The Key To Success

The key to the success of any event that celebrates, rejoices, or remembers, a life or a love, is planning, and a check list is a great way to help with this, so I thought I would share some of my check list points with you.

Getting to know you. For me to help to tell either your love story, or your story of love, I need to get to know you, and that is why the first point of contact should be a getting to know each other meeting, no pressure and no commitment.

Second meeting, if you decide that we are a good fit together, then we meet again to begin to plan, and then we also make a commitment to each other.

Your responsibilities. There are certain things that I am required to conduct with you by law, depending on the service. The most obvious of these would be weddings, and we would go through these, including the legal paperwork that includes details of the ceremony, confirmation of your identity and proof of your eligibility to marry. Once this is done, we can begin to plan the day.

Planning. Depending on the service you require, the planning can include as much, or as little input from you as you want. That input may be in the form of you having specific things included in the service, specific reading or music, or specific people to be a part of your service. It may also be as simple as chatting about your wishes for the day, and me taking points from that easy conversation, to develop and write your service, to incorporate the story you want to tell. Your commitment at this stage, would be to confirm a date and pay a deposit to confirm your booking.

Traditions. Traditions are wonderful and although they may go back generations, that must begin somewhere, and so, it may be a wonderful opportunity to create what will become new traditions, traditions that begin with you.

Dreams and Nightmares. So often, people have an expectation of a dream event, and event that they have dreamed about for so long, so the one thing that we need to avoid at all costs, is that dream becoming a nightmare. Once again, planning is the key to making dreams come true. Having a plan B, just in case. Weather is one component of a celebration that none of us have any control over. It is vital to have an indoor option, if you are planning an outdoor event, in the hope that you never have to use it, so plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Communication. For a plan to succeed, it needs to be shared. Good communication between you and your Celebrant is a vital component of your check list. I would always prefer to give you too much information, rather than leave you wondering, and in turn, have you keep me updated with any changes, decisions, or variations that you make. A choice that may seem obvious to one of us, could be a complete surprise to the other. Strong communication can also takes away stress. In many cases, stress comes from doubt, not being completely sure, a fear of the unknown and a feeling of losing control of a situation. Communication takes away all of these issues, and gives you a sense of control and understanding, and no surprises means less stress for you.

The Big Day. On the day of the event, I will be there with time to spare, which equates to time to repair. Any issues that may arise as a consequence of the venue, weather, location, technology, or even your guests, can be adapted, adjusted, or modified, to ensure that your day, your dream, can still become the reality you wished for.