Your Celebrant is Peter Downie

Authorised Civil Marriage Celebrant No. A7659

Peter Downie Celebrant “I have known Peter Downie for more years than I care to contemplate - Peter is an extraordinarily gifted, qualified, educated and experienced celebrant who excels at all ceremonies; his creative funeral services have become well known and appreciated in the ACT.”

Dally Messenger III

Location
Bonython ACT 2905
(Postal address P.O.Box 1355, Tuggeranong, ACT 2901)

Places
Canberra and surrounding region

Contact Details
E-mail – peter@canberracelebrant.com.au
Phone – 02 6293 2675
Mobile – 0414 428 021
other website - www.canberracelebrant.com.au

Qualifications
I have had extensive tertiary education, my most recent qualification being a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the Australian Catholic University in Canberra. I have also completed the prescribed Marriage Celebrants Course with the International College of Celebrancy, which I believe is the best celebrant course in Australia.

Association –
International College of Celebrancy Alumni Association

I believe that everyone has the right
to a ceremony which is fully personalised
and which respects their own ideas, values,
cultural heritage and preferences.

Languages
In the course of my work overseas with the Australian Government, I developed reasonable competency in Russian and Japanese.

How I go About a Wedding
I generally prefer to visit you in your own home to discuss your expectations for your wedding ceremony, and to glean the information needed to craft a ceremony that is personal to you. I also like to assist you to choose the readings, poetry,and music that are most appropriate for you, and to develop the best narrative of your own personal journey to your wedding day.

I generally recommend the book Ceremonies and Celebrations by Dally Messenger, as a good starting point for a first draft. We then cooperate in the creation of your ceremony on email, on the phone, or in other meetings.

I arrange all the legal papers relating to your marriage. I also strongly encourage you to have an on-site rehearsal a few days before your wedding ceremony. These services are included in my fee.

On the day, I will be using a professional-grade PA system and will do everything in my power to deliver your ceremony in the most pleasing way I can.

After the ceremony, I register your marriage with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

How I go about a Funeral.
My skills and professional experience as a Social Worker, together with my commitment to assisting people,are best expressed in the way I create a funeral service which is based on the life story of the person who has died. My starting point is respect for the wishes of the deceased and the family, and this extends to including or excluding any religious elements from the ceremony.

As soon as possible after receiving a request to conduct a ceremony, I like to sit down with the family and the next of kin to discuss the life of the person in some detail. In most cases, I prepare a eulogy based on the information gathered at this initial meeting, and deliver the eulogy at the ceremony. Normally, family members or close friends will follow with personal reflections and reminiscences of their own. In cases where family members wish to write and present the eulogy themselves, I am available at all times to facilitate this process if needed.

At a time of bereavement, it is often difficult for people to adequately express their feelings, and they turn to those poets or religious writers gifted with insight into the human condition and the ability to articulate these insights in words. I have at my disposal a range of readings and poems, and am able to assist in locating and downloading other material as well. I also work closely with families and Funeral Directors in locating and assembling appropriate music and symbols for the ceremony.

At the ceremony, I provide each family with a bound record of the entire ceremony as a memento.

Fees:
Weddings: In the range $500 - $600
Funerals: $80 per hour or by arrangement