Why a Ceremony?

Why do we get married? Why do we need funerals? And what about the rise of hen parties, baby showers, and naming ceremonies. Why the bother, why the fuss?  

Stephen Hawking's in his book A Brief History of Time, pointed out that science can answer a lot of the ‘hows’ in life but not what many of the ‘whys’. 'Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing?' He asks. Volumes of all that there is and all that there has been, the colossal efforts put into the birth of the universe... What's the point?  

The perspective of a celebrant is that the marking of key moments is a way of connecting with the rhythm and irreversible pace of life. Because feelings gather momentum and energy brews. Whether it is making a life-long commitment to your partner or bringing new life into the world, this thing that is happening is special, this process, this moment in space and time, it’s a game changer for us. We want to tell people about it, and other people want to share in our experience. 

We as humans possess a curious commonality in our desire to capture certain experiences and treasure the memories in years to come. Our emotions are often our compass through life and our nerves or nervousness tell us that something important is happening. Our excitement is our fear unmasked, we recognise it and want to put a pin in it. 

Without such anchors in time we can feel lost, overwhelmed and overlooked. It is therefore essential that your occasion is marked in a way that is meaningful to you. Be it full, no-holds-barred exuberance or understated charm, it must be unabashedly you.  

Whatever you do, for yourself, your family, your friends, may you feel rooted in love and connection. And may we all find ways to acknowledge our stories and create joyful expressions that honour the enigmatic intensity of our lives.