I love meeting new people - and have been privileged recently to meet several lovely young couples who want me to conduct their wedding ceremonies. And it's so special when they contact me after we've met and say how much they enjoyed meeting me too. One couple said there was no way they wanted anyone other than me to conduct the ceremony on their special day! I just adore creating a ceremony that is unique to the couple and which is just what they want. I am getting more pleasure out of making people happy than anything else I have ever done in my life - apart from bringing up my beautiful daughter of course!
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Not only do I adore helping create ideal ceremonies for people - I just love being there with them on the day. And when I receive feedback like this, understandably I feel ecstatic! "We were so honoured with your presence, expertise and absolute true passion for what you do...we thank you for the amazing ceremony… really! It exceeded my romantic imagination, which is huge! Everyone commented and complemented on the amazing delivery and structure of the event, how unique it was... you have a niche in the market.” My last post was about a rose ceremony at a wedding. But roses - and rose petals - are also perfect for a non-religious baby naming ceremony - making a lovely and significant alternative to a water sprinkling. One godparent or guardian can drop white rose petals on the baby, symbolising a childhood innocence that hopefully will last; another can use yellow petals for friendship - evoking the friends who will bless the baby in the years ahead. Then another can sprinkle pink petals representing love that knows no bounds. The fourth can use red petals to reflect life and the passions the baby will find there. Throughout history roses have held great significance. Monks tended rose gardens in the Middle Ages...there are references to roses in the bible and of course Shakespeare's immortal words were, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." So no wonder some couples chose to include a rose ceremony at their wedding. Red roses stand for sacrifice and love. White roses represents pure spiritual love. A single white rose represents forgiveness and white roses in a bridal bouquet signify a holy union.Twelve roses is considered a complete cycle and therefore represents true love... while nine stand for eternal love. At weddings, engagements and renewal ceremonies it's a lovely idea for the couple to present each other with a rose - either white or red - as a symbol of their love. A naming ceremony offers a sense of tradition, of occasion and is a formal way of offering love and reassurances towards a new baby. It's also the perfect way to introduce a child into your circle of family and friends and to celebrate one of life's continuing miracles. Nowadays many people choose to wait until their baby's first birthday to hold a naming ceremony - a double celebration! Hand tying or handfasting adds a lovely new dimension to a wedding ceremony. But what coloured ribbons should you choose?
All colours have their significance. For instance red is the colour of passion, strength and fertility; orange represents attraction and kindness while yellow is linked to confidence and joy. Green, often used by financial institutions, represents prosperity along with health while blue, the colour of the ocean, stands for tranquility, devotion and sincerity. Purple represents power, white- purity and peace and black, strength and success. Pink is the colour of romance, brown is very grounding while gold is linked to energy, wealth (of course!) intelligence and longevity. Silver on the other hand is the colour of creativity and inspiration. So knowing all that, which colours would you choose? Maybe a mixture of them all... Why do we wait until birthdays, Christmas or New Year's Eve to celebrate? I believe life is too short not to celebrate EVERY moment we can. Without making the effort to mark a particular moment, life passes us by far too quickly and achievements and blessings can so easily get missed along the way... Organising a celebration - with a celebrant to lift the occasion from special to spectacular - is the best way to mark all those special occasions in your life. Be it a new home, new baby, the passing of an exam or achieving new status... Make Celebrating Life's Chapters your New Year's Resolution for 2013...celebrate in style and ensure you don't let those magic moments pass you by... With so many of us geographically (and often emotionally) cut off from our relatives and friends - for instance all my family apart from my daughter are living in England - it makes me realise just how important it is to get together when we can and celebrate the occasion. A friend of mine has just returned from Australia to spend time with her sick father in England and he died just days after she returned home. How much better was it that she was there to spend time with him when he was alive, than rushing home after he had died for a funeral? I think Living Wakes (like a funeral wake but when the guest of honour is present) are a really great way of making someone feel loved, cherished and important to those around them. I've always thought how crazy it is to have a wonderful funeral that celebrates the life of the person who has died, and they miss out on all the love, memories and funny stories that surround the occasion. How often have you heard people at a funeral say, "How much he/she would have loved this?". And I don't even think living wakes need to wait until a special relative is even ill. Why not have a Celebration of Life every year, when the family gets together? Even if it's when one relative visits from overseas, why not plan a family gathering - which is structured as a special ceremony - to create a professional, meaningful and loving occasion? But if a family member is ill, and you fear the end might be close, then that's a perfect time to plan a Living Wake. I've done a lot of training in grief and bereavement and I know how much this can help not only the relatives, but also the person who is facing the natural end of their life. It helps acceptance and for those who will be left behind, it also helps in the bereavement process. |
AuthorRebecca Skinner is a journalist, editor and writer who is also a civil celebrant, committed to helping people cherish special moments in their lives. From ceremonies with a difference together with books of living memories as a unique memento - to writing life stories - she is the specialist in celebrating life's many chapters. Archives
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