ABOUT HOLLY

My Own Story

Don’t you love arriving at just the right place without knowing it was where you were headed? Becoming a Celebrant is not something I could have predicted – but it turns out to be the perfect expression of my own life story.

Growing up in Connecticut and Hawaii, I always knew that I wanted to be of service. In fact, I wanted to save the world. And for 25 years, I enjoyed rewarding work as a non-profit leader and consultant in Portland, Oregon.

But as I entered mid-life, I found myself wanting to work more personally with people at the key moments in their lives. My career as an organizational development and communications specialist had honed my skills as an organizer, facilitator, and writer. I’m known for making the trains run on time. But I also have a huge heart. A desire to lead from my heart as well as my head, to engage both right and left brains, led me to my work as a Life-Cycle Celebrant.

A graduate of the Celebrant Foundation and Institute, I spent eight months with the Institute studying all aspects of Celebrant ceremony design and delivery. It gave me an incredible network of mentors and colleagues who will be a no-cost part of your team if we work together.

Now, as a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant, I’m able to offer my skills to individuals, families, organizations, and communities to mark meaningful life passages from cradle to grave.

I know something about the coexistence of joy and sorrow. My partner Amber and I held our commitment ceremony eleven days after 9/11 and eleven days before my father’s death. As we grow older and as friends face terminal illness, I’m increasingly focused on the small miracles of everyday life.

I love all of the creative ways we can make family, including with our pets. (My cats are named Homer and Smitty.) The weekly playdates I have with my godchildren Ava and Bennett and my niece Josie and nephew Jules are one of the many joys of my life – as is being out in nature as often as possible.

I’m passionate about building community. Participating in a ceremony is a gift for everyone involved.  On a limited basis, I continue to provide facilitation, communications, and project management services to non-profit and public service organizations. Most recently, I consulted half-time for Freedom to Marry.

Becoming a Celebrant feels like coming full circle.

I want to know your story. And I want to help you tell it.

“Holly led the ceremony with such a delicate hand – she laid out the structure in a clear way so that the group knew what to expect, but then she stepped back and became like a participant. She immediately melted into the circle and never once felt like an outsider or observer, which added to the intimacy and comfort of the ceremony.” ~ Laura K.

Learn more about my Celebrant Services and package options.
Download my General, End of Life, and Organizational/Community ceremony fliers.