A Celebrant is a ceremony specialist whose ceremonies are not restricted to a particular faith. Ceremonies performed by a Celebrant are custom-written for each client; no two ceremonies are the same. Celebrants go through rigorous training to perform ceremonies that mark the transitional events of life and death. Obvious ones include weddings, funerals, memorials and baby blessings. However, there are many transitional opportunities in our lives that can be enhanced and marked by a professionally-crafted ceremony.

Celebrants honor the beliefs of each client, and design ceremonies to be inclusive and welcoming. A Celebrant is knowledgeable in world cultures, rituals and traditions.

Learn more about celebrants at the Celebrant USA Foundation and Institute. I welcome your call or e-mail to ask me about my training and certification.

Here are some of the reasons you might prefer to choose a Certified Celebrant to perform your wedding or commitment ceremony, funeral, memorial or end-of-life tribute ceremony, house blessing, retirement ceremony or any special milestone:

• You want complete freedom in the design of your ceremony and support to create it the way you want
• You want a ceremony that is meaningful, personal and memorable for you
• You are seeking a ceremony that is not offered in your usual faith tradition – such as a house blessing, a pet memorial or a divorce ceremony
• Your views or spiritual beliefs do not fit in with an established faith, but you embrace a higher force
• You want your ceremony to include your own personal combination of religious, non-religious and contemporary wisdom
• You are a couple, either from different religious backgrounds, or perhaps same gender, and you want a celebration that bridges your traditions and honors both of you
• You are a couple looking to personalize your wedding vows or renew your commitment together
• You want to create a safe and supportive space to explore a significant life transition

The ceremonies that I write are created from personal interviews and collaboration with you.

We'll sit down together in your home or other comfortable place of your choosing so we can get to know one another. This is a no cost, no obligation discussion so you can decide if I am the right officiant for you. Or, if you prefer, we can chat on the phone.

Once you've decided to work with me, I'll give you an agreement to sign. Then we'll talk about why you're having this ceremony and what it really means to you. You'll also receive a set of questions to reflect upon on your own. Once you've had time to respond, I'll gather your reflections and my notes from our conversations and begin to create your ceremony.

Typically, I write a draft outline for you to approve first. Then I write the full ceremony, which you will have plenty of time to review. I incorporate your feedback and edits into the ceremony until you are completely satisfied.

This is a critical point about how we will work together: you own your ceremony. That means you'll approve every word of it, so that there will be no surprises on the day of the ceremony.

I arrive early and prepared on the day of your ceremony.

A few days after the ceremony, I'll be in touch with you to give you your keepsake copy of your ceremony and to get any feedback you'd like to offer.

Depending on the type of ceremony that you have chosen, there may be additional services that I will provide. In all cases, I will embrace your ceremony with the joy and enthusiasm I bring to everything in my life.