Wedding and Funeral Celebrant in South Yorkshire

Let me tell your story …

My name is Cathy and I have chosen the name “The Storyteller Celebrant” because it links to me and my personality, skills, and background. My passion in life has always been in stories - reading everything I could access, including fantasy, science fiction, historical novels, biographies, academic, self-help and travel. This passion went alongside a fascination with TV, movies, and the theatre. I am happy to watch shows in any genre, because it is the story and the characters that have always interested and inspired me.

Each one of us has our own story. The bones of the story are the same, but the detail of your story is unique. You were conceived, you were born, you lived, and you will die. Your story is what happens in between. Even siblings and twins who have lived near each other all their lives, have experienced life differently.

My Story

My own story spans two countries. Having been born and brought up in Australia, I have lived mostly in England since 1990. I have worked with people and their stories for all my professional life and enjoy helping people share them.

My working life has mirrored this interest and moulded my curiosity about people’s stories into working in partnership with them. Training as a funeral and family celebrant seemed a natural extension of my professional skills. It also ties in with my broader interests of history, especially the dark ages of Celtic Britain and medieval times in England, and the Vikings in between; and of science fiction and fantasy such as Star Trek, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and more recently Game of Thrones. The interest for me is in the characters and the story they tell.

Ceremonies mark life milestones

As a celebrant, I can help you to tell your story, or the story of loved ones, drawing together the threads of your life or lives that have been important to your journey. We can identify themes through your life and weave them through your ceremony, whatever milestone you are marking.

There are different milestones in our lives that can be marked by ceremony, and it is at these points we can reflect on our story so far. The first milestone is our birth, and other milestones can be celebrated each year on that day.

Some people want to celebrate the arrival or presence of a child in their lives. This can set out a marker for their family, friends, and community to welcome their child, as part of a naming ceremony. People of any age can have a naming ceremony, for example, you might want to a ceremony if you change your name when you change your gender.

Other people may want to celebrate other highlights or significant events in their lives, for example, recovery from illness, graduating from school or university, or the beginning or ending of a relationship.

There are other celebrations traditionally marked throughout the story of our lives. For example, many people celebrate engagement or marriage. This is about the blending of two people’s stories to create a new joined story. Sometimes this is about the joining of two or more existing families.

Our journey through life continues until our story ends. Perhaps loved ones consider it a life cut short, or as a life well lived to those they have touched. Everyone has a story to tell, and it is important to respect and honour the life for what it is or was. I am also a funeral celebrant and more information on what I can provide can be gained by clicking here.

Other services I offer include writing your scripts for a do-it-yourself ceremony (weddings, funerals, or naming), plus scripts for public speaking such as wedding speeches.