Image by Milena Dekic

Being a celebrant isn’t a glamorous job. It’s really, really hard work.

I do know I’m at the bottom of the wedding food chain – at least until the Big Day itself comes along. Mine is one of the few jobs at a wedding that isn’t pretty. It isn’t tangible. I can’t show you the beautiful photos I take, or the gorgeous blooms I arrange. I can’t dress you in layers of silk, or do your makeup to turn you into a princess. I can’t prove it. You have to believe me.

Being a celebrant is not about making a wedding look good, it’s all about how it feels. I’m in charge of making the most important part of your Big Day wonderful, romantic, real and gloriously, delightfully happy. Its about setting the tone for the rest of the day. Its about  celebration. And that’s a big thing.

My beautiful brides and gorgeous grooms gave me back a bit (a lot, really) of that happy feeling, this month, when they voted so hard for me that I won the Australian Bridal Industry Academy Award for Marriage Celebrants, NSW. First place! I was so surprised……(and really, really chuffed!).

They gushed about ceremonies that made their mothers cry and their friends laugh. They wrote that they couldn’t imagine a moment more perfect, or more fun, or anyone else to be there for them. They rated me as the best part of their day, over and over again. They blogged and voted and tweeted and facebooked how happy they were. (And in this age of online-everything, sharing is so, so good!).

I was gobsmacked that after only 3 years as a celebrant (and about 260 weddings) I had made so many people happy.

Me? Just doing my thing. With a smile and lots of laughter and my hugs all-round mantra and my determination to give every single one of them the most amazing moment they ever imagined…

This fairy-godmother just can’t wait for the next year of beautiful moments. Because that’s the bit makes all the hard work worthwhile. I’m inspired all over again.

Ms Gingham says: It’s all about the love and it’s so nice to see a bit of that love coming back to someone who works so hard to make every one of her weddings special. Congratulations Robyn from all of us here at Polka Dot Bride. xx

Robyn says: “I am quite possibly the happiest marriage celebrant in Sydney! Weddings are my thing! Nothing makes me happier than a really happy couple – every time.”

Read more wise words by Robyn here.