ABOUT SUSIE
Hello, it's lovely that you are here!
I'm Susie Powell, a mum of two grown up boys, living with my partner, younger son and a funny black cat in a friendly village in the Mendips, not far from Bristol. I was a teacher for 25 years but I now work part-time in the village pharmacy at the centre of my local community, and I have retrained with the International College of Professional Celebrants so I can officiate at weddings, funerals, naming days and any ceremony you can think of.
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I've lived abroad in the past (Brunei, France, Italy, Senegal) and enjoy travelling. I have always had a deep-seated fascination with different cultures and beliefs, in particular with how people celebrate festivals, or mark the different milestones we experience in our lives.
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​I love nature and walk a lot in the hills and woods nearby, drawing inspiration from the cyclical passage of the seasons, watching the trees change colour in the autumn, the new bulbs pushing through the ground in spring. I chose the Tree of Life for my business logo as it has so many symbolic connotations. Its roots, buried deep into the soil and its topmost branches touching the sky can represent the link between the earthly and the divine, the past and the future. It represents ancestry and community, the image of a family tree with its myriad branches reaching in different directions shows how we are interconnected. At the centre of it all though, is the heart, representing the love I wish to reflect in each unique script that I write and each ceremony that I lead.
When I was teaching, my favourite part of the day was always story time. Most of us cannot resist the pull of listening to a good story and I believe that this is a magical, primal part of being human. From our earliest cave-dwelling ancestors who gathered to share stories around the fire, to today's modern version, where we watch our favourite Netflix drama unfold on screen, stories transcend the years. They spark our imaginations and create common bonds between us. I think a good ceremony should have your story at its heart. If you are marrying someone, why did you choose each other and how did your love first start to blossom? If you are celebrating the arrival of a new child, what was their journey here like and what hopes and dreams do you have for their future? If you are honouring someone you've lost, what made them smile, what will you miss about them, what is their unique story?
As a celebrant, I'm passionate about telling your tale, whatever it might be, with warmth, compassion and often humour. It would be an honour to meet you and hear your story and a privilege to help you celebrate your special event. I can't wait!
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