I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service.

I acted and behold, service was joy.”

Rabindranath Tagore

 

Above & Beyond Service is both an Attitude + an Altitude Affair.

As a lifelong tourism and hospitality professional turned Celebrant, I feel most myself when I am in service to others. Whether this has meant hosting brides-to-be, a busload of Japanese luxury tour operators, or the Queen of England and her entourage (the pride and privilege of working at the schwankiest hotel in town), the answer to the question ~ “How may I help you?” ~ has, for me, been both a highest call to action and an endless dance with humility.

Brushes with royalty aside, I have long taken great pride in deeding my creed of under-promise, over-delivery but in recent years as a Celebrant, my service motto has become more meaningful. This, my three-point service credo and in abc form no less, betrays the triad of core values that underpin my celebrancy work and inform why over-delivery comes second nature to me.

Your story = AWEspicious. 

At the heart of every ceremony is your awe-inspiring and compelling story. Whether that story is one of love, loss, transition or triumph, it’s a tale that has earned the right to be told ceremoniously. To be the one to lean in close and listen with all my senses attuned and then storycatch and illuminate this life moment for you, as first witness, scribe and co-crafter, is a privilege I hold as nothing short of awespicious. I consider this my attitudinal compass point and it has never, ever steered me wrong.

It’s Personal. Because…you. 

It’s a tiny bit facetious to claim “it’s personal” in client relations, but the truth is, this work IS highly personal. The question that best captures my service values and our time together is Why?. Why tell this ceremony in this way, with these people and through these rituals? Your answer to this greatly informs the theme and intention of your day and allows me stay on ceremonial purpose. It is my job as your Celebrant, after all, to help bring your highest intention, ceremonial Whys and causal beingness for this moment to bear. The anchor point of my Service compass is place-held for you, and for good reason. Because with all things ceremonial, it really does revolve around you.

Custom-tailored. Every time. 

The best part about my work in the world is that no two ceremonies are ever the same. There are plenty of officiants and celebrants out there who will deliver a generic ceremony with ‘fill in the blanks’ for your name, occasion and ceremony date. And hats off to them, truly: their brand of no-frills has a legitimate place.

Regardless of how short, sweet or simple a ceremony you desire, I will still custom-tailor the readings and rituals to suit your unique interests and desires.

We have all worn an ill-fitting suit and know the discomfort in that. I’ve shared a couple of my own ill-fitting ceremony stories here and here and can attest that it simply does not have to be so, and that it’s never too late for a do-over. You get to choose and you get to customize your ceremony exactly as you wish ~ from the first word to the final toast.

This is my altitudinal compass point precisely because when it comes to ceremony, the sky’s the limit. And by limit, I should admit I do have some. I do not skydive and I will not do skyclad, but for hot-air balloon ceremonies, barefoot on the beach weddings and most all other creative ceremonies, I’m in!