Where Does Heart-led Celebrancy Begin? Intention to Transformation
Today I’ve been editing my book Love Story: a wedding celebrant’s guide to writing compelling narrative. As I was thinking about ‘where does a love story begin?’ it made me reflect on where the does a Heart-led Celebrant’s story begin?
The answer, of course, will be different for each person. For some, it was that moment they witnessed a great (or not so great) celebrant at work and thought “I’d love to do that!” or “I could do better than that”. Some have had a lifelong pull at the periphery of their thoughts towards a vocation or career of reverence and ritual. Others make the decision in a heartbeat, and others can take years before they go “I’m ready now!” Some people, I’ve learned, spent a handful of years researching training courses before finally choosing one. Some know straight away.
What they all have in common are two pivotal points: intention and transformation.
The intention is the clear moment of choosing to train.
The transformation, well, this is as unique as each celebrant. I’ve witnessed many of our students, during the face-to-face component of the training, have life-changing epiphanies. So, well before they’re even working with clients, their whole way of being and thinking shifts. There’s no right or wrong time for transformation, of course. Some of our students have it a couple of weeks into their modules. Others a few weeks on from there. There are students who have a complete mind shift when they receive their certificate (“OH MY GOD I’M A CELEBRANT!”). I’ve also noticed the Heart-led Celebrants whose transformation is the day they officiate their first ceremony. Oh how I love receiving those emails and phone calls. These are days they’ll always remember. Like your first true love, it will live on in your heart forever.
Everything they’ve learned has coalesced. Everything is real.
A transformation is ‘a marked change in form, nature or appearance’. The transformations I’m referring to are of the inner world: confidence, creativity, conscious awareness, connectivity, clarity, communication, community, and more.
Although Paul and I are, in a sense, professional changemakers, we can’t take all the credit for these internal changes people experience. Not everyone has what it takes to be a celebrant let alone a Heart-led Celebrant. The inner promptings, the dedication and devotion to learning and creating professional-standard portfolios, has to come from the student. We are guides, way-showers, door openers, teachers. We can’t do the work for them. If they lack the drive, passion and enthusiasm for their initial training and then the weekly modules, this is a clear marker for not having the necessary traits and qualities for the role of Heart-led Celebrancy. Transformation happens in many ways, and for some it is the realisation that to do this job well, with any sense of excellence, care, compassion and creativity, self development is a must.
The role of celebrancy is one of ongoing transformation. We change with each and every ceremony we create, write and officiate. Change is the only constant in this job. Change of environment: meeting places, ceremonial spaces. Change of client: each new ceremony booking. Change of self: dealing with challenges. We can’t hope to do this job (whether it’s a vocation or career) without a strong sense of responsibility.
Our intention to become celebrants led us on this path. It was a starting point. And yet, surely, it is a constant companion during these years too? After all, we set the intention to only create quality ceremonies. Intention is what gets us out of bed. We choose integrity, creativity and acceptance (a Heart-led Celebrant’s core values). These choices are intentions. Intention guides us to learning more. We plant seeds of intent to improve, excel and develop.
Our intentions and transformations (by whatever name we give them) are easily visible in our celebrant practice. They shine through in our values, promises and expectations. Perhaps an intention is a transformation, and a transformation is an intention? (I’ll leave you to ponder that!)
May your intentions and transformations both ground you and help you soar towards the working life of your dreams.
Veronika Robinson has been officiating all manner of ceremonies since 1995, and alongside her husband Paul are industry leaders offering one-to-one professional celebrant training.
Veronika has a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, is the author of over thirty books, including several for celebrants such as: The Five Elements; The Successful Celebrant; Write That Eulogy; Funerals for Children; The Discrimination-free Celebrant. Love Story is publishing in Winter 2026.
She is a certified Infant Loss Professional; founder of Penrith’s first Death Café; has a TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Self-harm and Suicide Awareness and Prevention; is a celebrant for the charity Gift of a Wedding; mentors celebrants around the world in all aspects of celebrancy including mastering writing life stories and love stories; and hosts retreats for celebrants. Veronika founded and edited The Celebrant magazine.
