Hi there and congratulations on your plans to marry!
My name is Gina Callan and I am a Civil Marriage Celebrant living in Lyons in the ACT. My professional background is varied but includes many years working as a Registered Nurse and then as a Government Administrator in Health and Ageing, time as a Community mediator, work in disability care, and as a trainer and educator. I’ve managed complaints, taught first aid, facilitated accredited and non-accredited training courses, and conducted almost 600 marriage ceremonies as well as a range of baby-naming and welcome ceremonies, Commitments and Civil Unions, Renewal of Vows, anniversary and other celebrations as requested. All the while I have enjoyed tremendously the creative art of writing and facilitating presentations for a range of diverse individuals, families and groups, large and small.
My proudest achievements, however, are much more personal and focus on my loving family. I have been married for over half my life to someone who is now an ex-serving defence force member and we have shared many different homes in Australia and overseas, appreciating the varied cultural experiences and people we’ve met along the way. Over the years we’ve made wonderful friends and raised two gorgeous sons who are now independent and experiencing love, life and much laughter with their own families and friends too. We proudly are grandparents to three young boys and they keep us young at heart and active, healthy and always having fun!
Originally from a country town (Armidale, NSW), I’ve always loved gatherings with family and friends to celebrate life and all its milestones. These occasions continue to bring great joy and have made me realise the value for others too in celebrating significant milestone occasions and achievements with their loved ones in culturally significant ways, be they marriages, commitments, anniversaries, baby-namings or other special moments of joy and commitment.
After attending some lack lustre marriage ceremonies over the years and realising that a “one size fits all approach” is not effective, I decided it would be rewarding to work with couples and families to achieve truly meaningful occasions that never missed the mark, so that their special celebrations could be remembered for all the right reasons. So, I trained and registered as a Civil Marriage Celebrant in 2008, deciding that at the heart of every great wedding day, should be a unique marriage ceremony expertly crafted to suit the needs, desires and personalities of the couple tying the knot.
The idea that just as people are different, so too should be the style and content of every ceremony, led to the creation of my celebrancy business, Licensed to Wed. This business has now grown, strengthened and endured and while I have been privileged to facilitate many wonderful ceremonies, I recall particularly one ceremony conducted at the home of a beautiful young and very proud couple of few resources and little family support at a time when the groom was very ill.
The Bride’s mum had recently died and she had no female relatives or close friends to assist with wedding arrangements, but neither she nor her Groom complained about their lot in life. Rather, they passionately shared with me their simple story of love, laughter and adventures with their three beautiful children, noting their hopes and dreams in marriage for the future. I felt so lucky to not only tell that story publically on their wedding day, but to also tactfully acknowledge lost family and involve each person, including the children in unique and positive ways.
In addition to legally solemnising the marriage and in the absence of a mother or father of the bride, I was invited to assist in practical ways by helping the bride with her clothing, jewellery and last-minute photos before she married the love of her life. The Groom’s ailing health was also managed with some innovative staging techniques and a real lump in my throat developed when a beautiful ceremony was achieved. I knew then and there that my decision to become a celebrant was a good one.
My advice to couples and families is to meet early with their celebrant to discuss their specific needs and wants, and to ensure their ideas and views are heeded while legal requirements are also met. If all parties work together anything is possible. A caring, professional and experienced celebrant will appreciate that every couple and family’s story is unique, and will use all their skills to guide and assist clients with energy, warmth and passion. In this way, each ceremony, whether elegant, traditional, relaxed, fun or quirky, will be forever remembered with pride and joy by all involved.