Christine O'Malley

19/07/2024

As a firm believer in celebrating life's important milestones with family and friends I help couples and families create a memorable ceremony, which is a unique to them

All ceremonies, whether they are just attended by two or three people or hundreds, are precious and the memories that are created will be treasured for years to come.

A ceremony is a time when you can look back on what has already been achieved and also to look forward and express your hopes and dreams.

12/05/2024

If you plan to marry abroad or use the simple "two + two" service offered by the Registration Service then having a Celebrant led ceremony at a future date is an ideal way to bring all your family and friends together for a Wedding ceremony.

You can include all the elements which we traditionally associate with a Wedding such as walking down the aisle, exchanging rings, making promises. In addition you can include things which you may not be able to include when your service is conducted by a Registrar or in Church such as sharing a glass of wine.

A Celebrant led ceremony is always written with you in mind and no two ceremonies are the same.

09/04/2024

Bringing family and friends together is a wonderful way to introduce your new child to the wider community in which they will grow and thrive. The ideal way to do this, if you do not wish to have a religious ceremony, is to have a naming ceremony.

There are a number of reasons why you might choose a Celebrant led ceremony. The naming of a child establishes their individuality. Within a Naming ceremony parents dedicate themselves to the upbringing of their child and make promises regarding their future hopes. There is also an opportunity for other adults to make promises of special concern for the welfare of the child as they mature into adulthood.

For family and friends who witness the ceremony it is a time to reflect on the part they may play in the child's life in the future.

If you would like more information about naming ceremonies please get in touch.

16/03/2024

Within a ceremony you can make promises and vows or just a promise or just a vow. There is often a little confusion about what is a vow/promise because people talk of vows and promises as the same thing, indeed vows often start with the phrase “I promise”.

Personally, I always think that the wording of vows reflect the more formal declarations being made and are usually made when giving or receiving rings.
Promises on the other hand are much more personal and are more reflective of you as a couple and your hopes and dreams for the future. Promises can often be written in the form of a letter.

Here are a few ideas you might like to think about when you start to write your promises

Don’t forget to say “I love you”

Talk about the fact you plan to always be there for your partner

Add some personal promises which are unique to you such as promising to
Always move the spiders out of the shower
Buy your partner’s favourite cheese
Dance in the kitchen
Make an early morning cuppa
Binge watch TV together
Make time each day to listen
Walk the dog

When writing your promises avoid using words like “always” and “never” as no one is perfect so it is hard to promise perfection – what you are promising is to be the very best you can be.

Don’t worry about being too cheesy. If what you say is heartfelt then nothing is too cheesy.

It is okay to say something to make your partner laugh.



It is always hard to start with a blank piece of paper so here are a couple of questions to ask yourself before you begin

How long should the promises be?
Discuss this with your partner and agree on a word count. I would suggest no more than 200 words.

Will you share inside jokes or would you rather keep things more generic?
Again best to discuss this before you start writing

Will your promises lean more to the humorous side or sentimental? Or be a mixture of both?
From personal experience I think a mixture of both works well, that way you can achieve a good balance and avoid being too “mushy” or too “jokey” .

Will we keep our promises secret and only share them on the day with our partner ?
Lots of couples like to do this but remember to send a copy of your promise to your Celebrant. This means that on the day they will have a copy of your words should you forget them. It also means that your Celebrant can ensure that the promises are of a similar length and tone.


Please feel free to contact me if you need any further advice.

20/01/2024

12/11/2023

My final training course for this year and Cranfield University site was looking wonderful in its autumn colours. As always it was wonderful to meet a new set of students who are nearing the end of their Celebrant training.

11/09/2023

“Home is where the heart is” this well-known saying holds a great deal of truth. What better way to celebrate your marriage than to have the wedding ceremony at home ?

Transforming your home into a boutique venue can be achieved with a little imagination and planning.

Take a look at this weeks blog on my website for my five steps to creating a perfect event at home.

25/07/2023

Why renew your marriage or civil partnership vows ?

In renewing the vows you made when you married or had a civil partnership, you are acknowledging the strong relationship you share and the bonds of friendship you have. You are looking to the future and trusting that the love you share will sustain you as a couple.

Holding a Renewal of Vows ceremony, either with just you as the couple or in front of family and friends, is an opportunity to pause and think about what it means to be a couple.

Sometimes, without even realising it, life can become bound up in the problems of everyday living and couples begin to drift apart.

Taking time to stop and think about what marriage means to you is a great way to rediscover the love and commitment you promised to each other on your special day.

