Monday, January 25, 2016

Staying Motivated as a Celebrant

In pursuing the business of celebrancy, you need to be aware of two things – that there will be some good moments and some not so good. You will find that while you are busy, with plenty of bookings, and clients who seem to be appreciative of everything you’re doing, it will be easy for you to believe that in choosing to be a celebrant you have made the right decision.

It is when the ceremonies are few and far between, the clients more of a pain than a joy, that staying motivated will become a challenge. The few ceremonies become irksome in as much as they cut into your weekend without much financial reward. You are almost glad when the rare client rings you up and tells you that she has to cancel the ceremony.

How do you get out of this type of slump? Here are few things for you to remember and try.

Realize that the attitude you have with yourself is actually working against you. Whether you realize it or not, on an unconscious level you’re discouraging clients by your lack of enthusiasm and self-disappointment.

1. Get together with those people who are in your corner and will energise you with their support. They don’t have to be necessarily other celebrants, but they have to be people who believe in what you’re doing and admire you for it.

2. Keep a diary of the good moments that you have had with satisfied clients. There seems a tendency for people to hug to themselves all the unsatisfactory moments in their lives, while failing to give themselves a pat over the highs in their lives.

3. Always be aware of why you got into the business of celebrancy in the first place. Whether it was just the money, or being part of the great moments in other people’s lives, keep that in mind when things aren’t going too well for you.

4. With the above in mind, don’t get distracted with what other celebrants are doing if what they’re doing is not what you became a celebrant for. Focus only on what is meaningful for you.

5. To make sure that you do focus on your own objectives, write them down in your diary where you can see them every day. It is amazing how easily you can forget the reason why you’re doing what you’re doing. Allow yourself to be reminded every day of your life.
Extract from
'How to be a Profitable Celebrant: Practical Tips on Running a Profitable Celebrant Business'.


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Thursday, January 21, 2016

Celebrating First Wedding Anniversary

The first Wedding Anniversary is symbolised by paper. At this stage marriage is seen as a relationship still growing, partners still getting to know each other.
The paper is seen as something delicate, needing to be handled carefully. Paper itself has many connotations.
One of the rituals in the Japanese wedding ceremony is the sipping of rice wine from a bottle decorated with paper butterflies symbolising the male and the female partners at the beginning of their journey as a united couple.
There is an element of joyfulness and playfulness in the first wedding anniversary. Everything is fresh and new, and each day brings new discoveries about love and life.
The gifts offered to the couple on their first wedding anniversary reflects the carefree nature of the relationship. There are tickets for the opera or concert for the couple's enjoyment. A book of specific interest to the couple symbolising the acquisition of wisdom as their union ripens. A floral bouquet for its esthetic beauty.
Flower associated with the first wedding anniversary is a pansy, and the gemstone peridot or pearl.
Whether on their own, or celebrating their wedding anniversary with friends or relatives, a casual picnic or barbeque is appropriate. Food can be served on paper plates, with the venue decorated with paper lanterns.
Part of the celebration for the couple only, could be viewing a recording of their wedding ceremony and renewing their vows in the privacy of their own home. They might also make a game of creating a ritual for each of their wedding anniversaries by adding something new like a new song or poem which has either the word anniversary or paper in the title. This could be the ‘Anniversary Waltz’, or ‘It's only a Paper Moon’.
Find out more about celebrating your Wedding Anniversary with
Celebrating Love’s Special Moments
and at
Better Honeymoon

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Amazon Author, Vlady Peters


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Friday, January 8, 2016

12 things to consider before setting your fee

After charging the same fee for I don’t know how many years. I decided to increase it for 2016. I got cold feet with the very first couple who rang me two days ago. Could I really justify the increase, was my immediate thought.

One of the reasons many small businesses fail in the first five years of setting up, is that, like me, they tend to identify themselves with the client, rather than remind themselves that they are running a business.

If you are someone who has just put up your shingle, advertising yourself as a celebrant, setting a fee for your services will be one of the things you need to decide early. You will want to set a fee which you feel will cover your running expenses, plus allow you to make a profit.

But you also need to take into consideration what clients will pay for your services, given the competition already in existence.

Here are some questions you might like to consider.

1. What is your aim in becoming a celebrant?

2. Why should clients come to you, instead of using any one of the other celebrant around.

3. What particular strengths and talents have you got to help you in your celebrancy business?

4. What are some of your weaknesses that might work against you?

5. Who are your potential clients?

6. How old are they and how well off are they?

7. How do they perceive the celebrancy business?

8. What fees do the other celebrants charge?

9. Can you charge more and still attract clients?

10. Can you charge less and still be profitable?

11. What can you offer that is different and is of significant benefit to the clients?

12. What exactly are clients looking for – saving money, better service, convenience?

Remember, that in selling a product, whether it be soap or celebrancy services, it is possible to make money providing a high quality product at a high price, or a low quality product at a low price. Your business, however, will never survive if you try to sell high quality service at a low price or a low quality service at a high price.

Article based on ‘How to be a Profitable Celebrant’ by Vlady Peters




Find it on Amazon and Smashwords


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Sunday, January 3, 2016

Honeymoon Cost

It wasn’t the wedding of the century. Six people in all arrived at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York to watch the young man and woman exchange their vows. Two more had been invited but as they were running late – and this was before the easy communication of mobiles – too bad for them.

The very young and very attractive bride was fetching in her suit of midnight blue with a matching hat trimmed with leather ribbons and buckles.

For their honeymoon the groom had chosen a near by hotel where the two celebrated so enthusiastically that they were thrown out of their hotel not long after their arrival. Undaunted, they picked themselves off the sidewalk, registered in another hotel, and continued to celebrate.

In one of his more lucid moment, the groom realized that as much as he adored his wife, she was not exactly a fashion plate. Leather ribbons and buckles were fine in Alabama, and may have won her the award of the most attractive debutant alive, but in New York they were very suggestive of country bumpkin.

“Sweetie, you must do something about those Southern Belle clothes you’ve got. I’ll talk to some of my New York female friends. I’m sure they’ll be delighted to put you on the right track. After all, this is New York, and we are on our honeymoon.”

“But honey bunch, can we afford it? Don’t forget we’ve already trashed two hotels and our honeymoon has barely started.”

“My dear girl,” he said indulgently, “haven’t you ever heard of credit?”

“Credit!” she gasped. “Why my daddy would simply die if he heard me say the word less run around asking for it.”

“Baby doll,” he answered with a smile. “For a judge he’s not a bad sort, your daddy. But when it comes to modern living, your daddy hasn’t a clue. Didn’t you tell me that he’s refused to take out a mortgage on his house because it would put him in debt? I mean to say, it is 1920. Or hasn’t he heard?”

“I don’t know.”

“Look! I absolutely insist! Go out on the town and come back an unflappable New Yorker. We’ll be the talk of the town.”

And so began the story of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald. And their love affair with credit. A love affair, like most love affairs, that ended in tragedy and tears.

But despite the mark that they have left behind, all too many couples are only too ready to embrace a similar affair, fuelled to an even higher pitch by the advent of credit cards.

For them it will be different, they think.

But as the man said, first comes the wedding and the credit card, then comes the honeymoon and the credit card. Then come the bills and the divorce.
Plan your Honeymoon with
"HONEMOON! A SIZZLE OR A FIZZLE?'
and avoid the tears




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