Juliet’s celebrant story

My background has given me an interest in cultures from around the world. I was brought up in a multicultural, blended family.  My mother had Southern European and Indian heritage, and she gave me her creativity and curiosity.  My father was from New Zealand and of Irish heritage. Not only did he bequeathed me the blonde gene, but also the drive to become a self-employed as a civil celebrant.  

The surname, Jain, came from my stepfather, who had an Indian father.  Jainism is an Indian religion, which his family practised.  As a child we visited my stepfather’s family in northern India and it had a profound impact on my life. It gave me a strong sense of connection to the country. 

Many of my family members and friends have married spouses from around the world. Each of their weddings incorporating diverse cultural traditions, yet none were celebrant led.  Then global friendships and connections through work and study have spurred my interest in other cultures too.

I worked in a university as a researcher and lecturer before becoming a celebrant. My favourite part of the job was talking to people about their lives.  I developed creative ways of helping people share their stories with me for our research. Some of these techniques, I now use as a celebrant.  There are other skills from my previous career that I have transferred to being a celebrant too; for example, speaking, high quality writing, and project management.  

I still research in my celebrant role. Discovering more about rituals and cultural traditions for weddings, and creative ways to design funeral ceremonies fascinates me. I am always looking at ways to developing my knowledge and skills to enhance my celebrant services for you. You can find out about what I have been researching and learning on my blog.

My celebrant knowledge enabled me to create an incredible celebration of life for my mum in 2024 in two ways.  Firstly, my husband and I hand-painted her cardboard coffin that symbolically captured her personality. Then, we held personalised ceremony in a non-standard venue prior to her ‘direct cremation’.  You can read more about it on my blog. 

In addition, I experienced the sudden death of my brother, who was a victim in a road traffic incident. It has caused a deep and long lasting effect on my life. While tragic, I hope that his death has made me a more compassionate person when working with the bereaved. It has enabled me to help others in the face of traumatic and sudden death.

I write poetry, stories and memoir.  Yes, more writing! I sometimes post my poems on my Instagram. Other pleasures are found in the garden, walking and cycling. I love dancing, and spent many years obsessively learning flamenco. I even went to live in Spain and learnt Spanish. Nowadays, you will find me reading novels, or listening to audio books while I crochet or sew of an evening. And, somewhere in between all of that, I enjoy time with my husband and sons. Finally, there is playtime with Arnie, the tabby (aka Devil Cat)!