The changing face of celebrancy

Almost 10 years ago when I became a celebrant, the wedding industry looked very different to how it is today.Many celebrants were doing this job in their retirement, as a hobby, or as an act of community service.I knew I wanted something more.  I wanted to be different and to make this my career. I wanted couples to have choice – celebrating their day without the same “cookie cutter style” that weddings had traditionally become. I wanted ceremonies to be more meaningful, less formal – and more enjoyable for everyone.In the early days I tried to reach out to my fellow colleagues, as I recognised the value of being able to learn and develop from each other. My attempts to connect were unsuccessful. I felt they saw me and my new ideas such facebook page as a threat! (Facebook was only becoming a thing 10 years ago).However a few years ago I met a number celebrants and this was a game changer for me. All of us recognised that life is not a competition. It is about surrounding ourselves with like-minded celebrants and striving to become better.  As celebrants, we are required to legally complete our annual professional development training every year.  We need to keep up to date with all aspects of our job, particularly in the last 18 months with the changes around marriage equality. Each year we get together at an annual conference for the Celebrant Society, to fulfil our Ongoing Professional Development requirements.But we also attend a number of workshops lead by some of my colleagues who have a lot to offer in the way of experience and expertise, discussing innovative topics within our industry.I am truly humbled to have been invited back again this year, to host a funeral workshop.   Although, I will never claim to be the master of anything as I feel there is always something to learn, over my years as a celebrant I have been fortunate enough to be invited into the lives of many families to help them to create beautiful and meaningful ways to remember their loved ones.  During my workshop, I will share my experience so my colleagues can learn and help make a difference in the lives of others.  Each celebrant in this group is one of my competitors but we value “community over competition”.We are changing lives, we are changing the industry and we are striving to be the best celebrants we can be. As you can see I found my people.