Services
Weddings
“Grow old along with me the best is yet to be” Robert Browning
The marriage ceremony is a celebration of love, the mark of a new beginning and the promise of a commitment. It is a public declaration of a couple’s intention to enter into a legal partnership with one another before family, friends and community.
All societies, old and new, uphold and celebrate a wedding ceremony. Some are elaborate and long, while others short and simple. The types of ceremonies are infinite and diversely beautiful. In Australia, weddings can take place anywhere at anytime. They can be traditional, or unconventional. Your choice to celebrate your marriage in the Shoalhaven on the beautiful South Coast is the perfect decision.
My challenge as a marriage celebrant is to assist you in creating a ceremony that fits your wishes, creative vision and cultural choices.
Celebrations
“My calling, as one imperfect human is to celebrate and uphold life every time I get a chance” – Victoria Moran.
There is a great beauty in celebrating and connecting with others that appeals to me as a civil celebrant. There is no better location than the Shoalhaven for such a celebration.
We celebrate with ceremonies to honour transitions and commemorate milestones and events. It gives us the opportunity to create memories and pass down stories to the next generation.
Not everyone is a natural storyteller or can easily articulate their feelings. If you need a helping hand to write about a friend’s achievements for their retirement dinner, a special speech for a birthday dinner, an anniversary speech or a recital for another particular occasion, allow me to help you find the words or that special verse or poem to celebrate the moment.
Naming Days
What is the significance of a name?
“A name is about the most personal thing you can give a child. It is worth thinking about what the name should be. One day, you can be sure that your child will ask you why you chose it.” Emily Wood
The ceremonial naming of a child and welcoming into a family is firmly entrenched in cultures old and new. A name often defines who you are. It links the child with its family and their cultural background, symbolically affirming the child’s arrival as a valued addition to the family and also society.
For today’s multicultural and diverse family units, a naming day allows the freedom to include a variety of elements and a range of rituals into the ceremony. It can be simple or elaborate. The naming day ceremony is also the opportunity to acknowledge godparents, guardians or mentors for your child.
It is my pleasure and delight in collaborating with you to create and perform the naming ceremony at your chosen location in Nowra or anywhere within Shoalhaven.
Funerals
“Grief is a journey not a destination” – Anon
As a celebrant, living in Nowra, I consider it my honour and duty to lessen the weight of that journey through the delivery of a dignified and personalized celebration of the life of your loved one.
With my previous nursing training and experiences, I have the utmost respect for the dignity and sanctity of life. It is my belief that a life, no matter how short or long, deserves a dignified ceremony.
Family and friends of the deceased come to a funeral to grieve, to share memories and emotions with others and to reflect on a life lost. They come to be comforted and uplifted in their time of need.
It is my role and privilege to help the family of the deceased to create a unique service. The funeral service is arranged to allow the expression of what your loved one meant to you and your family. In creating the funeral service, I take into consideration the relevant cultural background and/or religious beliefs of the departed and the family,
I believe it is important to tailor each service to a memorable celebration of your loved one. Music, readings, poems and verses, eulogies and rituals are all part of celebrating a life. I can assist you and your family to coordinate these for the funeral service, helping to turn a distressful event into a beautiful memory.