Rituals in a Wedding Ceremony - # 1 Sand Unity Ceremony When planning your wedding, you may like to think of a ritual that you can include. This can be a nice touch and something wonderful for you to look back on in later years. A Sand Unity Ceremony is very popular. This involves the Bride and Groom selecting their colour of sand and pouring it into a vessel such as a bottle or a case. The significance is that they have started out as individual people with individual bottles - once the grains of sand are poured into the main vessel, the individual ones no longer exist and the grains of sand cannot be separated - just as the bond you have with your partner from the moment you get married.

What is a Eulogy? The word eulogy comes from the Greek word meaning “ to bless” . According to the Oxford Dictionary it is “ a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, especially a tribute to someone who has just died” This can comprise of a story of their life from their birth until their passing. This can include all the highs and lows, and the difference that they have made to the lives of the many people who encountered them on their own life’s journey. Someone does not need to have travelled the world or climbed the highest mountain to have made a difference OR to have led a fulfilling and happy existence. People often ask where to start? The easiest place

No matter what type of Life's Celebration you may be holding, you can have people involved to give your celebration a personal touch. At a wedding ceremony, you may like to ask a family member or friend to recite a Poem or do a reading. When celebrating your baby or child's naming day, a member of your family or a close friend may be quite honoured to read out a poem for your baby or child. There are lots of readings that can be found on the internet or you may like to have someone read one that you have written yourself. At a Funeral Ceremony, it can be extremely difficult to speak. Emotions can take over and make it hard to speak.The thought of speaking in public, especially at this time c

Why write your own eulogy? Why not have the final say? This is what “A Life Box” is all about – it’s about you getting your life story down on paper. It’s about having your say on how your life has been, what you have experienced and in your own words. It is not morbid – it is forward planning. We don’t often sit down with our families and talk about our past and what happened in our childhood and what's more this can be so very interesting. Why not save your family the angst of trying to find out all of these things when it’s too late? And when they are not in the right frame of mind? Should this be something you may be interested in, or maybe you know of someone who is, feel free to contac

Having been a Funeral Celebrant for 8 years, I have met numerous families when their loved one has passed in order to put together a funeral service. On lots of occasions, people just do not know as much as what they thought about their family member who has passed. We all grow up and have relationships with our Parents and possibly with extended family such as Grandparents, Aunties and Uncles, Cousins and Siblings. But how much do we actually know about their earlier life ? - (especially our Parents and Grandparents). When my mum passed away in January of 2008, my Dad and I sat with the Funeral Celebrant and Dad told him all about Mum's earlier life - and I couldn't believe I didn't know h

In any ceremony, music can play a very significant part. Music has a way of evoking emotions as well. If I am asked to advise on music to be played within a Funeral Ceremony, I always suggest playing music that the person we are there honouring enjoyed listening to. Songs played at a funeral do not have to be morbid. You can play anything you like. I always suggest an uplifting song if possible for the conclusion of the service. It can be very heartwarming to leave the chapel at the end of the service with a little bit of a smile rather than overwhelmed sadness. Another thing I often say to people is to not overthink things. Don't get too bogged down in the lyrics of a song. I can guarantee