Hi and a warm welcome to Life Celebrations.
I am Kathrine and, if you are curious, read on to find out more about me and whether you’d enjoy working with me for your upcoming ceremony.
I set up life celebrations in 2003 with a view to helping people mark any milestone that felt significant to them. Obviously i have a few years’ experience as a celebrant, which is a good thing. I have worked with people from a variety of cultural and spiritual backgrounds on a range of ceremonies - from weddings and the celebration of babies, children and teens, to opening ceremonies, significant birthdays, and funerals and farewells. This variety truly is the spice of my celebrant work, because all these milestones contribute to the rich tapestry of life here in Aotearoa-New Zealand.
In 2011, I was elected as national president of the celebrants’ association of NZ and in this role, I was fortunate to collaborate with celebrants all around the country. After that, i was invited to serve on the advisory board and teach at the celebrant school. This involvement ultimately led me to becoming the director of the celebrant school, a role i am honoured to hold, as it enables me to directly contribute to the quality of professional celebrancy in New Zealand. Both these roles have connected me with colleagues who comprise my extended ‘team’ and enable me to draw on a skilled network when required. Prior to being a celebrant i was an organisational development and training consultant, and before that I worked in scientific research at the DSIR. Once again, this eclectic career has added spice to my working life.
Beyond work, I am married and mother to two (mostly) gorgeous teenage sons and a Lakeland Terrier called Geordie. I enjoy playing contract bridge and music with my husband, and when time allows, I energise my spirit creating artworks which are exhibited from time to time. The most recent were part of the “where shall we call home” exhibition in June 2017 at Depot Artspace in Devonport, Auckland to raise funds for refugee resettlement.
You might ask “what makes a good ceremony”?
For some people the word “ceremony” has negative connotations, sounding too big, too formal and too expensive! However, it doesn’t need to be any of these things. For me a ceremony is a pause from day-to-day life to focus on something, or someone (or two or more), at a particular time in life. The occasion may be marking love, loss, achievement, change, or any combination of these. The secret, if there is one, is getting clear about the purpose (this can be deceptively difficult at times). Then, we co-create the ceremony, tapping into the essence of what is important to you... to stop, to listen and to share. As your celebrant, i will help you explore all the facets that contribute to great ceremony – and the process is one most people even enjoy! Like any great design – the endpoint (usually 30 minutes on the day) is merely the visible tip of the iceberg – but we’ll make sure we know what keeps it afloat! The result is a ceremony of the heart, which connects the participants (and sometimes reminds them of who they are).
If this is what you are wanting, give me a call on 09-6232399 or email kathrine@lifecelebrations.co.nz
Warm wishes
Kathrine