24/06/2023

Writing a love letter

Writing a letter can be a little daunting. We are all so used to firing off a text or email that when faced with a blank sheet of paper on which to express our love we freeze.

​Exchanging love letters during a couple’s ceremony can enhance the moment. They can be read together at a point in the future and each time you read them they will remind you of your special day.

Here are my top five tips on how to write a love letter.

Handwrite the letter

Select stationary which is appropriate to your personality and sentiment.

Write a draft and set it aside for a short while and then reread.

Does it convey all you wish to say?

Make your letter about your love, say why your partner is special and talk about your hopes for the future together

Date your letter for posterity’s sake

Remember Love letter's are not only for ceremonies. Why not send the person you love a letter telling them how much you appreciate their love - even if you don't get to say it often because sometimes life just carries us along.

09/06/2023

Long and satisfying relationships take time and effort on the part of both partners. The rewards for doing this repay the effort and then some.

So how can you start on the path to creating a successful partnership which will stand the test of time ?

Here are just a few ideas that may be useful taken from a number of different sources

Look for the things which interest and delight you both. Plan to do these on a regular basis and talk about what you plan to do or have done regularly.

Respect and treasure your differences. It would be very boring if we were all the same but taking time to understand a partner’s approach to life and personality will help deepen the bonds you share.

Be patient and learn to see things from your partner’s point of view. With an insight into their thinking then you are more likely to be able to have meaningful discussions when your viewpoints differ. After discussing allow each other time to reflect on what was said and see if you can find the middle ground

Share your feelings and listen to your partner. It is easier to address a problem if you talk regularly than waiting until a situation reaches melt down.

Learn to say thank you and do it often. We all like to feel appreciated but sometimes life is hectic and we forget to thank those nearest to us.

So these are some that I thought sounded promising. What other ideas have you found that work for you ?

05/04/2023

One of my favourite ceremonies is a Naming ceremony. It is so lovely to be part of the occasion which formally recognises and welcomes someone into their circle of family and friends.

However, naming ceremonies are not exclusively for young children. They can be an opportunity to welcome children of any age.

In addition it is important to recognise that Naming ceremonies are not just for children. There are many reasons why as an adult you may wish to formally announce your change of name to your friends and family.

If you are interested in a Naming or Welcoming ceremony - no matter the age - then please make contact.

14/03/2023

Last week saw me returning to Cranfield University as part of the Civil Ceremonies Ltd Tutor/Assessor team. It is always a good week as I enjoy meeting new entrants to the profession and catching up with the rest of the team.

Between sessions I was able to get out and walk in the surrounding countryside. I was delighted to see a small group of deer on one of my walks but too slow to get a photo. So here is one of the field they were in.

03/10/2022

I had the privilege of conducting Victoria and Ed's daughter's naming ceremony on Saturday and it was a wonderful start to my week when I received and email from them this morning.

Victoria said,

"We are so glad that we picked Christine as our celebrant for our daughter's naming ceremony. She was very professional, kind and helpful throughout the whole process. She emailed regularly with advice, thoughts and tips. The ceremony flowed perfectly even with many noisy little ones, including the birthday girl! We would highly recommend Christine. Thank you for making the ceremony one to remember fondly. "

Such lovely words, I too will remember the day with fond memories. It was such a joyous occasion. Everyone present was fully engaged and offered their support and love to Victoria and Ed and their daughter.

24/05/2022

As part of every ceremony I create I tell my couple's story. However, on this occasion I am going to tell you something of my back ground.

Seven years ago, as I neared retirement I was keen to explore opportunities for setting up a small business and undertake some personal learning. After some initial research I was attracted to the role of an Independent Celebrant. I discovered that it was possible to take a formal qualification and although there is no requirement to hold this qualification I felt that by doing so I would be able to offer a better quality of service to my future clients.

The vision for my business was to offer a personal service to couples and families who wished to celebrate the key milestones in their lives. I wanted to build a business based upon providing a quality, professional service. My aim was to make each of the ceremonies I created and conducted individual, memorable and reflective of the situation and people involved.

Just over six years later I have conducted small intimate ceremonies in people’s homes and gardens, stood in fields, orchards and village halls, been surrounded by the opulence of country houses, and in tranquillity of woodland clearings.

The magic never fades nor the feeling of being very fortunate to be part of these special ceremonies.

If I can help you plan your special celebration then feel free to get in touch. I love to hear people's love stories and see consider how I can weave these into a memorable ceremony.