WHY I BECAME A CELEBRANT – I’LL TELL YOU

Photo credit Heather James

I have been asked many times why I decided to become a civil celebrant.  So, I thought I’d share my story with you.

As I live in the country, I spend many hours travelling between Melbourne and my home on the Gippsland Lakes in East Gippsland.  It was early December in 2017 and my husband and I were on the highway bound for Melbourne on A Friday night after work. 

The radio was full of the story that same sex marriage had finally been legalized.  It was such a joyous, momentous and long-awaited announcement.  My husband and I were discussing all the happiness that such a legal change could make on so many levels and for so many people; not just those wishing to be legally married. But for those who loved them such as their friends and families. (We can count ourselves into both of these categories)   

We could picture the proposals, acceptances, tears, heart swelling, plans and hopes such a decision brought to the future. 

I remember telling him how fantastic it would be to be part of such happiness and joy.  He casually said, “You’d be fantastic as a celebrant.  You love people, you’re warm and kind and great at public speaking.  Think of how much fun it would be to marry people.”

Well, actually I couldn’t stop thinking about it and wondered why it had never occurred to me before.  It occupied all of my thoughts.

The next day I jumped online and enrolled to study to become a civil celebrant.  It took many evening hours and weekend afternoons at my computer to push through the course as well as working full time.  Finally, after a year I was finally ready to seek approval from the Attorney General. 

And so, here I am. A civil celebrant at last.