Leslie Ridgeway

About

You may not be aware of some of the above listed Ceremonies, so I am going to describe them in more detail here.

Naming Ceremony - For many people, this is the non-religious equivalent to a church christening. It is about welcoming a baby or child into the world, and more significantly, into their new community. It involves the parents and can also include grandparents, spiritual guides and other family members. A Certificate is provided for the baby/child, and can also be specifically provided for the grandparents, spiritual guides or equivalent.

Marriage Ceremony - under law, this currently means between a man and a woman, but that may change sometime soon (dated July 2015).

Commitment Ceremony - This is almost exactly the same as a Marriage Ceremony, but there are no legal requirements - no documentation. This is commonly used by same sex couples, but is also used by heterosexual couples who want a non legal ceremony.

Same-Sex Ceremony - A Commitment / Unity Ceremony for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer couples.

Renewal of Vows Ceremony - Couples wishing to renew their Vows, often on a significant occasion such as their 10th /25th /etc anniversary, or a significant birthday occasion. Some choose to do this after experiencing traumatic occasions or times of major loss and grief.

This is Your Life - This is a time to acknowledge and celebrate a person's life - their achievements, experiences, family and friends, good times and bad. It can be done for anyone at anytime, although most people choose to surprise someone with a This is Your Life Ceremony on a significant occasion such as a special birthday event. It is not just for people who have lived a long life. Consider acknowledging and honouring teenagers and young adults for personal achievements and milestones. How does it work? I facilitate a commentary of the person's life which may involve surprise guests, voice messages, poems, funny memories and whatever else may come. At the conclusion, I present a beautifully bound book titled - 'This is Your Life' filled with comments and many photographs.

This is My Life - I assist you in creating your funeral ceremony. You don't need to be dying to do this. It is for people who would like to be organised and wanting to remove all the stresses that their loved ones will face in trying to create a ceremony that they think would be fitting. Imagine if your partner died suddenly and most unexpectedly. You would be overcome with grief and sorrow. Now imagine if your partner had prepared their funeral in advance. You can grieve with your family and friends, with peace of mind, knowing that every aspect of the funeral has been taken care of. What a huge relief.

Funeral Ceremony - Funerals can be conducted anywhere. If a certain place, inside or outside, was a special place, why not have the funeral there. For example, the surf, the bush, your home garden, a golf or bowls club, a hotel, etc. When you deal with a funeral director, they will provide a Celebrant for you. This is not your only option. You can provide your own which is a perfectly acceptable practice with funeral directors. I would feel privileged to act in this role for you, working towards a personalised and unique ceremony that honours and strongly reflects the person that the deceased was.