Booking your celebrant 

It can seem overwhelming can't it, once you start thinking about the actual day of your ceremony and all there is to do?! It is easy to get caught up in the flowers, the make up, the venue, the photographer - all the logistics associated with the 'look' of the day, yet right at the heart of your day, is the ceremony. the reason you are both here and the main event which sets off the later celebrations.

And that ceremony has to be right for you. It needs to have heart and meaning and love flowing through it. Once you start thinking about it, you realise that the success of the day hangs on this moment and a poorly executed ceremony is often commented upon.

Things I become aware of when sitting as a guest is the voice of the celebrant; are they speaking with lots of expression or is it a bit monotone? Do they seem comfortable in their role as a public speaker? Do they look like they are excited about the ceremony? Have they practised reading the 'script' aloud or are they stumbling over words? Do they have that ease of communication that helps you relax and enjoy the moment? Do you have the impression they love what they do? is their body language helpful for the bride and groom ie relaxed and open or are they clutching their script and unable to deviate from it?


How do you know if you have picked the right celebrant for the job?!

That comes out on the first meeting and you are looking for somebody who has some experience; somebody who is easy to talk with from the outset; somebody who smiles and is welcoming. You will immediately recognise that person! From there, do they have some thoughts around the ceremony? Have they made a few suggestions and are they open to your thoughts about what you might like included? Do they have clear policies in place for the finance and in the event of being ill on the day? Do they listen well or is it all about what they can do? Will they guide and support you through the process? What is included in their price? It needs to feel easy to ask any questions you like. Can you imagine that person standing in front of lots of people and being a calm, engaging person who will draw the elements together and work well with your photographer/videographer and the venue.

You may be surprised at the fee for a celebrant, however, that person is your mentor from the time you engage them, to the day itself. Upon their head rests the feel and experience of the ceremony on the day and their ability to deal with last minute nerves in the couple and then to deliver a polished and friendly 'performance' which puts the couple at the heart of the ceremony and creates that first touch of magic. Anybody

can get up and speak about a couple, not anybody can lead the guests and the couple through the dance of the elements in a ceremony and stay in step with both the solemn aspects and the more convivial ones!!

Good luck and you know where to come if this appeals!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Imagine!

 Imagine John Lennon’s song might have been a political statement, yet, within it he invites pictures to swirl around your head as you think about the concepts. He plays into the richness of being human, the ability to use imagination, and this is also the world of singing. There has been an alarming trend to take imagination out of singing teaching and replace it with the bare reality of what is happening. How many lessons do I witness where, once again, the singer is taken back to some technical aspect when they have the ability to sing well enough, and what is really needed is the freeing of the imagination for the next ‘stage’? Somehow it is as if we never get beyond that; we can’t let the singer grow up. There is a credible argument that not everybody thinks the same way, therefore what is valid for the teacher, may be a vacuum for the other learner in the room. Using more neutral, less colourfully imaginative ideas is more helpful. As a former classroom teacher, I could concu...
Read more

Unwrapping the voice

Image
I often get asked what genre I teach in singing and I usually say classical and music theatre. I now think this is a limited and loaded question! People, naturally, make decisions on my response, yet what I teach is much more useful.  I teach how to make a voice function. I teach the mechanics of vocal operation so that the singer is empowered to make a choice as to which genre they wish to pursue. There is nothing more powerful than knowing how to make a sound that is stable and secure; knowing that when you open your mouth, that sound is available to you.  The setting up of a voice is the longest and most complex element in voicing.   Understanding the subtleties of muscular and cellular interchange to create the widest palate of sounds you can find. More importantly, gaining control so that the emerging sound is smooth and clear and at your command. That involves practising across the whole of the vocal range of which you are capable and understanding that this will al...
Read more

Flippin' singing teachers

Image
  Flippin' singing teachers There are some phenomenal singing teachers and singers out there and long may that continue. Therefore, I am very sad when students end up at my door who have been intimidated, have lost confidence and feel they can no longer sing at all. It’s one thing to reach the requirements of an exacting music course, but it is quite another to be undermined by somebody who has lost their integrity when it comes to teaching (if they ever had it). My first degree is in education, back in the day when that was a qualification fit for purpose. I have always retained much of what is the beating heart of excellent teaching: working with what you have in front of you; listening to your student; seeking endlessly different ways to explain something; steering a course through the multiple aspects of using your subject; reading around the subject; having empathy as a core skill; seeking knowledge but also acknowledging what your own strengths are that you bring; supporti...
Read more