A Celebrant is like a fine wine, getting better with age! - Grecian Ceremonies

I just celebrated a birthday a couple of days ago, and no it wasn’t a milestone birthday, thank goodness, it came and went without too much excitement! Having just completed my first summer season as a Celebrant in Greece, it occurred to me to share the qualities required to take on such an important role.

Unlike other professions a Celebrant really needs to have a lot of life experiences under their belt. I apologise in advance to any younger Celebrants coming to the fore, but in order to undertake the responsibility of creating and officiating a wedding ceremony, a grey hair or 2 can be a definite advantage. To be honest there are not many other industries where getting a little older is such a positive!

A Celebrant in Greece

When I chose to train as a Celebrant in Greece, I had no idea how much this choice would change my life, and for the better! Back in the day, I had my own ‘Greek wedding’ having met my other half, a local Rhodian, on a holiday. I will never forget our special day, however, at the time I understood very little, perhaps I should rephrase, absolutely nothing of the ceremony and nor did my faithful group of family and friends who had made the trip to Greece! Of course, back then, there wasn’t a Celebrant option.

Building relationships

From the very first moment that I meet any of my couples, we form a connection. If they are young, (for me young is most people!) I feel very motherly towards them, if not, then I often have a lot in common with them! Either way this connection is really one of the most important stages in the process. Building a rapport with any couple is key to gaining their trust.

However, once we get started it’s not only the couple themselves but also their family and friends and all their expectations too. At most weddings I only get to meet the most important players at the wedding rehearsal, but I already know so much about them. They are already written in to the script, after all they are part of the ‘story’, maybe they are participating in the ceremony itself, I always make a point of chatting with them all, putting them at ease and ensuring that they are all confident on their roles during the ceremony.

What would you like your celebrant to wear?

As described by my closest friends, I am very ‘low maintenance’ meaning, I’ve never been one for make-up and manicures! For those of you who haven’t seen me recently, you may have to update your opinion. No longer do I show up with my wild hair flowing behind me, with unpainted nails and without any shiny lippy! A little late in life, I have made a change, I play such a privileged role, it is of the uppermost importance that although mature (a very polite way of saying older!) a Celebrant is dressed and groomed in the perfect style for the ceremony they are leading and I always make a point of asking my couples what they would like me to wear so I fit in with their colour scheme and planning, it is of course very important.

Comparing a fine wine with a Celebrant in Greece!

Now, back to fine wines; the better they are the longer they can age! As we get older, life seems to pass by faster and faster, days turn into months, months into years and suddenly when we sit back to take a breath, there is that realisation of our own vulnerability. Where did the time go, would I have done anything differently, did I make mistakes? So many questions, without any real answers. Working as a celebrant in Greece, is a vocation, making people happy, sharing in their love story, helping them to show this love to each other in front of their family and friends. With years of important life events to call on when creating a unique ceremony, a Celebrant must be confident with all types of people and situations, they will have a presence; they will be unphased in a crisis, but also totally supportive. They will think on their feet and adapt to any last-minute changes, in fact they will be so skilled that even if everything doesn’t go exactly to plan, nobody will notice! Wedding planning can be a stressful time, a Celebrant can provide the calm in the storm, a go to for advice and local information.

I love my life as a Celebrant in Greece! I, for one am going on the fine wine principle, the better they are, the longer they can age!