I decided to become a marriage celebrant in September 2017.
I began 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, same sex or gender diverse couples.
In particular, for a celebrant, who purports to solemnise over a and truly beautiful and inspiring celebration of love and commitment to then in the same breath make judgements about people and their private lives and then further to refuse to solemnise their love in marriage seemed to me completely at odds 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 and of its hopeful, kind, loving and protective 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.