My name is Bernice Benton, everyone calls me Berni, (except my parents who use the full name if they’re cross even to this day, and I’m 52!). Sometimes I’m Lady Lily the Pink of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party...
It took me (Berni) three years to take the leap of faith in myself and become the celebrant I'd been wanting to be.
As an individual who has spent the last two decades recognising the ordinary extraordinariness in everyone's life, I really had come to want to facilitate others in their own recognition, acceptance and joy at their own selves.
I began blogging about my own life: Rose Tinted Ramblings of an Ordinary Extraordinary Life, providing warts-and-all blog posts about anything and everything that popped into my head, in the hope that at least one other person would realise that feeling different is normal… we’re all different. I've learned not only to accept, but to enjoy, relish even, my own unique qualities and eccentricities. We all have them. We are each unique. And we should celebrate that.
As such, I aim to bring my own alternative and ordinarily extraordinariness as a celebrant to help express yours and your loved ones own personalities in any of your life celebrations.
We all reach junctions along our life's winding road, that need marking with a celebration; a time of reflection or some form of commemoration. I aim to help you punctuate your life story by helping you creating an event that is as unique as you are.
I would love to help you celebrate, commemorate, or find solace with or for a person, pet or occasion in your life.
Alongside those ‘traditional’ chapter changes in our lives: marriages, Births, Deaths there are so many more occasions that cause for a breather, a moment of reflection and a bit of time to celebrate.
Remember and Reflect – maybe you feel it is time to revisit the loss of a loved one. Maybe at the funeral 12 months, 5 yrs, 10 yrs ago, you wish you’d said something different or celebrated their impact on your life in a different way. Or you may just wish to remember and celebrate their life again.
More than a Pet – people often don’t realise the strength of emotion and the grief that can come from losing a cherished pet, if you’ve lost your dearest dog, cat, horse (or any animal) friend then the feelings can be as strong as those of losing a human. Time to reflect is important.
Relationship Status Update! – maybe you’ve just come out as le***an, gay, trans, non-binary, pan-sexual. Maybe you’ve just got divorced. Maybe you’ve found and embraced a new way of living.
Happily Unmarried Bliss – personally I’ve been happily unmarried to the same man for 25 years. In my mind that deserved a party. Maybe you too want to renew vows or make some sort of commitment declaration. Maybe you want a party? Maybe you want it to be just you and your significant other and your kids or close friends?
A New Direction, A Fresh Start – Big career change? Back to school as a mature student? Moving abroad? Maybe you’ve recovered from a life changing illness? These events are monumental punctuation marks in our life. Take a moment.
Why ever you want to take a moment, sometimes you will realise that it deserves more, those are the occasions I can help you with. Make them an event. Punctuate your alternative life.
