Welcome to my PartyPop page. I'm the Reverend Akasha Lonsdale an experienced, ordained Interfaith Minister and Celebrant, creating and conducting beautiful, personalised and unique ceremonies that you, your friends and family will lovingly remember. If you like you can read some testimonial highlights by clicking the tab above or you can visit my website for the complete version.
Did you know? The beauty of an Interfaith Ceremony is that you can have:
* what you want
* when you want
* where you want
For example if you are getting married, or celebrating a civil partnership, you are not restricted to using a venue that is licensed for such occasions, as this only applies if you intend to have Registrars conduct a civil ceremony at your venue on the day.
It is actually far more cost effective to undertake the legal requirements some days or weeks before, and save the exchange of your personal vows and rings to be part of a beautiful ceremony in the presence of all your friends and family. So it might be that you want to have a marquee in the grounds of a hotel which would normally not be possible as Registrars can only use rooms licensed for civil ceremonies. However by using my services, the whole ceremony can be conducted in the marquee or the gardens or the hotel, or wherever you choose.
Who uses my services?
I tend to create and conduct ceremonies for those who consider themselves to be spiritually inclined rather than religious. Perhaps they were brought up in a particular faith tradition but have moved away from it, and want to have a ceremony that reflects their personal beliefs, but in a non-religious way (although it is still perfectly acceptable to include religious aspects if that is desired).
For weddings and civil partnerships, perhaps the couple are from different faith traditions but want a ceremony that honours aspects of both faiths. A recent example would be a Hindu/Christian wedding where I weaved together the important ritual elements from both faiths.
As I said - whatever you want, where you want and when you want. I have many resources that I will share with you when we have our initial meeting unless you already have very clear ideas about what you are looking for. I will help in whatever way you wish and most importantly, ensure that your ceremony is an appropriately memorable occasion.
Weddings of the Heart
A declaration of love and commitment expressed in a unique ceremony to reflect your hearts desires.
Civil Partnerships and same sex marriages
A beautiful, personal ceremony created to reflect your loving commitment to each other.
Baby Blessing/Naming or Adoption ceremony
Honour and welcome your new arrival in the presence of family and friends
Vow Renewals
A beautiful way to re-affirm the love that has grown stronger with the passing of time
Funerals, Memorials and End of Life Celebrations.......saying goodbye
For family and friends this is not only a time to grieve and say goodbye, but also to give thanks and celebrate the life of the departed. In a time of trying to come to terms with change and loss a beautiful ceremony forms a major part of the healing process.
Separation and Divorce Blessings
Although the divorce procedure for married couples is part of this process, it is frequently a time when anger and bitterness emerge and a Decree Absolute does not determine an emotional ending to your relationship - just a legal one. Also, many couples are not married and therefore don't even have the legal procedure to benchmark their separation.
So an Interfaith ceremony can be a powerful way to ensure that the grieving and healing process is supported and that the rest of life is embraced from a place of closure. If the grieving and healing has already happened, a ceremony can be a time of joyous celebration with friends and family - a way of saying "look out world, here I come!"
New House, Business or Yacht blessings
These are big investments so why not give them the positive start they deserve.
Do I Kneel or Do I Bow?: What You Need to Know When Attending Religious Occasions" (Kuperard, 2010)
Should you ever be invited to an unfamiliar faith ceremony which is increasingly likely in today's multicultural society, you might find my book helpful. Covering the faiths of Christian (Orthodox, Anglican and Catholic); Hindu; Jewish; Muslim; Sikh and Buddhist, it is a very comprehensive guide to understanding something of the faith, their festivals and how celebrated, what you will see in their place of worship, and particularly helpful information about the major rites of passage: birth, welcoming new borns, weddings and death rituals. It will ensure that you will feel comfortable in unfamiliar settings and not only have knowledge of what is happening but also what you need to do (or not do), wear, take etc. It is available globally either online or from bookstores.
