Why becoming a celebrant isn’t as strange as you might think
As I dip my toe in the water of becoming a celebrant, many people often say to me “oh, that’s a bit different.”
Well, yes, I’d tend to agree; after 26 years working as an award-winning journalist and successful communications manager, moving into the world of celebrancy is certainly a turn in my career pathway.
But it’s not as weird as you might think!
I’ve spent my whole career meeting and interviewing fascinating people, listening to their stories and honing in on the nugget of information that really makes them unique.
Alongside this, I’ve spent decades turning those stories into engaging and entertaining copy for newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and social media.
And finally, my outgoing personality, years on the stage and experience hosting events mean I’m not afraid to stand in front of a packed room of strangers and deliver a speech, a tribute or just a few words that make the audience laugh minute and cry the next.
Well, there you have three pretty key ingredients to becoming a celebrant; listen, write and tell.
So why has it taken me so long to embrace a career move that I’ve been passionate about for years?
That, I’m afraid, I can’t answer. But I can tell you what reignited my love for giving it a go.
A few months ago, I was asked to deliver a eulogy at the funeral of a good friend who was taken from us suddenly and far too soon.
There weren’t many people in the central Somerset area who didn’t know, or at least know of, Jonathan ‘Johnny’ Miller, and I’d had the pleasure of performing alongside him in our adult panto Snow Sh*te - the last time he would take to the stage.
I knew his funeral was going to be tough. Many of the struggles Johnny had endured through his life were all too familiar: the ridicule that came with being gay, maintaining a comedy façade when inside you felt very different, and the sense of loneliness when it came to love and companionship.
I read that eulogy several times at home before the funeral and there was always one bit that caught me out.
And, you guessed it, it caught me out at the funeral too.
Of course, his eulogy was littered with witty one-liners and phrases only Johnny could use, but it also offered heart-wrenching, emotional moments.
And it was delivering that eulogy that really reignited my desire to become a celebrant.
To stand in front of a packed church and make people laugh, cry and think in equal measure was something very special. And the emotional, private outpouring from those at the service - many of whom I’d never met before - was truly heart-warming.
I hope that something positive can come from Johnny’s passing. I’m hugely grateful to his family for giving me the honour of speaking at his funeral.
And perhaps it will give me the opportunity to bring those 26 years of listening, writing and speaking to help tell other people’s stories and share their special moments - whether that’s celebrating a life, a wedding, a vow renewal or another milestone moment.
