Ten years as a Marriage Celebrant

by Lorraine Wright, The Wright Celebrant

This weekend is a special one for many reasons. Happy Mothers’ Day to all the mums, and big hugs to those who can’t be with their families this year. With everything that’s going on in the world right now, it really makes us stop and think about what’s truly important, doesn’t it? Happy Mothers’ Day to my own lovely mum in New South Wales. I’m hoping for an easing of travel restrictions soon, so we can cross state borders again and visit in person.

Also happening this weekend is a significant anniversary. It will be ten years since my friends, Coralie and Andy, were married. Congratulations, lovely people!

I remember their wedding like it was yesterday…

• our good friends, looking gorgeous and so, so happy, as they tied the knot;
• the Groom’s son, Jack (then just a teenager), playing guitar during the ceremony, and giving us an early glimpse of the musician he was becoming; (seriously – check him out! @Jack Botts Music);
• and me, up front, complete with six-month baby-bump, officiating my very first ceremony as a Marriage Celebrant.

Ten years as a Wedding Celebrant! I can’t believe it’s a decade since I took my first steps on this career path that I love so much.

From that very first ceremony, I was hooked. Hooked on the excitement and anticipation; the heady privilege of witnessing the love and sincerity between a couple as they say their vows; feeling their vulnerability, as they stand together, suspending the every-day for a little window of time as they publicly honour their relationship.

My celebrant friends and I call it ‘the Love Buzz’, and it never gets old. What a privilege.

May 2020 was on track to be my best month to date in my celebrancy business; that is, until the dreaded C-word came along and uprooted the plans of so many couples. The old 2020 wall planner is pretty much a series of scribbles and adjustments, but the 2021 calendar… that’s going to be a different story completely!

One of the unexpected bonuses over the last two months (and the months ahead) has been the opportunity to bring to life some incredibly special elopement ceremonies, as couples pivot to keep their dream alive.

Each elopement has felt so beautiful and significant, with a unique intimacy and sense of fun brought about by their refusal to let the circumstances rain on their parade. I’ve adored this time with each couple, (all at a safe social distance, of course!) and can’t wait to see them again next year when we gather all their friends and families, and celebrate their marriage with a cracking Vow Renewal ceremony!

In the meantime, I’m doing my best to focus on all that we have to be thankful for, especially here in Australia, where – dare I say it – we have managed to ‘flatten the curve’ in most regions, for now at least. I am loving the laughs with friends over social media and video chats; I’m enjoying hardly ever having to put fuel in the car, and – like all the parents overseeing their kids’ online schooling, I’m trying not to pull my hair out too much. (Not sure I’m winning on that front.)

All the while, I’m really looking forward to the day when I can hug people again, and big weddings are once again, a thing.

So let’s stay safe, keep washing our hands, and truly relish life on the other side of this thing. Let’s make 2021 The Year of Togetherness!

#2021theyearoftogetherness #COVIDelopements #tenyearworkanniversary