Barbara Densmore - Contemporary Minister/Celebrant & Wedding Officiant

Meaningful.Memorable.Unstuffy.Truly You

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Celebrations of life

Darshan-Alexander-Photography-489Thanks to Darshan Alexander Photography for the heartfelt image.

“Life will go on as long as there is someone to sing, to dance, to tell stories and to listen.” ~Oren Lyons

A Celebration of Life ceremony can be a genuinely different approach to saying goodbye to loved ones. It’s the chance to remember them in full living colour. In a way that honours their life, their passions, and all the things that made them unique.

At the heart of a Celebration of Life is your loved one’s life story. Their true story. Specific and real snapshots of their life that allow people to settle in, smile, laugh, shed a few tears.

A real Celebration of Life is a true reflection of the essence of your loved one.  It’s a combination of style and substance…the kind of event that s/he would have loved to attend. A heartfelt alternative to the “insert-name-here” scripts that have become standard fare at so many memorial services.  And the process of creating the ceremony can be a huge part of the “saying farewell” process that we seem to have lost over the past decades can be deeply meaningful for you and your loved ones.

Real Ceremonies:

Ceremony featured National Canadian press article, April 2014 

Dear Brother: A Remembrance

Poppies for Paul

Pete the Pirate: co-written celebration script

 

rocks 1Are you searching for resources to plan a Celebration of Life ceremony yourself?

My radius of delivery is small and I believe in the power of ceremony.  So I set aside an hour each week (Sunday  9:30 – 10:30 AM Pacific time) to answer your questions and give feedback.  No sales pitch, simply and honest and true exchange of ideas that you won’t likely find elsewhere. We meet via conference call or Skype.  If you would like to sit in on the next session, contact me here.

“It was so beautiful I cried…”
“It was the best service I’ve ever been to…”
“It was really your Dad…”
“You took a risk, and it paid off… your service was sensitive and creative Karen, I really loved it.” [The Anglican minister]
“You did great Karen…” [from my sister – whew]

–Karen planned and led her father’s Celebration in Collingwood, Ontario

Barbara Densmore, Celebrant & Officiant Reviews
 
WeddingWire Barbara Densmore, Wedding Celebrant & Officiant Reviews, Best Wedding Officiants in British Columbia - 2015 Couples' Choice Award Winner
 
Weddings, Wedding Venues Barbara Densmore, Professional Celebrant & Wedding Officiant, Best Wedding Officiants in British Columbia - 2014 Couples' Choice Award Winner
Weddings, Wedding Venues Barbara Densmore, Professional Celebrant & Wedding Officiant, Best Wedding Officiants in British Columbia - 2013 Bride's Choice Award Winner




Read our reviews in  

Recent Posts

  • Celebrating Pete the Pirate
  • Mature Weddings
  • Weddings with Kids
  • B&D: Surprise Us!
  • Heather and Erin: it’s Gonna Happen

Testimonials

“All 90 guests shed tears of laughter and joy, and walked away knowing and loving us as a couple that much more. We have been receiving nothing but extremely positive comments – stating it was the best wedding ceremony ever attended.”    
Jeff married Ashley in one of the most jubilant ceremonies ever, with a surprise blessing from their dog Lua
We are unique in our own way and nothing we do is cookie cutter. We are looking for an officiant who can do things a little differently. We pride ourselves on putting in the effort that others won’t.  
Shereen and Matt, high tech, high standards
People enjoyed the ceremony just as much as the reception.    
Danielle and Marc’s ceremony included a modern version of a ritual from her mother’s wedding ceremony
Everyone was talking about it for the rest of the night — how different and heartfelt it was — even a few of the guys said it was, by far, the best wedding ceremony they’d ever been to… THE GUYS… I think that says it all. 🙂  
Wedding Photographer A
It was a perfect balance of poignant, comical and thought-provoking. Maggie  
G's Memorial Tree Planting
Throughout the journey of co-creating, Barbara deeply listened, guided, and supported us to make meaningful creative choices that honoured ourselves, invited guests/witnesses, and our new home.  
J&J's House Blessing
“I am SO very happy that I did the ceremony. I feel like my work with you cauterized what would have otherwise been an open wound. I can’t thank you enough…”  
A's Divorce Ceremony
If you ask anyone that attended our wedding they would all agree that our ceremony was their favorite part! The process of writing our vows with her we will never forget. It made our ceremony one that people will not forget. It was 100% us, personal, humorous, and emotional with surprise twists that everyone loved.  
Isa and Neal, funky hippy wedding
We’re so grateful for the great job you did in pulling together our lives and making our ceremony so personal, so thoughtful, so us. The good feelings and emotions that blossomed that day continue to linger in our every day lives and you played a really important role in that, so thanks. You were great and able to go with the flow, which was so important to us.  
Jackie & Sylvie's 4 year old son helped to marry them
“The words and the actions were all Mum. People commented over and over that this was the most meaningful Celebration of Life they had ever attended. And mum would have loved it…from the stories right through to the symbols, it was her to a T.”   Lauren and her family hosted their celebration of her mother’s life in a comfortable home setting.
MF's Celebration of Life

Recent Comments

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