Creating a meaningful wedding ceremony together; Celebrating and marking your life's big moments I'm passionate about people and their stories.
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Every life has its own milestones and special moments. As a celebrant I help you to create and to weave your unique ceremony. Together we mark the big moments of your life in a meaningful, healing and enriching way.
Such a lovely experience to have been part of the 5 Minute University in Antwerp with a wonderful mix of speakers: there were writers, scientists and even comedians 🤩 The following event will be in August, speakers are welcome!
Thanks to the amazing team of organizers - Roxanne, Chris, Barend - and the supportive audience!
"Rituals teach us to make peace with the inevitable Paradox of Life and even to be grateful for it"
Ready for a West Coast Waiuku Wedding in English & German 💙💚💙
Just received this wonderful testimonial and some beautiful pictures of Danielle and Cesar’s wedding earlier in Christchurch this season. Their flower arch stunningly framed the backdrop of sea, sand and sky. The ceremony was rich with personal touches and meaningful symbols.
Their much beloved dog Lupa delivered the rings. Danielle’s brothers played live music on cello and violin during the ceremony. Cesar’s mum who came over from Chile did a reading and Danielle’s grandmother read a poem that was written by the bride herself. To symbolise the couple’s union we did a Handfasting with golden ribbons and a Blending of the Sand with ‘tierra’ (earth) from Chile and sand from New Brighton Beach. A day never to forget!
Roads are cleared and the waters have calmed. On my way to Waiheke for a French-English wedding 💙⛴ 💙
Last Thursday Danilo and Pamela invited me to a little magical spot in Cornwall Park, where the trees form a natural arch that is infused with the most beautiful light.
That's where I officiated their Civil Union. As they are both from Chile, and their witnesses were South American too, we held the whole ceremony in Spanish.
It was very simple, but very touching. They wrote beautiful poetical words to each other for their vows, a friend talked about inspiring values, and we ended the ceremony with a joyful tribute to luminosity, flowers and songs that permeate all over the city.
"Ahora de pie y cantar, avanzamos en unidad.
Decidimos marchar juntos para ver nuestro canto
florecer a la luz que anuncia la vida
que vendrá ahora con clamor y mil voces de apoyo.
Iremos a conquistar nuestra felicidad, cuando de pronto vimos nuestro hogar invadido por la luminosidad, asique traigan copas y vasos al derrame de colores.
Que nuestra casa a sido tomada por las flores,
Y estamos listos para compartir canciones,
canciones que se vierten y encaraman sobre toda la ciudad."
Felicidades Danilo y Pamela 🥳
Wedding rehearsal at the end of the road, appropriately named Seaview Heights 🤩
Wow, summer is only just started and it's been a busy wedding season already. I didn't have much time to catch up on posting lately, but here are a few pics from my weddings between Christmas and New Year 😄
That's a new trend really, now overseas couples and family can travel into the country again, people are making the most of their Christmas gatherings, why not getting married at the same time? 🤩
This week I married Victor & Alejandra who will have a Big Andalusian wedding later this year in Spain, but wanted to share the love with their grandparents who won't be able to travel, so they decided to get married in New Zealand too.
Then, I married a Chilean-Kiwi couple at Bastian Point in Auckland. They came over from Canada for Christmas and got married in the presence of their family and a couple of good friends.
And on Friday Daryn and Sarah said yes under a blooming arch in their garden in Waipu.
Congratulations to all couples and what a festive end of 2022 🥳 Bring on 2023!
Stunning start of the wedding season at Te Arai Reserve with a French wedding ...
💙❤💙 Vive l'amour 💙❤💙
Even on a rainy day Atiu Creek Reserve overlooking the Kaipara has its own special charm for a marvellous wedding with a steaming Haka at the end. Congratulations Rhys & Cathy 🥳💝
When visiting couples at home and working with them to design a ceremony that suits their style and personality, I often notice that brides do a lot of the preparatory work and (some) grooms are very happy to 'delegate' a lot of the planning. 😎
Here are some great ideas to get him more excited and involved!
https://www.brides.com/story/ways-to-get-groom-excited-about-wedding-planning
When visiting and working with couples to design a ceremony that suits their style and personality, I often notice that brides do a lot of the preparatory work and (some) grooms are very happy to 'delegate' a lot of the planning. Here are some great ideas to get him more excited and involved!
https://www.brides.com/story/ways-to-get-groom-excited-about-wedding-planning
I'm offering bilingual ceremonies and one of my language options is English-Spanish!
