ABOUT ME What Made Me Become A Celebrant?
I’m mad about words. I’ve loved them my whole life. I love writing them, and I love delivering them. Because of that, I was always the go-to person when people wanted a few words for a ceremony. I composed poems and speeches for special birthdays and created readings for my weddings. I even composed a poem for a friend who had lost a loved one. I’ve always loved writing stories, but a few years ago, I began wondering whether there were other ways I could make a difference with my words.
Then came 29 September 2018, the day I delivered my nephew’s baby naming ceremony, the day I became a celebrant. You can find out all about it here – the Lion King, the druid costume. But it wasn’t just the laughter that made it special. It was the hushed moment of awareness that fell on us all, an awareness that here was a complete, divine human being, with a rich history behind him and a bright future ahead.
And I thought, imagine how brilliant it would be to experience those kinds of moments over and over again as a celebrant. What a privilege. I signed up for training with the Irish Institute of Celebrants and was awarded a Diploma in Family and Funeral Celebrancy in March 2020.
And the rest is a cracking story that I want you to be part of.
``Derv was able to conjure lightness and gravity and a unique ability to elevate the occasion to something truly spiritual.`` ~ A Happy Client.
My Celebrant Values
I want to share the values I hold dear as a celebrant.
My ceremonies are true to you. They’ll be true to your beliefs, personality and values. It means celebrating your love, warts and all – the everyday moments that matter as well as the big-ticket moments. It means doing what I say I’ll do and being straight with you about what I offer. With my ceremonies, you’ll know that what you see is what you’ll get.
Creativity is at the heart of my ceremonies. Creativity is hugely important to me, especially creativity in the form of words. I’ll write and deliver your ceremony with passion and creative flair. I will make sure my words capture the essence of your love for each other. I’ll help you choose readings that capture the spirit of your ceremony, and I’ll tell stories about you and your loved ones that are truly unique, and that celebrate everyday love.
I create ceremonies with spirit. There are two sides to this coin. I will deliver your ceremonies with passion and humour. You’re guaranteed a laugh, even at a funeral. But I will also deliver ceremonies that capture whatever spirit means to you. You’re completely free to add whatever spiritual touches you want, from Bible readings to Celtic blessings. And if you want a completely secular ceremony, we’ll create a ceremony that celebrates the spirit of the people in the room, a room full of love.
I’m committed to creating accessible ceremonies. I’m visually impaired myself, and I want to help other people with disabilities celebrate their love. I will do all in my power to make sure the ceremony is accessible, whether it’s the rituals, the readings or the layout of the room. When I’m creating a ceremony for you, I’ll follow the golden rule when it comes to disability – just ask. I’ll make sure that you and your guests feel included and can take full part in the ceremony experience.
If you share these values and you’d like a ceremony that reflects these values, give me a call.
What Is An Independent Celebrant
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I am really glad that Derbhile was there to be a witness and guide us through the ceremony. She made it all so easy and relaxed, we had a great giggle, which is exactly the way we wanted. And we also got a recording of the ceremony afterwards as Derbhile had recorded it through Zoom. I would highly recommend Derbhile for any type of ceremony, she is sensitive, eloquent and compassionate. She was prepared, helped me be organised through planning the event beforehand. Thanks a million Derbhile, you made our day really special.”The Healys, Vow Renewal Ceremony -
Derbhile did an amazing job delivering our wedding ceremony! Everyone was commenting on how personal the ceremony was and how impressed they were with her! Her voice is so clear and carries so well. Her communication was always very clear and prompt and she ran everything by us. She made the process so easy. Thanks so much for making our ceremony so special! Would definitely recommend Derv as an excellent celebrant.Valerie and Michael, Wedding Ceremony – New Year’s Eve 2019 -
We wanted a ceremony to officially welcome our son into the world. We didn’t know what we wanted except to have our families there to mark the occasion and celebrate with us. Derbhile helped shape a naming ceremony for us by describing different things we could do. The ceremony itself went way beyond our expectations. We were expecting something simple. It was that and much more as Derbhile brought a tone and message that was profound and fitting of the wondrous occasion of inviting a new person into our families. She was able to conjure lightness and gravity and a unique ability to elevate the occasion to something truly spiritual.Baby Muiris, Naming Ceremony