I completely believe we should be able to mark life’s milestones with celebration, and in a way that is reflective of those that we are there to honour. I pride myself on listening and tuning into the essence of a person’s personality to convey a ceremony that will mark what is so important to them.
It is a great privilege to meet and learn about people – of all backgrounds and convey what I learn about them in a fitting ceremony. I channel my love of storytelling with what I write and how I deliver. Every ceremony I create is truly personal and unquestionably unique.
Here is a wee run down of the ceremonies I offer – but if it is worth celebrating, it usually is, and so this list is not exhaustible!
– WEDDINGS –
When it comes to weddings, I really spend my time getting to know my couples. This can be in person with a cheeky wee coffee, or of course, zooming (*other video call mediums do apply!), phone, text, messenger or email! No 2 people are the same and no 2 ceremonies are the same. We all have different backgrounds. It is my job to (apart from getting you legally wed!) ensure that the ceremony is reflective of the couple, their individual personalities and includes lots of wee references that mean so much to the story of ‘them’. I can adapt each ceremony with symbolic gestures, poems, quotes and humour. I will also keep things simple if that is what the couple want. It is about striking a balance and telling their story. It is a privilege to create a ceremony that is inspirational and meaningful to all that are in the room. Making the journey into married life is a bonnie milestone and there is no reason why it shouldn’t start with celebrating how far you have already come. I like to deliver the stories of my couples with a serving of smiles, boundless joy but also with a wee bit room for ‘totes emosh’!
– FUNERALS –
Storytelling again is so essential in being able to capture the essence of a person in a celebration of life. It is about conveying who they were but also the legacy that they have left for those that played a part in their lives. It really is an honour to conduct these ceremonies. I pride myself on writing and delivering the story of an individual in a way that is truly reflective of their them. I like to tell the story ‘as though I knew them’. It is the hardest thing in the world for loved ones to hand the story of those that have passed to someone they have never met. I hope after meeting with the family and really spending time getting to know about those that have passed, I have enough to truly convey who they were. I carry my ceremonies with dignity, empathy, detail and compassion.
– NAMING CEREMONIES –
And of course there are ceremonies for wee yins! Having a wee one myself, I’m very much in tune with how we want to celebrate those unforgettable milestones which they encounter at the different stages of their lives. Naming ceremonies are all about welcoming a teeny-tiny into our communities, celebrating all that they are and the joy that they can give. Even from an early age it is their right of passage and such a lovely thing to do. Naming ceremonies don’t have to stop here though. Some want to celebrate and welcome a new family member that has came into their lives for e.g. adoption. It is important to mark this and it is a lovely way of doing so. Occasionally, people want to celebrate a new identity and a naming ceremony can do that for them too. In short – naming ceremonies can be for anyone!
Natalie Stevenson 