Contemporary Ceremonies

17/05/2024

The sun was shining and the wind was a blowin’. Nevertheless, we had a lovely outdoor Ceremony on the shore of the Fraser River. UBC Boathouse is a great venue. Lucky for us, hardly any airplane noises for the entire Ceremony.

20/03/2024

Epic Wedding in Northwest Ecuador. More photos and stories to come. Congratulations to Shayna and Luciano.

21/11/2023

09/09/2023

Tending to grief is the essence of the wounded healer. Providing sanctuary and safe passage for its unfolding – in the body and in the imagination – requires that come to the ground, touch the Earth, and weep.

Weep for the shattering, for the dying of a dream, for the entirety of the unlived life, the way it was all supposed to turn out. Inside these tears is the alchemical tincture.

Grief is not something we “get over,” step by step, or transcend with our spiritual experiences, but a partner we practice intimacy with, honor at times, argue with at others, and lament with as the cycles unfold.

The goal is not to wiggle into some state where we “never suffer again,” through some fantasied sustained transcendent experience, rising above our embodied vulnerability, but to find meaning in our suffering and to use it to help others and this world.

And to be shown the endlessness of the Beloved and the way she appears in time and space.

To marginalize the experience of grief to work against nature.

There is no endpoint to this depth, meaning, and aching beauty in the soul, no final state of resolution where we land in some untouchable place, free from the wildness of grace. The path of awakening and healing isn’t only about what I will get from it, but also everything I will lose.

Here, we find ourselves in what the alchemists called the rotatio, the holy rotation of vast cycles of rupture and repair that touch and open the human soul. Inside the shattered is light, longing to come through us and out into the world.

The soul is endless and the visitors of grief may companion us for a lifetime. But the grieving, orphaned ones of psyche and soma come not to harm, but to reveal.

Grief is not so much a process that we “make it through” and come out the other side fully intact, but a non-linear, purifying midwife of the unknown. It moves not by way of straight line, but by that of circle and spiral.

03/08/2023

As a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant and esteemed member of the Fellowship of Professional Celebrants, Paula M. Skalnek understands the art of crafting meaningful Funeral or Memorial Ceremonies. With compassion and respect, she creates a safe and nurturing space for grieving while also honoring the unique life and spirit of your loved one. Paula's approach is guided by the belief that the ceremony should be a reflection of your truth and style. Together, she will co-create a ceremony that beautifully captures the beliefs, personality, and voice of your loved one.

16/06/2023

Wouldn’t this be a great spot for Wedging or Engagement photos? Hey Lovebugs head on over to Fleurs de Villes at Van Dusen Gardens.

26/11/2021

26/11/2021

Autumn breezes bless the newlyweds.

02/11/2021

Lanterns made for All Souls at Mountainview Cemetery. Remembering Gina Bastone and Jon Steel.

08/06/2021

18/05/2021

Many blessings to all that feel this song in their bones.

10/03/2021

Springtime - a time to Celebrate the new, the sprouting, the beauty and the potential. A perfect time of year to honour a young girl, acknowledging all the gifts she carries then surround her with good wishes, joy and love.

I love the idea of a pre-RedTent Ceremony with simple appropriate, meaningful and memorable rituals.

27/02/2021

Ceremonial spaces for unique Weddings to celebrate love.