Humanist Ceremonies Officiant Service | Valentina Calvelli
Valentina was born in Florence, Italy, in 1969; she studied Modern Languages and Literatures in Florence University and graduated with honors. She lived in France, Paris, for a couple of years and has traveled often in Europe.
She’s a Secular Celebrant of Weddings, Civil Unions, Renewal of Vows, Baptism, Farewells; she collaborate with UAAR Association (Italian Union of atheists and agnostics rationalists) and the British Humanist Association; she live in Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, but she gladly travel and she can celebrate in English and French, as well as in Italian; she can also celebrate in German and for this language, that she read fairly, she get help from a native speaker for the text and keeps in touch with the Spouses in English or Italian.
In 2008 she begin her training to be a Humanist Celebrant for Weddings and in 2009, as she had her daughter Sofia, she celebrate her first Naming Ceremony, personal and very emotional; after a proper formation with Richard Brown, a BHA celebrant, she begins also to celebrate Farewell Ceremonies and others Passage Rituals.
She says about herself:
“I chose to be a Celebrant because life is full of many moments of "passage" that the meeting and sharing with loved ones help us to celebrate or to face. The symbolic ritual to manage these "passages", traditionally inscribed in the context of a religious faith, is in reality a profound need of the human being and I consider important to give it back to everyone, regardless of any religious belief, a simple and poetic ritual based on human values and people.
My role is first of all to listen, to understand the emotions and the inner world of a couple who decided to share an important moment in their history with those they love. Only after a careful listening, I can “translate” their voices and feelings into a personalized text and give voice to the emotions of each couple. I prepare a personalized text, in one or more languages, integrating it with readings or dedications of the guests, with appropriate symbolic moments and with elements belonging to the culture, tradition, sensitivity of the people involved, which will be the basis of the
Ceremony that I will officiate on the day of the event.
“I really like helping people find their words to express their emotions, I like knowing and helping to share experiences, stories, falling in love, passions and pains; I like being able to assist and be close to other human beings who celebrate life in all its forms ...
Because time is a spiral that evolves and it's nice to celebrate every new round, because everyone can have their beliefs, their faith, their magic, but love and sharing have no labels. Because there are moments that we know are important and it is wonderful to invent new words together to express and to celebrate them!”
