Alexa Bartlett -Auckland Celebrant

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Alexa is a highly recommended Auckland Celebrant with many years experience. She is an ACCREDITED member of CELEBRANTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND. She delights in crafting a ceremony to meet the needs of each individual,whether it be a marriage ceremony, a civil union or a naming ceremony. With a friendly nature, a great sense of humour and a caring attitude Alexa delivers her ceremonies with style. She has developed a well known reputation for her top class delivery and her memorable presentations. She is flexible in her attitude and enjoys travelling throughout the country as she officiates at ceremonies. Alexa has a wide range of skills as she is also a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse. As a highly recommended funeral celebrant she shows much compassion. Alexa has welcomed newborn babies into the world, walked beside those who grieve, and celebrated those significant events in the lives of many. Check out her photos on her blog and www.ceremonies4u.co.nz

Saturday, April 30, 2011

A Fairy tale wedding:.... "Love is a friendship set on fire"....

The wedding of William and Catherine in Westminster Abbey certainly delighted us all. Although viewed by millions it still remained an intimate affair along with all the pomp and ceremony of the British tradition. Catherine entered the Abbey with a beautiful smile on her face and blossomed into a fully pledged Royal as William's wife. I think every bride feels like a Princess as she arrives looking spectacular in that beautiful dress and gazes towards her handsome Prince. As a Marriage Celebrant I get great pleasure witnessing this event as the couple arrive and are ready to engage in their ceremony.
Best wishes Kate and William and may you live happy ever after ...Alexa
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Wedding Cakes: Country Wedding, Kumeu.

The traditional New Zealand wedding cake used to be a fruit cake covered in almond paste and royal icing and beautifully decorated. Many couples now enjoy wedding cakes of varying designs and flavours. Banana, and chocolate cakes seem to be very popular and lately many brides are choosing to have cup cakes which are beautifully decorated. This gorgeous cake was Sarah and Jeremy's. I am sure there wasn't much left after this wedding . Sarah and Jeremy had an afternoon tea in a tranquil garden setting at Willows Reach Kumeu.  http://www.willowsreach.co.nz/  
Best wishes to you both for a long and happy marriage .Alexa xx

Church weddings: Quaint Churches available for weddings in Auckland.

Church weddings are still very popular. For couples who do not attend church and also for couples who prefer an outdoor wedding, then asking a celebrant is your option. Celebrants are registered to officiate at any marriage as long as the couple are of a legal age. Celebrants can also officiate in a church as long as permission has been granted by the parish. One can only wonder of the days when ceremonies were held in these fabulous churches.
This church I visited while in Russia was amazing.  Here lies the remains of some of Russian rulers. One we all knew as Alexander the Great.

There are many churches available to couples which may be hired around Auckland, these are available for weddings,  it is not compulsory to be a member of the church to hire the facility. Posted by Picasa

Monday, April 25, 2011

Scottish Flavour ; A Kumeu Wedding, West Auckland.

Hayley and Brad's wedding at Gracehill Vineyard Estate Kumeu http://www.gracehill.co.nz/ had a distinct scottish flavour. Hayley's family and many friends came from Scotland to celebrate this wonderful occasion.
The bride and groom looked fabulous and the guys wore kilts, while the bride and bridesmaids carried bouquets, complete with sprigs of heather, which complimented the tartans.
The sun shone beautifully all afternoon and they have some great photographs with the lake and vineyard as a background.
The day would have not been complete without the haggis and a nip of whisky......
All the best Hayley and Brad I really enjoyed the afternoon. Alexa x
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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Maori Tradition : Marriage in a Hobsonville Church, West Auckland.

This small Church at Whenuapai is very quaint, with a polished floor, high beams and wooden pews. It is definately a great venue should you not want to worry about the Auckland weather. Ngaire and Isaac had a tradition Maori welcome (Karakia)and were photographed in a beautiful traditional cloak made of feathers. It was a special day for me as I connected once more with Isaac's father and his wife whom I had officiated for several years ago.
Best wishes Ngaire and Isaac.. I hope you are thoroughly enjoying married life....
 Alexa xx
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Grace & Glamour : Mantell's Mt Eden, Auckland Wedding





Every wedding is special and beautiful, and Amy and Nimma looked fabulous at their wedding at Mantells, Mt Eden.   http://www.mantells.co.nz/. Amy was led into the courtyard by her young nephew who carried a bunch of balloons. The surroundings complimented this beautiful couple and Amy's silk dress was gorgeous. It was lovely to see her colleagues supporting her from the Neonatal unit and the day was great.

