So what's the dog trainer Cesar Millan and delivering ceremonies, got to do with each other?
And why does it deserve a blog on a Celebrant's web site?
I'm a great supporter of Cesar Millan and turned to one of his books recently, to help me with the training of our 8 month old Newfoundland, Mishca..........She'll be 9 stone when she's fully grown.......she swims like a fish with her life saving skills.........and she's keen to do everything right for you!
Stick with the blog..........This isn't all about a cute puppy!
He advocates a stage process of management, something I just abbreviate with EDA - Exercise - Discipline - Affection. But what he also empahsises is 'being in the moment' with your dog..........and being able to deal with wherever that dog is in its own world.
And this got me thinking! That's just what taking a great ceremony calls for. You have to absorb the emotion that's flying around. You need to sense where people are at. And you have to go with the moment and react to it! That calls for flexible facilitation skills and well placed antennae. Sometimes it's not all about what you see - it's about how you feel!
I delivered a ceremony recently where at one point, I went totally 'off script' - because the audience just weren't ready for what was coming........I could see it in their eyes.......I could feel it in the room. I could sense it!
I moved it and brought it in later. It was well received. It raised some laughs. If I'd followed my process and script......and ignored being ''in the moment' ............the ceremony wouldn't have had the feedback that it did!
So if you're looking for a Celebrant to take your ceremony - from a wedding to a funeral - look for someone who can sense their audience and feel the emotion in the room. Then look for examples of where they've managed all of this to get a great end result. If their script and their timing is so rigid that it's just a process......then you may as well just search for a college lecturer!
Being in the moment - it's something any Celebrant should be confident to deliver on!
XCarole
