Beverly Shepherd-Wright Celebrant

### Where To Begin? Firstly, congratulations on your engagement! What a wonderful period in your life, one to cherish and enjoy. As you move towards confirming your relationship in a marriage ceremony, it can all start to become overwhelming. Here are a few easy steps to get you underway: Decide what kind of wedding you want (large/small, casual/formal, indoor/outdoor etc) Talk to your friends about their experiences. What would they do differently? Do they have any recommendations? Set a budget, what can you realistically afford? (Stick to it) Get yourself a folder to keep notes and ideas in. ### Choosing A Celebrant Your celebrant should be someone you can talk to easily and someone you feel comfortable working with going forward. They should be experienced and a member of the Celebrants Association of New Zealand (CANZ). This association is the professional body that oversees celebrants and provides professional training and sets the standards in New Zealand for celebrancy. While anyone can undertake the work and role of a celebrant, only those appointed by Births Deaths and Marriages can legally act as a Marriage Celebrant. I was first appointed in 2008 I have undertaken regular professional development. I joined the Celebrants Association of NZ and consider my appointment as a marriage celebrant a great privilege and one that I treasure every day. Marriages ### Personalising Your Ceremony Vows, Promises and Readings There are literally hundreds of readings, vows and promises. I have attached a small selection for you to use as a base. You may select any of these or choose others as you desire. ### Rituals and Customs Many of our rituals and customs stem from Scottish Traditions. Some examples are 'Hand Fasting', 'Tying The Knot', 'Sharing the Loving Cup' (or 'Quaich Ceremony'), the 'Warming Of The Rings' just to name a few. Also, a very popular ritual at this time is the 'Mothers' Rose Ceremony'. It would be my pleasure to explain some of these to you so you can choose whether or not you would like to include any of these in your ceremony. Choosing A Type Of Ceremony ### Traditional Ceremonies These usually occur either indoors or in a wedding venue centre. I meet with you on a number of occasions and together we write and create something magical to suit your needs. As a celebrant, it is the finest compliment when guests come up afterwards and tell me they thought the ceremony was wonderful. I like to create Interactive Weddings where guests feel they are part of the ceremony not just at it. I don’t suggest they all dance and jump up and down but we do have ways of getting guests involved in a complimentary way that will help them remember your special day. ### Registry Style Weddings Some people want a very simple and quick ceremony, but not necessarily in a Registry Office. I have the ability to conduct such a ceremony at the place of your choice. I will prepare a simple ceremony following discussions with you both and deliver it at the place of your choice. This no-frills wedding ceremony is suitable for very small weddings. ### Casual Ceremonies Many people like to get married in the park or on the beach. I can theme a wedding to suit your destination. ### Associates After years in the wedding industry, I have worked with a large number of venues, photographers, DJ’s and florists across Christchurch and Canterbury. I would be more than happy to discuss this with you if you are looking for recommendations. ### My Role In Your Big Day Your wedding day should be fun, something you really enjoy and remember for all the right reasons. Let me help you create those magical memories. Whether you'd like me to write the entire ceremony or just part of it, that’s up to you, but whatever you choose, it will be your choice and it may just be that all you need is a bit of guidance along the way. ### Testimonials *"We had so many compliments about the wedding ceremony, we are so grateful for your help and guidance with our wedding. We really did have the best day. Thank you so so much."* - **Anna and James** *"What a day! You were a wonderful celebrant and the mic was a great idea, meant everyone could hear. A lot of guests raved about the ceremony suggesting it was emotional and romantic, there were quite a few tears around the place so I feel we all nailed it! You've been so lovely to deal with and you put us all at ease. We hope you enjoyed your time cuddling up to the groomsmen ;) you looked lovely on the day too. Thank you so much for marrying us!"* - **Bronnie and Nick** *"We fell in love with Bev from when we first spoke to her, she was warm, friendly, kind hearted and made us laugh! Her husband is great value also, we truly had the best day ever!!!"* - **Rebecca and Andrew** *“Small, simple and sweet was the order of the day for this lovely couple. It was so meaningful and very special. Thank you for including me in your big day.”* - **Isaiah and Anna** *“We loved working with you, you listened to what we wanted for our Ceremony and you also gave us some great ideas that we found most helpful. You were very supportive and certainly set our minds to rest when we felt a little overwhelmed by everything THANK YOU. Ian and I feel you have all the right attributes that we were looking for in a Marriage Celebrant We would have no hesitation in referring you to anyone looking for a Celebrant.”* – **“Jane and Ian”**