Why I became a celebrant
I didn’t know celebrants existed until my dad died in 2018. We didn’t want a religious minister for the funeral and didn’t know if there was another option. The funeral director asked if we’d considered a celebrant. I think our response was “A what?!”. They explained that a celebrant could officiate the service, and help us to create the funeral that was right for my dad. I wrote the eulogy and the celebrant wrote and delivered the rest of the ceremony, giving us a fitting farewell for Dad. The experience piqued my interest about celebrancy and I did some research into becoming a professional celebrant whilst on maternity leave with my second child. When my mum died, suddenly and unexpectedly 18 months after my dad, we returned to the same celebrant who had officiated Dad’s funeral to help us say another goodbye. In the midst of my grief, I also had another strong feeling – that celebrancy was a vocation that I needed to pursue. I felt that my experience in events and storytelling would stand me in good stead, but that my compassion, empathy, and reputation for being a ‘people person’ would be put to even better use.
In 2021, I completed my celebrancy training, left my corporate job, and I have been practising as a celebrant ever since. It’s everything I thought it would be, and more – challenging, heart-warming, life affirming. The ability to be able to help families at what can be a very difficult time in their lives and tell people’s stories at funerals is a huge privilege. Being a part of weddings, naming ceremonies, vow renewals and other celebrations brings a huge amount of joy. Listening to what people want from their celebration and being able to craft a ceremony that captures the essence of the people involved and delights the audience always brings a smile to my face.
I love my job!