Todos los lunes por la noche tomo clases de español en línea con la escuela Mi Casa en Palmerston North. Para servir mejor a mis clientes de bodas bilingües y porque me gusta el español 🥰
¿Quieren una ceremonia bilingüe que cambie con fluidez entre inglés y español? 🎤
Mandame un mensaje 😊
“Aotearoa Spanish Language Week”
La Aotearoa Spanish Language Week (la Semana del Español en Aotearoa) se celebrará la próxima semana del 15 al 21 de agosto con una serie de eventos y actividades que reconocerán la importancia de un idioma (el español) que es hablado en más de 20 países por más de 400 millones de personas. Este magno evento es organizado por el Latín America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (LatAm Cape) LatAmCAPE y tiene como propósito principal que más miembros de la comunidad neozelandesa estrechen lazos con este maravilloso idioma y fascinante geografía. Para estar al tanto de las actividades que incluirán este festejo de la lengua española, visita la página oficial de la institución en:
https://cape.org.nz/nz-spanish-week/
What a wonderful 'winter's day' for a gorgeous intimate wedding on the eternally beautiful Waiheke Island ❣ Congratulations Rich & Sophie 🥳
A good summary of how to change your name after getting married, only if you want to 😊
💍Changing your surname after getting married isn't compulsory in New Zealand, and it's a simple process.
💍Can I use it straight away?
Yes, When you get married – or enter into a civil union - in New Zealand, you don’t have to fill out any forms in order to change your surname. You can start using your spouse’s surname right away. And you can change it back at any time.
💍How do I change my passport and driver’s licence?
While you can still travel on a passport or with your driver’s licence in your original surname, if you do want to apply for new documents (or any other paperwork, bank accounts, etc.) with your new surname, you can use your marriage or civil union certificate showing your spouse or partner’s surname as evidence of your new surname.
💍For more information about changing your name, read our blog: https://www.celebrantsaotearoa.co.nz/blog/changing-your-name-after-your-wedding/
The Mangawhai Hills were the beautiful setting for the marriage of Chris and Josh on the 5th of February this year 🥳
Chris has Dutch roots and his 'Oma' (grandmother) was really touched that I was able to welcome her in her own mother tongue 🥰 such a sweet moment!
The couple wrote beautiful, personal vows, with Josh referring to Chris being a pilot :
"Your faith in me has been evident in every turbulent moment we have seen so far and the up draft you have given me to keep us cruising at our optimal altitude keeps us on our flight path to our dreams. I am excited for every destination on our journey together."
Wishing them a truly great love voyage together! 💘
Such a sweet elopement 💚💙 A Colombian bride, an Ecuadorian groom, and two Kiwi witnesses on a clifftop 😍
Congratulations Sandra & Juan Pablo, ¡Enhorabuena!
Photographer: Christina Schmidt
http://LittleWildlingsMangawhai.co.nz
Questions? Contact [email protected]😍
Happy to be at your service in the safest way possible 💗
Wedded in the woods 💚 Such an amazing day for an intimate Level 3 Wedding yesterday 🌳☀️🌳
Received some words of appreciation from Corey & John after their relaxed 'man cave wedding' in Whakapirau
Wanting some TIPS on WRITING and SAYING YOUR VOWS?
Saying one’s vows is not only legally required, but also a very touching part of every wedding ceremony, big or small. There are many ways to go about writing and saying your vows. You can choose traditional vows and repeat them after the celebrant. Or you can write personal ones and read them from a little piece of paper, or even from your smartphone.
Only very seldom do people learn there vows by heart (I do remember one very ambitious and high performing bride though) and only twice I had it happen that people spoke spontaneously, straight from their heart (and wow, we were all blown away). But that's not everyone's cup of tea. Being well prepared and either repeating after the celebrant or reading their vows themselves, is what most couples prefer, and that's perfectly fine.
TIPS ON WRITING YOUR VOWS
Couples sometimes don’t know how to start or get stuck when writing their personal vows.
The most important thing to remember is that you are making a promise to the one you love best in the world, the one you are marrying. It’s that simple and that’s your starting point - the love you have for your partner.
Now, imagine that you are telling your best friend what you love so much about your partner, what do you like especially about him or her and what do you want to be for the other as a husband or a wife? What do you want to offer them in your marriage? What hopes and dreams do you have about your marriage?
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR CELEBRANT
As a celebrant I often send couples examples of traditional and personal vows to inspire them. Sometimes I also help hem finalize their vows by tidying up what they have written and putting the sentences in a smooth order.
When the couple keeps their vows as a surprise for the day, they sometimes send me their vows from their private email addresses and I check if they are more or less the same length and if they have the same ‘feel’ to them, be it rather formal, lovey-dovey or even a bit cheeky …
All is possible as long as it suits the style and personality of the lovebirds. 💗
[Picture: Andrew & Viviane's wedding at the Cowshed in Mangawhai]
Tips & Tools for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one in lockdown and other difficult times 💗
Greeting a loved one's body to farewell them and attending a funeral are both important aspects of the grieving process. Lockdown or Alert Level Restrictions, as we are experiencing them in New Zealand right now, might impact what's possible or allowed.
