01/05/01 -
Celebrants from around the country will gather to celebrate the inaugural conference of the Celebrants Association of
New Zealand – Tangata Arahi te Ture o Aotearoa –at Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre on the 27-29 July. They will
share in what promises to be an exciting and invigorating weekend. Mayor of Auckland, Christine Fletcher, will welcome
participants to ‘The City of Sails,’ whilst guest speaker, the Rt Hon David Lange, will provide a brilliant and creative
start to the conference. The theme of the conference is ‘Getting It Right – Kia To Tika.’
Over 200 celebrants plan to travel from throughout New Zealand sharing together and gaining knowledge from a wide
variety of stimulating presenters who will conduct the many exciting workshops.
Dally Messenger, leading Australian civil celebrant, author and mentor will be one of the main speakers, together with
Marian Barnes who was a pioneer and educator of funeral celebrancy in New Zealand. Her book, ‘Down To Earth.’ is still
considered a definitive resource for celebrants. Brian Clarke, the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages will also
be a guest speaker.
Jan Ballantyne, President of the Celebrants Association of New Zealand says, “Wherever fellow celebrants meet, there is
certainly no lack of conversation and vigorous debate”. The weekend will undoubtedly create a wonderful forum for
looking, listening and learning.
Celebrancy now embraces many life celebrations as well as accepted, weddings, name giving, commitment and funeral
ceremonies. Many aspects of celebrancy will be debated during the conference, from innovative ways to conduct ceremony
to the importance of maintaining integrity and ethical standards. Participants will leave equipped with fresh knowledge
and enthusiasm, for ‘Getting It Right’ in the evolving world of the celebrant.
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