Honouring life's occasions
through ceremony.
Your story is the heart of your ceremony.
I am passionate about creating personalised and meaningful ceremonies. Warm and friendly, I enjoy meeting people from all walks of life and look forward to hearing your story. A relaxed yet professional approach helps you to enjoy the process as I work with you to capture your thoughts and wishes.
Get in touch to create your special ceremony.
Nga mihi,
Rachel Clarke
Certificate in Celebrant studies | MN (Masters in Nursing) | VCANZ accredited
Validation demonstrates a commitment to ongoing professional development.
We are so happy we found you. You've been an absolute dream!
A wedding couple
From the first time we messaged Rachel, we always received prompt and helpful communication. Rachel was always very cordial and flexible in her approach.
- Rani & Elfa
About Me
I love being a celebrant and enjoy working closely with people, helping them to create a ceremony that feels right for them, whether it be celebrating special occasions in life; or in the case of losing a loved one – saying goodbye.
I chose to train as a celebrant after supporting family and friends through end-of-life experiences. Being involved was a huge privilege and I found my life skills - as nurse, educator and mother - enabled me to support people with empathy and care.
My husband, Mike, and I are enjoying all that the Wairarapa has to offer, having moved to Featherston in 2019. Regulars at the Woodside-Greytown Parkrun, we also enjoy exploring the local walking trails, along with the occasional tramp in the Tararua range. We have three daughters and enjoy catching up with them whenever possible.
I am an active member of the Celebrants Association of New Zealand (CANZ), currently holding the position of Vice-President on the Executive committee along with the Professional Development portfolio. As a member, I adhere to the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards and am covered by indemnity insurance. In the unlikely event that you require it, a complaints process is available through CANZ.
Thank you for making our ceremony so special! We both appreciated your professionalism, patience and warmth. Your fun, relaxed approach was perfect for us.
- Luke & Anna
Weddings & Civil Unions
I am an inclusive celebrant who enjoys working with all couples in love. Your wedding or civil union is a time to affirm your commitment to each other; sharing this moment with your family and friends. Let’s work together to create a ceremony that reflects your one-of-a-kind partnership. Large or small, formal or informal, traditional or non-traditional, simple or quirky – let’s have fun creating the style of ceremony you are after.
Let’s chat about whether there is something unique or different you want to include in your ceremony. Are there cultural traditions you would like to incorporate? Is a bilingual ceremony important to you? I love hearing about what you want and weaving this into the magic of your day.
Delivering a fully personalised, bespoke service to you is my specialty; but if you are interested in exploring alternatives, please read on to see what Brac and Bow and I are offering you.
I am excited to be working with 'Brac & Bow' cafe and eatery in Featherston. With me as your celebrant, you can choose from three ceremony styles for your wedding, civil union or special occasion ceremony. This offers you choice in terms of the number of guests and the degree of personalisation. Click here to download the information sheet. For full details, please email me on rachel@lifecelebrancy.co.nz *Please note, that the prices noted on the information sheet apply to the provision of the ceremony only and may vary from those noted. Catering costs are over and above the fees for the ceremony. Please discuss this with Theo at Brac and Bow.
We both feel so lucky that we chose you for our service. Your help and suggestions made our day so special and stress free. The memories of our day we will treasure forever. Our guests have all told us that our service was beautiful and that your input had captured our love and who we are.
- Sue & Brian
Working Together
In most instances, the first step is to catch-up for an informal no-obligation chat. This is a great chance for me to get to know you. We can explore some ideas together and I will let you know more about how I work. The following outline gives you some idea of the process from beginning to end:
• A 50% deposit of the fee will secure your date
• We will meet to develop your ceremony
• You will be sent a ceremony draft to review
• A rehearsal will be held prior to the ceremony
• I will officiate your ceremony
• For weddings and civil unions, I will submit the legal papers to the office of Births, Deaths and Marriages, who will register your marriage/civil union
• Feedback and photos will be requested 3 - 4 weeks after the ceremony
Note: This process may change depending upon the style of your ceremony
Find out more about getting married in NZ here.
I take your privacy seriously and maintaining the confidentiality of your information is important to me. Please download my privacy policy here to ensure you understand what I am collecting from you and why; and how I store and use your information.
Funerals
Remembering a loved one’s life together with family, friends and members of the community is an important part of saying goodbye.
If you would like me to be your funeral celebrant, please give me a call and I can confirm my availability. Please let your funeral director know that you have asked me to be your funeral celebrant.
As your funeral celebrant, I will come and meet you and your family/whanau to learn about the life of your loved one and to plan the funeral service with you in a way that remembers and honour’s your loved one in a way personal to your family.
If you would like to discuss a living funeral, plan your own funeral, or arrange a memorial or unveiling, please get in touch with me.
For more information about when someone dies, you can visit Births, Deaths and Marriages.
You can also contact a Funeral Director through the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand.
Rachel worked with me to craft my late husband's funeral. Her empathy enables her to grasp the heart of the matter and she is able to aptly convey this in the ceremony.
- Ruth
Testimonials
Contact
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