Thankyou Alexa, we are glad we asked you to be our celebrant, you made us feel so relaxed and our wedding was the intimate wedding we had hoped for, we will not hesitate to recommend you to our friends. Amy & Nimma x
 
I loved every moment of this wedding ceremony also. Best wishes, to you both...Alexa x
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" A horse and carriage go together like love and marriage." Auckland Wedding.

A lot of tradition has gone with outdoor weddings, although Lisa and her bridesmaids chose to arrive at their wedding venue Kumeu  Estate
http://www.kumeuvalley.co.nz/  in a horse drawn carriage. Lisa looked stunning and her husband donned a green hat after the ceremony for a few photos to add to the flavour of St Patrick's day.
It was a beautiful sunny day and they all looked fabulous.  All the best Lisa and Douglas....Alexa x


" A good marriage is at least eighty percent good luck and finding the right person at the right time.    The rest is trust".  Nanette Newman.
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St Petersburg Weddings

Amidst all the grandeur and beauty of St Petersburg, Russia, on a recent holiday I saw many brides with their husbands. It certainly is a romantic city with the grandness of the huge monuments and buildings. Apparently there are hundreds of weddings a day, and what a photographers paradise. The churches are a magnificent sight and sure are a work of art with all the gold embellishments and beautiful paintings. The pavements weren't too easy for the brides with their high heels!
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Saturday, April 23, 2011

Showered with Blessings: Marriage in the Winter Gardens, Auckland

Congratulations to Kristine and Ezra who celebrated their wedding at the Winter Gardens on Good Friday.  It was a day they will always treasure.  An intimate setting and Ezra impressed us all with the romatic song that he wrote, sang and played for his lovely bride. The sky decided to shower us with blessings, although we all left the venue with a smile on our faces.   Best wishes to you both... Alexa x



" A good marriage is like a casserole, only those responsible for it really knows what goes in it"Anon.

New Beginnings: Hatched, Matched and Dispatched: Auckland Celebrant.

Who would have thought 14years ago that I would at this hour be sitting up at my computer starting to write my blog about my celebrant work.   I guess we all have to begin somewhere.  It was way back then I hardly knew how to use a computer, let alone much about the life of a celebrant.
As they say, life is a journey and one never knows what is around the corner.   Maybe it is just as well!
I often think when planning a holiday it is not always the destination that is so grand but the actual journey.
The people I meet and the places I've past through on the way and the experiences that I have had, which have enriched my life.
My experience as a celebrant has taught me alot about who I am and how I connect with other folk.
Having trained as a nurse at the young age of 17years I have learnt alot about life,death, grief, loss and pain and also about joy and happiness.  I have also learnt alot about physical pain and emotional pain as well and how death is very much  a part of life.
As I matured I realised just how important it became to celebrate all those milestones.  My 21st birthday, engagement, marriage, children's births, christenings, and all those wonderful family events.
Then there were the sad occassions, the death of my pets and later the death of my parents.
It was at my father's funeral as I sat and listened to his eulogy that I decided that this is a pathway that I would like to pursue.
So I can now say 'THANK YOU DAD',  it's been a great journey and I haven't yet arrived at my destination.... 
Also a big thankyou to those people who have trusted me and given me the privilege to officiate at that significant milestone in your life, you too will forever be remembered as I turn over the pages of my memory book!.


We are all on a journey together....
To the center of the universe...
Look deep
Into yourself, into another,
It is to the center which is everywhere
That is the holy journey...
First you need only look,
Notice and honor the radiance of
Everything about you:
Play in this universe... Tend..
All those shining things around you:
The smallest plant, the creatures and objects in your care.
Be gentle and nurture. Listen....
As we experience and accept
All that we really are...
We grow in care.
We begin to embrace others
As ourselves, and learn to live
As one amongest many.
     
            ...... Anne Hillman.