The Celebrants Network Inc - BLOG

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.

The 16th of May is 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's Guest blogger is TCN Celebrant Mel Lawson.

Mothers Day is approaching, and with it, a flurry of hand written cards, hasty trips to the shops by dads, husbands, sons, daughters and partners, a myriad of school and pre school stalls, the busying of florists, jewellers, beauticians,  and the stacking of installations of cards in post offices, shops, corner stores, and petrol stations. These are the Mother's Day Musings of TCN Celebrant and today's guest blogger Lisa Philipsen....

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...

Australians recognise the 25th of April as a day of national remembrance, which takes two forms. Commemorative services are held across the nation at dawn and commemorative ceremonies held at war memorials around the country.  Today's blog is written by TCN Member, Trish Keating.

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...

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.....

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! 

Usually when a celebrant is engaged by a family or a couple it will be first time that they've met and therefore will need to get to know each other.  They do this by asking each other questions..... but are we asking the right questions?

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?

This week's blog is bought to you by Sonia Collins, TCN Celebrant, Guest Blogger and Host of the 'Tell Me Your Story' senior's workshop, held in conjunction with the New South Wales Seniors Festival which is taking place from February 13^th – 24^th. Other States hold Seniors Week at different times but the purpose of these celebrations is always similar – to celebrate Seniors and to encourage them to live healthy lives filled with enjoyable activities.

Thank you to Guest Blogger, Sonia Collins from Batemans Bay in NSW... Today Sonia is talking about  Australia and what a beautiful place it is to get married! There are lots of good reasons why people from overseas choose to marry in Australia. Here are just a few...

TCN’s Social Media Guru sometimes asks for volunteers to write blogs, and I put my hand up for this one... The theme - CELEBRATING LIFE.  Now, what does "Celebrating Life" mean?  And to make it worse, she had added the following rider: (choose your own interpretation).  So, this morning as I was lying on my back, churning through the water in the local pool, I had an epiphany………I will cover a range of life celebrations! 

Are you new to the celebrancy world?  Trying to become more organised? or just wondering what a celebrant does?  Check out guest blogger, Susie Roberts' list of everything a celebrant needs to plan to help keep you on track....

We have a guest blogger today - Robyn Foster "Celebrations by Robyn".  Robyn gave support, along with countless others, to the Australian Marriage Equality campaign and its leaders.  Here is her story...

Funerals and memorial services provide an opportunity for family members, friends and others to gather together to honour and remember the person who died while offering comfort and support to each other.

Planning a funeral or memorial service is a highly personal process, and your decisions will be shaped by your life experiences, your relationship to the deceased, what the deceased wanted or what you desire for yourself after you die, what you can afford, and a myriad of other factors.

Whether planned after a death occurs or beforehand arranging a funeral or memorial service often proves an emotional, and sometimes exhausting, process. 

Hopefully this information will help to make that process a little easier to understand.....

We've all got a dream of what our ceremony is going to look like.  We've all searched through Pinterest and Etsy and magazines saving the pictures that will best fit our theme.  But, the more ideas you come up with - the more the budget is blown out!  What if I told you that there was a way to have your cake and eat it too?  Check out these thrifty ways that you can have the ceremony of your dreams and still be able to afford the Uber ride home...

Adopting a child is a wonderful and often long-awaited experience.  Here are some ideas for welcoming the newest member of the family...

The 11th of November is Remembrance Day.  This is the day we pay our respects to those soldiers who died in the First World War.  It marks the day the war ended and at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month we observe a minute silence to remember and think about all the people who have died in wars since.  There are lots of ways to remember our loved ones after they've died - here are just a few ideas...

Are you getting married in Australia?  Do you or your partner have limited English language skills?  Are you or your partner hearing impaired?  What about the two people you've chosen to be your official witnesses?  Perhaps you have guests coming to your ceremony who don't understand English or are hearing impaired?  There are a number of reasons why you might need to engage an interpreter or a translator when you are getting married....

When you're planning a lovely outdoor ceremony, you would generally think of how beautiful the scenery is, how the area matches your theme or perhaps there is a sentimental reason you've picked this spot, but rarely do you think about whether or not your guests will be eaten alive by mosquitos.  

Here are 7 fabulous outdoor ceremony ideas to make sure that your ceremony it's too hot, too cold or overrun by mozzies.....

Timing is vital on a day as important as your wedding day.  It's a juggling act with numerous balls in the air, so having a well timed out schedule and sticking to it will help the day run smoothly. If you've planned correctly and timed it all out in advance then you be free of stress knowing that you've done everything you can and the rest is in the hands of 'whatever happens now is what happens'.

Here is why timing is vital to your wedding day...

Mindfulness is a practice that helps to bring your attention to the present moment and enables you to be aware of your senses and feelings at that point in time.  You can be mindful by paying attention to your body and/or breath. This means not thinking about the past and not worrying about the future. Rather, just being in the ‘now’. Find out how being mindful can help you...

You're planning your wedding... a naming ceremony... an anniversary ceremony, but where do you start? Where do you find your ceremony inspiration? Here are a few good places to start...

If you are having a marriage ceremony where it's just you, your witnesses and your celebrant, then you can pretty much choose where ever you like, but when you've asked family and friends to witness your special day, you need to take a few things into consideration when choosing the location of your ceremony...

Traditions at a wedding are very important to couples and their families because if you don't follow the traditions.... did you really just get married? The answer is yes, but to some people it can feel like you didn't do it properly if you don't include them.  Here we look at some of the more popular wedding traditions and how they've morphed into a 21st century friendly version.  As these are very old traditions - please forgive the lack of equality in them.  Hopefully the way in which these traditions have transitioned will help to encompass all couples who wish to marry...

We have birthdays, mother's day and father's day... but what about everybody else in our family?  When do we celebrate them?

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...

"People do not die for us immediately but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive. It is as though they were traveling abroad." Marcel Proust

The death of those closest to us presents challenges not imagined, even though death is a natural part of life the sadness, grief, shock and confusion that may present itself at the time may feel like it will never go away...