By Dr Iwi Te Whau Jr, National Executive
Honouring Service and Growth
The King’s Birthday weekend offers a timely moment to reflect on the achievements of extraordinary people across Aotearoa. Often, these honors recognise a lifetime of dedication and significant contributions to the fabric of our society.
In many ways, the work of a celebrant mirrors this spirit of service. We operate not for public recognition, but out of a deep-seated commitment to supporting families through life’s most significant transitions. Whether it is the joy of a wedding or the solemnity of a funeral, our role is to provide a steady hand and a compassionate heart.
Beyond the delivery of the ceremony itself lies weeks – often months – of meticulous preparation. This behind-the-scenes dedication ensures every service is meaningful and memorable for everyone in attendance.
Professional Development Opportunities
To support your ongoing growth, Celebrants Aotearoa New Zealand is offering a series of free workshops for members throughout the rest of the year. These sessions cover essential topics, including:
– AI in Celebrancy with Ben Walker, Cairn – Monday 22 June
– Cultural Appropriateness with me – Wednesday 8 July (Proudly sponsored by the CANZ Bay of Plenty Branch)
– Finding the WOW factor in your ceremony storytelling with Jane Godfrey – Sunday 30 August (Proudly sponsored by the CANZ Southern Branch)
– Head, Heart, Hands and Feet! A light-hearted approach to a serious subject – Monday 21 September (Proudly sponsored by the CANZ Auckland Branch)
– Rainbow Inclusivity – October 2026 – date and time is TBC (Proudly sponsored by the CANZ Canterbury Branch)
Your Voice Matters
Please take a moment to complete our current survey, which is vital to help us tailor our support and initiatives to meet your needs. We are considering our professional development offering for 2027. Please have your say.
Complete the survey here.
Are you Māori or a Te Reo Māori speaker?
We are continuing to develop our Māori Roopu and have meetings scheduled for this year. If you’d like to be included, please update your profile or email CANZ Support.
Here are the instructions to update your profile
1. Access your profile by clicking on your photo on the top right-hand side of the CANZ site
2. Click on edit when in your profile
3. Click on demographic and from the dropdown tab in Ethnicity, select your chosen field
4. You can also complete the Iwi area by selecting yours from the drop-down box within.
National Executive & Team
Our small but dedicated team continues to work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure you have the resources you need. The National Executive is focused on strengthening our collective support network.
This is a whakatauakī to wrap up my korero today.
“Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.”
“With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.”
We, as Celebrants, thrive by sharing and supporting each other.
