stay home with the boys. I have also worked part time in retail which I loved except the hours were a bit of a juggle especially when the kids were little.

This week featured celebrant is Sonia Collins from Batemans Bay NSW.

My name is Sonia Collins and I am a Civil Celebrant in Batemans Bay, New South Wales.   This is a very popular area for weddings, with couples coming from Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, and country towns across NSW and Vic, as well as our local area. The area has great venues for weddings and for receptions and with the natural beauty of the coast and the bush it is not surprising that Batemans Bay is a first choice for many couples especially those with happy memories of time spent here on holidays.I have enjoyed a satisfying career in Human Resource Management and my interest in people led me to undertake the training to become a Marriage Celebrant.

ASKACELEBRANT BLOG:
This is a delightful personal story about the value of family and community in ceremonies and an example of the sorts of stories  our couples and  families could write about their wedding and other ceremony preparations.

The me, me, me wedding - By Hannah Seligson

http://www.tennantcreektimes.com.au/story/1771594/the-me-me-me-wedding/

This weeks featured celebrant is Pat Slee now in Brisbane, recently moved from Fraser Coast QLD.

I encountered my first wedding when I was 19 a little while before I was to head off for National Service. I found it a strange mix of traditions and mutterings and took it all in.The next one was my own, after I came back from Nashos and got my head back together, (well 95% anyway.)

What a tangled mess of religious hypocrisy that was. A confused Agnostic marrying a non-active Catholic in a Methodist Church because the Catholics and the Church of England’s would not have either of us… and my fiancee’ wasn’t even pregnant at the time!

Response by our TCNA Life Celebrant Member Dally M Messenger III to a Recent Letter

Unwedded bliss

Peter Waterhouse repeats an old slur often told by supporters of formal marriage, that de facto relationships just take the form of some sort of ''holding pattern'' until ''something better comes along'' (Letters, 15/8). My partner and I have been in a loving de facto relationship for more than 25 years, producing two wonderful sons on the way. We have never had any intention of either looking for something better or of getting married.

Congratulations to our lovely Lyn Knorr

Lyn achieves 40 years today as civil celebrant having been appointed in Australia on 24th July 1973, the second Civil Marriage Celebrant appointed in Australia and the first  in Victoria.

Celebrants and Celebrations Network Australia - TCN is privileged to have Lyn Knorr as one of our founding TCN Inc Committee members and a TCN Life Member. 

And with some long-timers at the 40 the Anniversary last Friday of the appointment of the first Civil Marriage Celebrant, Lois D'Arcy.

Lyn shared some of her memories of the Early Days at a 2005 celebrant conference. 

We thank her for her faithful service to the Australian public and our civil celebrancy profession and wish her all the very best in the years ahead.

How many of us like to be kept waiting?  I've never met anyone who did.

It has become fashionable lately to state on wedding invitations a start time, which is actually considerably different to the actual start time.  On the face of it, it sounds like a good idea; after all, we don't all have good time-keeping skills and if guests have arrived in advance of the ceremony time then they won't miss the ceremony, or will they?  Perhaps they were intending to miss the ceremony anyway and just turn up at the reception?

Earlier this year the Australian Government revoked its ban on issuing same-sex couples with the documents they needed to marry overseas.  Now it's time to revoke the ban on legally recognising these marriages. Fourteen countries currently allow Australians to enter same-sex marriages.

Several, including Japan and Israel, already recognise foreign same-sex marriages even they don't perform such marriages themselves. 

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has introduced a Bill to lift this ban. This is the Australian Parliament's final chance before the election to represent the majority of Australians who support marriage equality and to show the world that Australia has a heart.   

If you wish to sign this petition the link is below.

www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/julia-gillard-and-tony-abbott-allow-australian-same-sex-couples-married-overseas-to-be-recognised-under-australian-law?utm_source=Australian+Marriage+Equality&utm_campaign=ddd64a1c2e-PetitionOSMarriedCouples&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_401f97f215-ddd64a1c2e-99488249