Music is Life

I still have his beautiful piano playing echoing in my being, such a happy feeling, makes me smile. It is a privilege to officiate funerals and each one is very special just as my service today at Greenway Chapel of a remarkable man, a father, grandfather and friend to many. He was well known and respected and he shared his knowledge of his beloved Gosford on community radio 50plus. He gave so much in not only his time to brighten people's days in his community work but also in music in which made people's hearts sing. He was a self taught piano player and together with his band "The melody makers" played at numerous weddings and functions. His music, his piano playing and a dvd of him in action certainly made my heart sing and feet a tapping during todays service. Such a remarkable man, his music which he made his craft was very special indeed. In closing I said, Your new journey has now begun, your music the angels now sing of songs that we hold so close. Music of the heart. Today is a closing and an opening- a saying farewell and a saying hello again. We say farewell to the Russ we knew but also say hello to the Russ that has become part of us, for he lives on with us in the thoughts and memories that we cherish. The song has ended but the melody lingers on. Thank you. This special man has left a legacy of worth, a legacy of love and music and I for one will forever be grateful to have just for a moment or moments been apart of the beautiful treasure that he forged, his gift of music. I still have his beautiful piano playing echoing in my being, such a happy feeling, makes me smile. I think music lives on in each of us whether through a past memory of someone loved or in the day to day happenings of our life as there is always something which makes us want to sing. Just waking up or sitting quietly or perhaps waiting for the weekend to come around. As I sit here now writing this blog I can hear birds outside. The day is over cast and quite chilly but they are still singing their little songs of life. We sing to rejoice and to renew. We sing to remember and to celebrate. We sing to unite and we sing to be happy. Music unites and brings happiness and beautiful memories. I hope everyone has music in their lives yesterday, today and tomorrow. warm regards Glenda Davison CMC JP www.coastalcelebrations.com.au glennie50davison@aol.com 0414839269

Young at heart, never too old!

A beautiful journey of two young at hearts and in love!

"The Journey" Two friends decided to journey together towards a common destination. Before they began their journey they share their expectations as follows: There will be days, my friend, when one will want to walk along the mountain path, whilst the other may prefer the valley, but we will come together at the end of the day and share our experiences. There will be days when one will want to sing and dance, whilst the other will prefer to travel in quietness, so we will choose different paths, but we will meet at the close of the day and be content with our experiences. There will be days when one may want to rest, whilst the other may want to move further along the path, but at the right time we will come together and be happy that each has fulfilled their own needs. There will be days when we shall travel together as one. If we can respect the other's need whilst still fulfilling our own, then our journey will be an experience to rejoice in. This will be the reading that I have chosen and know will suit the couple I met this morning to discuss their wedding in a month's time. Ruth is 68 and Nelson 86 and what a lovely couple they are. They have travelled extensively together and enjoy their cruises aboard the Sun Princess. They own a camper-van and travel the highways and the byways and take off on their little and not so little trips whenever and wherever their fancy takes them. They feel it is time to celebrate their love and friendship and togetherness by saying their vows to each other and making it legal!! Having their children and grandchildren present at their lunch time ceremony to witness this significant life event is very special to Ruth & Nelson. I can see many more journeys ahead! Congratulations guys. Glenda Davison CMC JP www.coastalcelebrations.com.au glennie50davison@aol.com 0414839269

Celebrant fees

Hi guys, I hope you are all well and those of you have up coming weddings or any celebration I hope that everything is going to plan. At the end of the day you want a memorable occasion with everyone commenting on how beautiful the dresses were or how great the food at the reception or the cake was to die for or wow what a lovely ceremony. All these things to make any occasion wonderful do not have to cost the earth but make sure you get what you pay for...........Professionalism, experience, expertise, knowledge and presence. These are the qualities you should look for in any wedding provider. I too often read on bridal sites on Facebook about brides wanting a "cheap" celebrant "They are all so expensive and so old!" "I know one that charges $295" I read about these as I get referred by my clients. Not that I am cheap! No way am I cheap. I am not expensive but not cheap! And maybe the "so old" ones are more experienced and this is their passion, their life, their full time job not just a weekend job to get a few extra bucks on top of their other employment like the younger ones! I cannot believe that any Celebrant could charge less than the Registry Office charge of $507.00 where you do not get a choice of ceremony, where there can only be a dozen people attending the ceremony, where there is no warmth or caring or personal touch between the officiate and the bride and groom. That is not a memorable ceremony! Those that charge less than that price are not being true to their profession nor to their peers in that profession. Recently I have had a couple that were so unhappy with their elcheapo celebrant that they came to me with five weeks to go before the wedding. This celebrant did not even give them any indication of what their ceremony was to be like, gave them nothing, no wedding book, sample vows or poems and have not contacted them and when she did after an email from my client she said she had been too busy. This is not acceptable. This celebrant might be very busy with all these cheap weddings but where is the warmth, the caring, the personal touch. They may as well go to the Registry Office. I would like to finish by adding something that I always place in my wedding book, the book I give my clients after they engage me as their celebrant. In it, it has lots of readings, poems, rituals, ceremony choices and vows and so much more. Please read what I have written below and when you are looking for a Celebrant just think twice as to what is more important. Not all in a day’s work "Why do Officiates charge so much for a half hour of work?" (Please keep in mind that Ministers, Priests, etc. collect a salary plus receive an honorarium. ...an Officiate does not. Our fee is our income.) It takes an average of 10 hours of work per ceremony: - Consultations - scheduling - Emails, phone calls - Sometimes research for a particular ceremony (Definitely the benefit of tons of research over the years + education / training) - Ceremony prep, proof-reads, approvals, updates, modifications, last minute changes, re-approvals - Ceremony practice time - travel time + mileage to & from rehearsal - Waiting before rehearsal -coordinating rehearsal - travel time + mileage to & from wedding - Waiting before ceremony - performing ceremony - Sometimes mingling after ceremony - Paperwork, paperwork... paperwork. ..Overhead costs (including advertising) - (not to mention the time lost with their own significant others on the weekends, some Friday night & Saturday and Sunday, when significant others are at home) Average 10 - 15hrs per ceremony Here's the most important part: Your Officiate is a licensed professional without which there would be no marriage. It is the least expensive cost in the typical wedding, yet the only part that is really required. You can have a wedding without flowers or centrepieces. You can't have a legal marriage without an Officiate. Be careful where you cut your corners! :) ************************* Not forgetting the Celebrant's PA system. The most common complaint that the Attorney Generals Dept gets from couples is that on the day of the ceremony it could not be heard. To keep up to date with the latest and most proficient and reliable systems it costs money. I started with a great system but it only took CDS, now my latest system a Mipro 202 is small but has a great sound and also is capable of taking either a USB, Ipod or Iphone and MP3 to play the ceremonial music. take care guys warm regards Glenda Davison CMC JP www.coastalcelebrations.com.au glennie50davison@aol.com 0414839269