Ali Chapman

Paul, despite being a celebrant for three years, no matter how much care and creativity I’d put into the writing, I felt that my presentation style was missing something. It didn’t engage the listener as much as I’d have liked, or me, in the delivery.

Since working with you, my perspective and scope in relation to celebrancy has totally transformed. You’ve helped me to add a quality to my delivery that I previously had no idea about. I don’t think I’ll even call it delivery anymore.

Someone who came to one of my recent funerals said to me “Were you reading that? Well, of course you were, you must have been; but it just didn’t seem like you were.”

To have such a marked change within a month is a massive testament to your teaching style – which felt informal, open, tailored to my needs and rooted in so many years’ experience that you have with voice and communication. The toolkit you’ve given me (which will keep me busy and improving for years to come) has given the whole celebrant journey a new layer to it. I feel more engaged in the art of presentation, storytelling and communing with the listener than before. Which in turn makes my work feel more personally fulfilling as I continue to grow within the role.

Areas I’d assumed which just came along with the package of the celebrant role are actually rich in their possibility. There’s a lot more to it than I’d even thought about before.

Thank you, I’ve been recommending you left right and centre, not just for celebrants but for anyone needing to present to others, at whatever stage of the journey they’re at. Ali Chapman