Snapshot of Trish the Celebrant
My backstory
Enjoying a similar childhood to that of the Hollywood A-lister, Chris O’Dowd, my early days in County Cavan reflect a lot of “Moone-Boy” references!
Par exemple: swimming lessons in the local river in the drizzly-rain, a life-changing moment on a runaway-one-eyed horse. Shell-suits. Saturdays spent watching CHiPs, the A-Team and trying to re-enact MacGyver stunts, usually ending in injury! Other forms of rural-Ireland entertainment in the 1980’s included surfing down the stairs on air-beds, tyre-swings, using plastic turf-bags as sledges in the snow and betting on the Annual Pig-Race down the Main Street at Festival week!
And indeed myself and Mr O'Dowd skipped through the University doors of the Arts Block at University College Dublin at the same time in the late 1990’s.... so the similarities are outstanding.....really!
My Experiences
From extensive global travels to marrying and settling down, from a fulfilling 20-year career as a Speech and Language Therapist to becoming a mother, my journey has been rich and varied. And while I possess all the professional celebrancy qualifications to conduct ceremonies, I feel more like it's this tapestry of lived experiences that truly equips me to craft deeply personalised ceremonies, for you and your partner to treasure forever..
My Qualifications:
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Diploma in Naming and Couples Ceremonies NOCN Level 3 (RQF) UK
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BSc (Hons) Degree in Speech and Language Therapy from Birmingham City University England
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BA (Hons) Degree in Linguistics, Old and Medieval Irish from University College Dublin Ireland
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Post-Grad certificate in Dysphagia from Flinders University Adelaide Australia
I Love To Travel!
Whether you are dreaming of a ceremony on a windswept beach in Donegal, an urban Art-Gallery, or even a remote hilltop in the heartland of Ireland, I'm all in.
I’m based in beautiful Belfast, I cover the whole island of Ireland, or further afield too, if necessary!
Here's some of my personal faves over the years:
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Scuba-diving in the azure blue waters of the Caribbean, Cuba
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Sunrise-hike to the majestic Ancient city of Machu Pichu, Peru
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Whale-watching in stunning Patagonia, Argentina
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Abseiling Table-Mountain, to experience the breath-taking views over Cape Town
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Elephant-safari, Sri Lanka
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Sun-set drinks in the Sky-View bar, Burj Al Arab, Dubai
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Sipping cocktails in the hot-springs at the foot of the active Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
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Hot-air-ballooning across the gently undulating landscape of County Cavan
So, why the Seahorses?
Well, firstly, I love dríocht na mara/the magic of the sea!
From wild-swimming, to scuba-diving, paddle-boarding to sailing, I love hanging out in the ocean! I'm definitely a Salty-Sea-Sista' kinda gal!
Secondly, and most significantly, Seahorses are a symbol of love, romance and unity! So if this sounds like you and your partner, then contact me today to discuss your perfect ceremony.
Fun-fact Alert!! The symbol of Belfast is a Seahorse!
Pointing to the city’s maritime history, the symbol of a seahorse has strong connections with Belfast. Early merchants printed the creature on their coins throughout the 17th Century, and two seahorses still feature on Belfast’s coat of arms. You’ll also spot seahorses around the city, including the seahorse sculpture at Belfast’s port and the glowing seahorse logo on the side of the lofty Grand Central Hotel.
So, if you are a sea-lover like me, give me a call today to chat through your ideal ceremony...perhaps on a boat or on your favourite beach?! Why not?!