Dan & Vic

Christmas Newsletter

December, 2020

2020 Highlights

Living in New Zealand - what more do I need to say?

However, the best news for us is that I am hapū and we are expecting our first pēpi in March (or maybe April!) next year. We are stoked! A huge thank you to everyone who is celebrating our journey with us, offering love and support - we are so grateful to share this chapter with you.

Life

The Covid situation was initially a bit of a mind f*ck but overall, we were really fortunate. We loved being home together and used the time to slow down, eat nutritious meals, and find pleasure in simple, everyday things. We made sure to get outside and walked around our block a lot! Unfortunately, we had a lot of cancelled trips, particularly to Auckland, which meant that I missed out on family time. This was challenging for me but it made visits later in the year even more special.

Despite the late start to the season, Dan loved playing rugby for Christchurch again. I began the year with Heart and Mind Yoga, transitioning to OptiMum Pregnancy Yoga in Terms 3 and 4. I have recently started swimming again and love the weightlessness of being in the water.

We continued to renovate our two bedroom home. The biggest change is our new kitchen - light, bright and modern with lots of bench space and storage. It feels so much more open and spacious. We love it! Dan also renovated our laundry, and built a beautiful gate leading into the garden. I am so lucky that he is a ‘projects man’ - practical and handy with an eye for detail. Next step… setting up the nursery!

Health

2020 has been filled with uncertainty. In terms of mental health, I have learned that there are many things I cannot control, but I can control my response to them. I am continuing to build my inner strength so I am better able to choose steadiness and contentment in difficult situations. I’ve found it helpful to have a mantra - some I have taken from my yoga class are…

“What if I know I am enough?”

“What if I have acceptance?”

“What if I choose to change my mindset by changing my breath?”

Pregnancy is a journey. Every day, I wonder at the marvel of my body and its ability to create life. We are now in the third trimester (a privilege and blessing!), and this journey has been transformational. It has required strength, resilience and vulnerability - a willingness to accept and embrace the unknown, and to ask for support when needed. Some of the physical challenges, including intense morning sickness until 24 weeks, have tested me. I am extremely grateful for the love and understanding I continue to receive from my beautiful husband, whānau, and my work mates at Bromley. I talk, sing and dance with our little darling every day and love all of the wriggling!

Work

Dan has just completed another busy year as Contracts Manager/Detailer with Division Architectural Engineering, working on a range of projects throughout Canterbury and the wider South Island. Though there were some challenges, he was fortunate to be able to complete work from home during lockdown - and was ready to get back into it when we dropped back down the levels!

I continued to teach at Bromley School, picking up an extra day in another of the Y5/6 classes - three days a week in total. During lockdown, we provided tasks for our children on Google Classroom and Seesaw, and stayed in touch with each other via Zoom. One of my favourite things about Bromley is the focus on gratitude and positivity - it is such a special part of the community. I always feel listened to and respected, as well as completely valued for being myself. I will miss being surrounded by such beautiful people on a daily basis next year.

My business as a marriage celebrant has continued to grow and I have LOVED meeting so many beautiful couples and vendors. A special highlight for me was becoming qualified as a Validated Member of the Celebrants Association of New Zealand which means I am now able to perform registry ceremonies in the local community. My role brings me great joy and I am looking forward to the weddings I already have booked in for next season!

Future Adventures

We fly up to Auckland tomorrow to enjoy Christmas with my extended family, spend a few weeks relaxing at The Mount, and celebrate my Poppa’s 90th birthday.

Next March, we look forward to welcoming our Little Bean earthside and embracing our role as parents. Lots of learning ahead!

Meri Kirihimete e hoa! Have a safe and happy break, wherever you are in the world.

A weekend away in Akaroa!

Aroha nui,

Vic & Dan xxx

New Zealand Marriage Celebrants

Learning a little bit more about Marriage Celebrants…

Only those persons appointed by the Registrar-General as Marriage Celebrants and whose name appears in the List of Celebrants in the New Zealand Gazette have authority to solemnise marriages in New Zealand. I was excited to become registered as an Independent Marriage Celebrant on 5th June 2019 and later, to join the Celebrants Association of New Zealand (CANZ).

Why should you book a CANZ member as your Marriage Celebrant?

CANZ members create and facilitate ceremonies and rituals which respond to the diverse needs and values of New Zealand individuals, families and communities. In engaging a CANZ celebrant, you are gaining the assurance of employing a celebrant who belongs to the national professional body, a celebrant who has passed the association’s Code of Ethics and Professional Standards test, and a person who, more often than not, is committed to ongoing professional development with a strong network of fellow celebrants to call on if needed.

So, what is VCANZ?

CANZ has introduced a celebrant validation process known as VCANZ, which is a structured recognition of celebrant training, experience and professional development based on the CANZ body of knowledge. This gives couples additional certainty and greater comfort that a CANZ celebrant meets the professional standards of competency required for celebrant work. Also, only validated celebrants can legally perform Registry Ceremonies, no longer held at Births, Deaths and Marriages offices. I received my VCANZ status on 3rd June 2020 (and I cried LITERAL TEARS of joy!!!).

Why are Registry Ceremonies being held in the community?

Vaughan Millar  (Senior Advisor at Services and Access - The Department of Internal Affairs) tells us more through a short history about the concept of validated CANZ celebrants performing registry ceremonies.

Like most change these days, it started with the Internet. In this case, marriage licence applications could be completed fully online from October 2018, which resulted in less walk-ins to a public counter. Other than signing declarations, the only other major work for the 47 registry offices was performing registry office marriages. With 10,000 appointed marriage celebrants, it made sense to give couples more options and a better customer experience by making better use of this pool of talent. It also provided an opportunity for more work for celebrants. Over the following 12 months the groundwork began to enable the outsourcing of registry weddings to celebrants in the community. 

On 1 July 2019, the registry celebrant service was launched with 59 celebrants signed up in areas outside the centres where BDM had large offices – Christchurch, Wellington, Manukau and Auckland. The next step was taking advantage of the Wellington BDM office move early in 2020. The last day registry wedding ceremonies were held at the Wellington counter was on Friday, 31 January 2020 and on 1 February 2020, that work was handed over to VCANZ celebrants. The plan was to move registry office ceremonies in Christchurch, Manukau and Auckland to validated CANZ members on 1 December 2020 – similar to the process that had been successfully executed in Wellington. However, due to Covid19, this date was brought forward to early March 2020.

As of 12 May 2020, there are 129 registry celebrants spread across the length of New Zealand - BDM are out of the business of performing registry marriages, now sitting entirely with celebrants (including yours truly!).

What does this mean for YOU?

A celebrant is a deeply personal choice - someone who can connect with you and capture the essence of your true self. Their role is to share your story, encompassing your values and beliefs in a way that reflects your relationship. One of the most significant moments of my own wedding ceremony was when our celebrant, Sally, blessed us in te reo, grounding and connecting us to a particular place and time. For you, it may be a reading or a song, maybe a funny anecdote - your ceremony should be uniquely yours. In ten or twenty years time, you may not remember the exact words, but you will remember the way they made you feel. As a validated member of CANZ, and a lover of people and their stories, I am committed to creating something beautiful with you xx

AROHA NUI,

Vic xxx

*Please note: You can find out more about the different ceremonies I provide here.