With Anita Vaughan, couples can have the ceremony that they truly want, a ceremony that reflects who they are. The sky is truly the limit; as she says, “I want to be the person that says ‘yes’ when other people have said ‘no’.” What an awesome outlook on unions – read on for more about Anita!
Tell us a little bit about your business!
As a Celebrant, my mission is to create ceremonies that celebrate the love of each couple. I want everyone to have the opportunity to tell their story, while staying true to themselves.
What do you love about what you do?
I have the greatest job in the world! I love meeting people who are in love and happy – it may sound corny, but it makes me so excited to be a part of their celebration. When I’m working on a couple’s ceremony I fell like I fall a little bit in love with them, too!
How did you get into doing what you do?
I became a Celebrant though the Celebrant Foundation, where I studied rituals and ceremonies and earned my certification in Ceremonies for Couples. I knew for a long time that I wanted to be an Officiant, but I didn’t just want to get ordained online and hang out a shingle, so to speak. I wanted to be educated and be able to work with couples as a knowledgeable source, so I chose the route of becoming a Celebrant.
What do you wear when you’re doing what you do?
My birthday suit. Just kidding! It really depends on the ceremony. I have a black pantsuit that I wear for evening weddings, a dress for summer ceremonies…. but I’d dress as a ninja if someone wanted to do a costume party wedding! Well, ninja wouldn’t be my first choice for a costume, but I have been dying to work on a theme wedding. My fantasy is a Halloween costume party wedding! I’m crossing my fingers…..
What’s the process like of writing a ceremony?
It’s very personal, and each ceremony starts from scratch. Couples fill out a detailed questionnaire and I use their responses to craft the ceremony. I’ll incorporate their story – how they met, what they love about each other, all the details they want to share. Maybe lyrics from a song. The possibilities are endless. The couple controls what goes into the ceremony – I send them a draft and we keep going back and forth until they are completely happy with it.
If you haven’t done a gay wedding, what would your dream gay wedding include/be/ideas?
I haven’t done a gay wedding yet, but I would like to. My dream gay wedding would be just that – a wedding. Illinois hasn’t legalized gay marriage (yet!), but my fellow Celebrants and I have been busy working on our state representatives to get them to support a Civil Union bill that should be coming up for a vote this month in the IL General Assembly. I’m crossing my fingers.
Do you have a favorite “moment” that happens while you’re doing your job?
When couples send me their completed questionnaires, it’s like I have all these puzzle pieces that need to be put together. I like to research things for the ceremony and see what details I can incorporate to make the ceremony truly unique and personal. For example, last month I spent hours reading every lyric to every song by Bjork because she’s the favorite singer of a bride I was working with. (It turned out that there are no Bjork lyrics that would be appropriate for a wedding ceremony!) The point is, I spend a lot of time thinking about the ceremony and piecing together all the little bits, trying to make it perfect. Then, when I finally get it all together, I email it to the couple for their approval. I then sit there waiting anxiously to hear what they think. When I get an email back ,saying they love it – THAT’S the moment that makes me say, “YES!” That is my favorite moment and makes me love my job!
Rave time!
“I chose AnitaWeds because of Anita’s warmth and humor. She put my husband and me at ease, and made the whole process simple and relaxed. We loved her flexiblity and her ideas. We never felt pressured or that we were just another couple. Everyone at our renewal ceremony commented on how beautiful and personalized the ceremony was. I would highly recommend her!”
“Anita performed our service just as we asked. She took the time to talk with us about what we wanted in our service. She always returned our calls promptly, when we had questions that needed answered she made our wedding day a very special day.”
“Anita is very personable and professional. She has a wonderful way with words and made our ceremony that much more special!”
Thank you for the wonderful profile. I love your website and I’m thrilled to be a featured vendor! I just wanted to add a note letting people know that there are many wonderful Celebrants out there. Couples can find a Celebrant in their area through the Celebrant Foundation’s website: http://www.celebrantusa.org/ Thanks again! – Anita
Yay Anita!!!! As a fellow Celebrant in St. Louis, I applaude your efforts in the IL general assembly…same sex marriage WILL be legal very soon in all states! I am convinced of this.
You are so right. Being a Celebrant is the BEST job in the world.
Best wishes,
Lamira