Meet your Celebrant
Featured Image: Courtney Laura Photography
Hi! Meet your celebrant!
It’s been a while since I’ve shared some details about myself, so thought now was as good a time as any!
Whether we have not yet had the pleasure of meeting, or our paths have crossed too briefly, this is for you!
1. I’m a very private person, and love my downtime, but also love being social.
Apparently there’s a personality type described as being an “introverted/ extrovert” – that’s me.
I love being around people, but I don’t like it to be about me. I will ALWAYS make it about YOU as much as I can.
2. I love to chat.
I love hearing stories and sharing stories. I could talk for hours.
In high school, my friends rewrote the words to 500 miles by the Proclaimers to perform a skit on school camp, where they sang “Meriki would talk 500 hours”….
3. I prefer Espresso Martinis, popcorn, chocolate and Netflix in my PJ’s over a big night out.
Though that has only changed since I had kids. I used to LOVE a party, but now I embrace the comfort of a quiet night in.
4. My biggest strengths in school were Performing Arts and Creative Writing.
Math was my absolute worst enemy. Which is hilarious, because I used to work for one of the big 5 accounting companies before I became a celebrant.
5. My kids will always come first. I live for Work/Life flexibility.
I have one kid in the army full time, one who’s a gamer and studying to be a carpenter, and one who wants to be the next Margot Robbie or Olivia Rodrigo. They are all verrrrry different, and while they don’t agree on a whole lot right now, I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I want to always be able to be there for them when they need me.
6. I have a love/hate relationship with social media.
I don’t enjoy spending time creating it, but waste soooo much time looking at it! Who’s with me?
I also hugely dislike the idea of trying to “sell myself”, so you’ll find most of my posts are about the couples I marry, and the gorgeous photos they have shared with me!
7. I love animals. Any animals.
I have one giant rescue fur baby at home, Violet, who is a staffy/lab/great dane blend, but I also love cats, and would definitely have one if I could guarantee that Violet wouldn’t eat it.
8. My wedding ceremonies are not “cool/sick/rad” events.
I like to think that kind of vibe should be reserved for 21st’s or bucks nights (are people even still having those?) My style is warm, fun, engaging and classy. No bad jokes. No swearing. No gimmicks. No embarrassing stories to try and make people laugh. Humour will occur organically if it’s meant to, without trying. Most wedding suppliers I work with are the same kind of people too. MOST of them 😉
9. The funeral industry has become a really rewarding pathway for me over the last couple of years.
It’s one that I never intended to get into initially, but did by chance, and find it really special to have a regular opportunity to help others say a beautiful and heartfelt goodbye to their loved one.
A big shout out to all my friends at Le Pine!
10. My favourite colour is Blue, or dusty pink.
But I LOVE white and green at weddings! But also love big doses of COLOUR!
11. Did you guess that I’m a Gemini?
I really do have two very opposing sides. My work side is only half of who I am. Only people who have known me for years have seen the other.
12. I love watching police dramas.
Especially Law + Order SVU. I wanted to join the Police force when I was younger, as I have a very strong sense of justice, and my husband often jokes that if I ever wanted to kill him, I would probably know how to get away with it.
13. I can speak conversational German, with an upper Austrian dialect.
My mother is Austrian, and still has her entire family over there, so I have been over there a few times myself, where I was able to pick up the language. I may not always be grammatically correct, but I can certainly offer a few words of welcome during your wedding ceremony if you have any German speaking guests!
14. I’m a big fan of musical theatre. Or movie musicals.
I used to be a dancer, having completed a full time performing arts course with Tony Bartuccio “back in the day”, and have performed with, and worked as choreographer, with many community theatre groups around Melbourne. I still dip my toes in the industry every now and then, but I’ve pretty much handed the sequins over to my daughter who has discovered a passion for the same industry.
15. And finally, my name is aboriginal.
It means Night Bird, which is pretty apt, as I LOVE staying up late. My surname is Italian though, as is my husbands family, although when I was working in the corporate industry, I had a colleague in Sydney who thought I was Japanese based on my combined name! Does Meriki Comito sound Japanese to you?
So there you have it. Just a few details about me. Do we share any similarities, or am I the “unique” person my mum always said I was 😉
While you’re here, you may wish to read about HOW I BECAME A CELEBRANT or WHAT I OFFER AS YOUR CELEBRANT