Human beings have a deep need to ritualise important life events and to celebrate with family and friends; whether it be birth, marriage, death or other achievements we all like to mark these milestone moments.
I always work together with clients to craft the precise ceremony they wish to have to mark their special and unique occasion whatever and wherever that maybe.
The outline of the main ceremonies are described below. There are also many other milestones in life that need to be celebrated including graduations, engagements, retirements, new homes, renewal of wedding vows, significant wedding anniversaries and memorial services so don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
Judith Ashton Celebrant
Mother to Be Ceremonies & Women’s Circles
Here is an opportunity for women to gather and give love and support to each other. The Mother to Be and Women’s Circles can be times of support, sharing experiences, offering wisdom and empowerment for each other at important times of their lives, be it supporting young women during puberty, times of pregnancy or childbirth, miscarriage, stillbirth, separation or divorce, menopause, transition times or during times of grief. Women have so much to offer each other.
Baby Naming Ceremonies
Times have changed and not everyone wants their baby baptised into the Christian church but still they want to share their joy and have a naming ceremony and to allocate certain people as elders to be part of their child’s future life.
This can be a time to honour parents, siblings and grandparents and to celebrate a new family member’s arrival into one’s community of friends.
Coming of Age Ceremonies
Many cultures have such ceremonies to celebrate a young person’s entry into adulthood. Puberty can be a confusing time and it can certainly help a young person if they feel their lives are important and to be celebrated by members of their families, friends and elders. Young people need a lot of support and they will be strengthened and supported by the generation of a group energy that can sustain them in challenging times ahead.
Parents may like to choose other adults to be role models who will be important reference points for their teens by acting as mentors in the future. Parents may like to find some way of creating an initiatory and challenging experience that can empower and create resilience in a young person. Whatever shape this ceremony takes it will be a powerful and supportive experience for the young adult.
Non-Religious Wedding Ceremonies
A couple who are making a commitment to each other may wish to mark this both intensely personal and public declaration of their mutual feelings with a ceremony especially created to celebrate with the important people in their lives.
I have conducted ceremonies both here and abroad, indoors and out. I work closely with the couple to craft a very special ceremony to celebrate their important day exactly as they wish and to give them beautiful lifelong happy memories.
Funerals
More and more people are opting for non-religious funeral services. I believe that a funeral is a very special occasion and should both mourn the loss and celebrate the life of the deceased person.
Death comes about in many ways and I work sensitively and closely with the bereaved to create a fitting send off for the departed. I can assure people that despite the intensity of feelings that Death elicits, there are ways to help them through a challenging time which will empower them and resource them at this difficult moment in their lives.
Funerals can be held in a variety of locations depending on availability and numbers involved: at home, in a funeral parlour, a crematorium, a hotel, a community centre or weather permitting in an outdoor setting. The choice is yours
