I decided to become a marriage celebrant in September 2017.
I first started thinking about becoming a marriage celebrant during the marriage equality campaign and popular vote in 2017.
I was shocked to learn that there were service providers, like wedding cake makers, florists and even marriage celebrants, that were planning to refuse to bake for, arrange flowers for or solemnise vows for, gender diverse couples.
In particular, for a celebrant, who purports to solemnise over a truely beautiful and inspiring celebration of love. Then, in the same breath, to judge couples declaring to share a deep and special love and then further, to refuse to solemnise their love in marriage seemed completely at odds to me with the notion of love itself.
As I listened to the debates and the proponents of either side, I found myself thinking more deeply about the ceremony of marriage, its ancient and universal qualities to all of humankind, its hopeful, kind, loving and protecting capacities.
The more I thought about the marriage ceremony and the role of the marriage celebrant in the marriage ceremony, the more I thought it was for me.