Religious Weddings are marriage ceremonies conducted in buildings such as churches, temples, and other registered places of religious worship. Church Ministers and Religious leaders such as Priests, Vicars and Rabbis can all officiate weddings. Other religious leaders are only able to officiate a marriage ceremony if they have applied for a license. Registrars can attend religious wedding ceremonies to officiate if the religious leader is not licensed.

As an ordained Interfaith Minister with Universal Life Church, I can both officiate and solemnize legal marriage ceremonies in the State of Michigan.

A Handfasting, also known as a Handtying, is an ancient Celtic wedding ritual that can include readings and symbolic actions that reflect the couple’s journey of love so far by incorporating the four elements of nature – air, fire, water, and earth – into the ceremony. The earth ceremony in the Handfasting is the completion of the ceremony in which hands of the couple are tied together to symbolize the binding of two lives joining as one. Handfastings were the way in which our ancient ancestors in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales would have committed themselves to each other until the marriage laws were changed in 1753 into the legal marriage contracts that we know today. The Handfasting was also a Betrothal ceremony in some parts, that served as a declaration of intent to marry according to the church rituals and rites. Today the Handfasting element is still relevant in church services, where the Bishop wraps his stole around the ring hands of the couple whilst saying the appropriate words. 

A Wedding Celebration Ceremony is a bespoke scripted ceremony that a couple co-creates with their Celebrant. This can include readings, music, and symbolic actions. These are normally held in beautiful locations chosen by the couple. A wedding Celebration Ceremony is typically held either just before or after the couple has entered into a legally binding marriage agreement either with a Registrar or before a Judge.

Please Note: Wedding Celebration Ceremonies are not legally binding.

As an ordained Interfaith Minister with Universal Life Church, I can both officiate and solemnize legal marriage ceremonies in the State of Michigan.

A Renewal of Vows is a bespoke ceremony for couples that are already married and would like to co-create a unique ceremony to renew their marriage vows. A Vow Renewal Ceremony can be in the same style as a Wedding or Handfasting ceremony, and can include readings, vows, and other symbolic actions that you may decide as a couple and discuss with me as your Celebrant during your consultation.

Baby Naming Ceremonies are a fun, lighthearted, and wonderful family celebration as well as a way of publicly declaring the new addition to your family and community. They can also be a deeply symbolic way to celebrate a blended family coming together or to welcome an adopted child into the fold. These are bespoke ceremonies that you will co-create with me as your Celebrant and can involve anyone that you wish to include: guardians of the child, grandparents, siblings, etc.

Adult Naming or Renaming Ceremonies are held when a person either takes on a new name or reclaims a former name. It may be as the person has transitioned from the gender of their birth and wishes to affirm this change by embracing the name that they have chosen for themselves, or perhaps another milestone in their life which includes renaming themselves. These ceremonies are entirely customizable, so they can vary quite a bit depending on the person, their beliefs and ideals, and their reason for taking on their new name.

There are many reasons for someone to choose a renaming ceremony and to affirm a new name. A naming ceremony can help you celebrate a new beginning in your life, or you may feel that the name you were given doesn’t properly reflect who you are. As an accredited Sacred Celebrant of Avalon, I am adept in understanding pronouns, and I am accomplished in providing beautiful and unique Transgender Renaming Ceremonies which ritually and ceremonially take you and your guests through the transformational rituals of your Renaming, a profound experience for everyone who gathers at this important life event with you.

These are ceremonies led by a Celebrant to honor a loved one after they have passed. Your chosen Celebrant will work with you through this difficult time to create the perfect ceremony for you, your loved one, your family and friends.

Accredited Celebrants are professional and independent – guiding you through the process of creating beautifully bespoke services that meet yours and your family’s wishes.

Celebrant-Led Funeral Ceremonies are currently not a service that I am able to offer at this time. (Button for opt-in/sign-up: Notify me when this service becomes available.)

The Passing Over Ceremony enables close family and friends to come together in a beautifully prepared space to speak, feel, express, and participate in an interactive way that is both ceremonial and self-counselling. This gentle but powerful ceremony facilitates healing for those who gather in celebration and remembrance of the dearly departed which assists in each person’s personal progress through grief and mourning.

When navigating the death of a beloved family member or friend, many people find themselves without the means to begin processing such a challenging life event. There is often a great deal of distraction due to the practical arrangements that must be addressed immediately after the passing; the “admin of loss” can run for days, weeks, and possibly even several months depending on circumstances. Attending only to the administrative tasks deprives those responsible of the vital time that is needed to process the physical departure of their person, leaving those closest to the departed soul grappling with reality once the practicalities have all been sorted. The Passing Over Ceremony assists the closest family and dearest friends of the departed to express themselves through the healing journey of this type of ceremony.

These are extra services that you can discuss with me as beautiful and magical additions to your Handfasting or Wedding Celebration Ceremony. Examples of pre-wedding ceremonies and extras may include things like a Besom Jumping Ceremony, a Cake and Mead Ceremony, or the Couples’ Incense Blending Ceremony.

This is a sacred pre-wedding ceremony where you and your beloved create your own unique blend of wedding incense as a couple. A ceremonial space is prepared for you with an array of sensual resins, seeds, rose petals, and exotic spices; all of which are supplied for you by me as your Celebrant. Each of you chooses 4 scents to add to your custom blend, and this blend is then used in your Sacred Handfasting or Wedding ceremony. I record the recipe for your custom blend of incense and provide that to you so that you can recreate your sacred ceremonial incense to use anytime you wish to be reconnected to the magic of your special day through your powerful sense of smell!