A very happy HELLO from your new Civil Celebrant!!
I have recently completed my course to become a Civil Celebrant, to perform Weddings and Naming Days, Renewal of Vows and Commitment Ceremonies - so feel free to learn a bit about me!
I know when I got married I didn’t really mind “WHO” my celebrant was as an individual person, all I wanted was someone I liked, someone who delivered a ceremony the way I liked it and who would be a pleasant memory for me and my husband to be, when in years to come we reflect on our wedding and remember our celebrants contributions.
I hope I can be all of the above and even more to you as your marriage celebrant.
But just in case you would like to know WHO Nicole Penning is as an individual, let me explain…
I was born in Melbourne on 27th June 1982 and moved to Geelong with Mum and Dad when I was 2 years old. I had 2 half sisters and a half brother and parents who spoilt me so!
I went to St Lukes Kindergarten, Highton Primary School and Belmont High School. I choreographed Rock Eisteddfods, played netball and did Martial Arts.
My passion for friends, family and food was evident and my desire to please people and make them happy lead me to study a Bachelor of Applied Science in Hospitality Studies at RMIT in Melbourne.
In my industry year I lived in Vanuatu for 12 months, which changed who I was forever. I came back home, completed my degree, had my heart broken many times and started a career in Hospitality Management. Managing restaurants, gaming rooms and hotels in Geelong and Ballarat was a hard life, always working and never getting to see your family and friends.
It was at The Grovedale Hotel where I met my now husband. He made me realize what true love is. After thinking I had experienced it over the years, I then realized when someone loves you just as much as you love them, with no games, just love – that was something I had never experienced before.
Even though he moved to London 2 days after our first kiss, it was love at first sight. He returned home 4 weeks later, we moved in together straight away, built our own home 6 months later, got engaged the weekend we moved into the house and married 2 ¾ years later.
I was smart enough to get out of hospitality and into sales and marketing and finally recruitment. All very stressful and demanding roles that have helped me develop my professional and business sense, however still did not make me as happy as I knew I could be.
I had a beautiful home, an amazing and loving husband, great supportive and fun loving friends and family, but something was missing.
After speaking and performing readings at my best friends’ son and daughters naming days and at our god daughters naming day, it dawned on me how much I would love to do that!
I always wanted to have my own business – I dabbled in Nutrimetics and Le Reve, but couldn’t afford the outlay of a retail business, but being a celebrant – now that seemed achievable.
I’d met some great celebrants over the years and aspired to be like them. I looked into the courses and they were affordable. I thought what did I have to lose?
The day I enrolled into my celebrant course I cried! I was so happy I had finally found something that I just knew I would love and I would be good at. And more importantly that I would be happy doing!
So here I am, hopefully about to become your own marriage celebrant. People ask me, “What made you want to become a celebrant?”
“WHY NOT?” I say, to be the facilitator on someone’s wedding day, who is legally authorized to make a couples marriage and wedding dreams a reality? I couldn’t think of anything more beautiful, romantic and rewarding.
(Apart from my own wedding and the arrival of our son Archie!!! Born 27th April 2009)
So there you have it, that’s my story. I hope you chose me to be a part of yours.
May the love in your life create you a life to love.
Nicole Penning.
