What Is A Celebrant?

There are so many meaningful moments in life which deserve to be marked and celebrated. Whenever we choose to do this through some kind of ceremony or ritual, it can be daunting to know what to do, especially because "ritual" is no longer a central point in many of our cultures. Even when it is, most of us are not intimately familiar with all the complex moving parts that go in to creating a beautiful, meaningful ceremony.

A "celebrant" is the person who helps you "celebrate" or otherwise mark the occasion in a solemn, (or sometime silly, when the occasion calls for it), sacred way. They have experience with all the different forms a special occasion can take, and can help guide you through the tricky process of choosing meaningful words, songs, symbols and gestures. They are also the one who, on the day, provides a non-anxious and informative presence and figure of leadership, so that you and your loved ones can relax into the experience and be carried along without worry.

Quite often the celebrant of something like a wedding or funeral may be a member of the clergy, a priest, pastor, or similar religious figure.

While I am capable of representing some religions in this role, I am not "ordained" in any one religion. Instead, I have intimate familiarity with a vast variety of religions, spiritual beliefs, cultural practices, and more mundane secular traditions that often feel more appropriate to regular people, and while I can certainly participate in a "high church" affair, most of my clients are looking for something less elaborate and showy, and more personal and intimate.

In specialise in the uncommon and unusual, though I can certainly deliver more "traditional" ceremonies when the occasion calls for it. And I urge people to remember that "births, deaths, and weddings" are not the only time when a celebration - or celebrant - is needed. Any major moment in your life can be encapsulated by a beautiful ritual!