Visit this page to find the latest on regulations for funerals and tangihanga:
https://covid19.govt.nz/activities/funerals-and-tangihanga/
Here are a few things you can do to cope with the loss while you're in your bubble in these heartbreaking circumstances.
1. Take the time you need to farewell your loved one at home
If your loved one dies at home, you don’t have to call the funeral director straight away. Take the time you need to say goodbye. You can sit with the body, talk and express what you want to say.
2. Ask for a photograph of your deceased loved one
If your loved one has died in the hospital, in a hospice or at a care facility, have a photo taken by the staff and have it sent to you. Seeing at least a picture of the deceased body, can help you overcome the feeling that 'this isn't real’. In the long term, it helps to accept the reality and the irreversibility of death.
3. Light a candle in front of a picture. Sit and talk, pray or meditate
Light a candle in front of a photograph of your loved one. Sit in front of the picture, as you would sit next to the body. Or you could create a memorial altar for them. Or you could sit at their favourite spot in the house or the garden. When you have a spiritual practice, you can pray or meditate, or talk to your loved one and express what you still want to say or express.
4. Journal or write a letter
If you prefer writing over talking, take a pen and write your feelings down. Whatever comes, let it flow onto the paper. If you like, you could write a letter to your loved one. You could use this letter in a healing ceremony, which I describe in my free ebook 'Grief and Loss: A Path to Healing in Difficult Times'
https://carlarosseels.podia.com/grief-loss-a-path-to-healing-in-difficult-times
If people have not been able to grieve properly after a death, they are often left with unresolved feelings of grief. As a result, people are not feeling well. They may be depressed or at least not able to fully participate in life again.
This can happen due to the pandemic and its restrictions, but other life circumstances can also lead to 'delayed' or 'unresolved' grief.
Download my free ebook and find tools and ceremonies that can bring healing to you or your loved ones in difficult times 👇👇👇
https://carlarosseels.podia.com/grief-loss-a-path-to-healing-in-difficult-times
Guy & Stephanie got married at his mum's home in Parnell on a beautiful winter's day. She just sent me this cute snapshot with some lovely words:
"We are all very appreciative of the wonderful wedding celebration you led. It was perfect!" ❣
Lovely fb memory from 2 years ago 💛 Hope all is well in Berlin in the meantime 🥰
Always lovely to hear that you've done a fab job ❣️ Thanks so much Jessica & Michael 💓
O gosh, this is the most glamorous and cutest dog I ever saw attending a wedding ceremony 🧡 Poppy Moss Photography made these beautiful pictures of Michael and Jessica's Wedding at Kumeu Allely Estate, just stunning ❣️
www.poppymoss.com
What a stunner of a Winter's Day! Couldn't be more perfect for a Kiwi-Mexican @ Home Wedding in Parnell yesterday 🥳 ¡Felicitaciones a Guy y Stephanie! 🎈🎈🎈
Dreaming of summer already while preparing a wedding ceremony that will take place in November in the beautiful Tu Ngutu Villa in Mahurangi West 🖋 ☀️🥂
Two months ago Emma married her Persian groom Shahab in the backyard of her Auckland home. She wrote this insightful and amusing article about their special day, telling us all about the Persian traditions they incorporated in their ceremony. Including the Sofreh Aged, the Persian Wedding table which is both beautiful and hugely symbolic, with a whole range of specific items required that represent good wishes for a healthy, happy and abundant life.
"We sat at the wedding table for part of the ceremony and performed two Persian wedding traditions there. First was the sugar ceremony where two female wedding guests take part in holding up a Cloth of Unity over the married couple, while two happily married female guests take turns in grinding sugar cones over the cloth. The second was dipping our pinkie fingers into honey and feeding them to each other, which was both adorable and – I’ll say it – quite sexy, and resulted in this inadvertently hilarious photo of my friend Claire cheering on our weird sexy act. Both of these represent a lifetime of sweetness for the couple and were really lovely parts to fit into the ceremony."
Advice on hosting a small backyard wedding, incorporating Persian traditions and why this bride recommends waiting until your mid-thirties to get married.
Lovely drive-by wedding today with a Fijian touch ❣ Congratulations Angus & Rosehill 🥳
Looking forward to this coming spring already! Just started working with a wonderful couple, preparing their Kiwi-Colombian wedding in the Auckland Wintergardens in September ❣
Michael and Jessica were blessed with the perfect weather window for their autumnal wedding last Friday. We sent them out into the world as a married couple with these appropriate words from an Apache Wedding Blessing. Congratulations Michael & Jessica ❣
"Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
but there is only one life before you."
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