Marriage Celebrant Services
I trained as a Celebrant with AUT (Auckland University of Technology) in 2009, this was an unexpected delight – an opportunity to learn so much about the ancient value of ceremony & ritual, as well as exploring the whole life cycle working with families in times of joy and sadness.
To date most of my ceremonies have been either Weddings or Life Celebrations/Funerals but I have also written and delivered several rituals for times of transition.
As a registered Marriage Celebrant, I have had the pleasure of working with many wonderful couples, from all cultures & situations including large blended families. My ceremonies have ranged from huge – no -expense -spared occasions at luxury venues to intimate homegrown backyard- bring a- plate celebrations.
The atmosphere has always focussed on a celebration of love, family & life that reflects the wishes, values & choices of the couple marrying.
Contact Sally and take the first step towards creating a wonderful wedding ceremony.
Life Celebrations / Funerals
Life Celebration is not a term I always use, as it depends on the situation, the family and whanau involved & the age of the deceased.
Sometimes, grief that follows death of a loved one, particularly a child, can be so overwhelming it can be hard for people to relate to the idea of celebrating a life that has ended prematurely.
My role is always to guide and advise, rather than lead, using the language that is appropriate to the family.
To assist in the grief process, I encourage the family to think about the person who has passed and how the ceremony we create, can best honour them. Reflecting on all life’s challenges and the fun times, personality traits, anecdotes and stories as well as the love that was shared.
Working with a family at this time is a great privilege & together we create a unique and personalised ceremony. Symbolic gestures such as candle lighting, live music, singing & balloon releases; are used to enhance the ceremony when appropriate and can create lasting memories for all concerned.
This does not change the fact that someone precious is no longer here physically, but it does help people to deal with their complex emotions and to begin to accept their loss & begin the grieving process.
Contact Sally to discuss your Life Celebration/Funeral ceremony requirements.
Pre-planning & Preparation for Life Celebrations / Funerals
Honouring our dead is something I feel very strongly about as recently there seems to be a tendency for people to choose not to have a service of any kind and to go straight to cremation. I think this is a sad situation. I know some people say they don’t want a funeral or any fuss, but the service has the potential to honour the person who died, strengthen family connections & assist in the grief process. When someone dies with no family or friends, I am happy to provide a brief ceremony to honour their life & to farewell their body.
Often people do not plan for their death in any way and death denial is a big issue in our society. I have been involved with families in palliative care and at the end-of-life stages and I highly recommend every adult completes an Advance Care Plan- available online from the Ministry of Health.
ACP is a process that asks us to consider how we feel about our life & our death in advance so that our families and medical staff know what is important to us.
This relieves a lot of distress for families who may otherwise have no idea what choices we would make if something happened that meant we were no longer able to make or communicate our decisions for ourselves. Accidents & sudden medical events happen, sometimes causing acute and irreversible injuries that leave us dependent on our families & healthcare professionals to make decisions for us, if we have not left specific requests or choices.
Many of us are afraid of death & yet the fascinating thing is that once we explore the reality of life – that our bodies will all die one day, we are free to live our lives more fully, with greater intention, presence and joy.
Life Celebrations/ Funerals can be meaningful & affordable and there are Funeral Directors available who are working in a less traditional way who are open to discussing reducing costs whilst still honouring the life of the person who has died.
Putting some money aside regularly for after death care as we advance in years, can relieve a lot of stress for the family members left behind and is also a responsible thing to do.
Contact Sally if you would like help and/or support with honouring your loved one. My fees are negotiable when there is hardship, please contact me to discuss your needs.
