Lianne Fraser loves the joy of marriage, celebration and ritual; it’s such an important part of life. She’s also experienced the trauma, sadness, shock, anguish and sometimes the relief of loss, and has great empathy and understanding for people in this situation. Helping celebrate life, even in the sadness of a funeral service is enormously satisfying and the first glimpse of a bride never fails to take her breath away.

Serendipity called when Lianne spied a number plate with letters that spelt celebrant and thought: that’s what I’m going to do. Although her family laughed when she told them of her plans, her close friends thought it was a brilliant idea, and so it made good sense to pursue the dream. With a background in media, fund-raising and journalism, Lianne had many of the skills needed to become an independent celebrant. However, she chose to undertake the Certificate in Celebrant Studies with The Celebrant School, which gave her practical learning about ceremony design and delivery, as well as personal growth and the opportunity to network with other celebrants across Aotearoa.

These days, you’ll find Lianne in Taupo, the place she visited more than 30 years ago and never left! Surrounded by magnificent mountains and the iconic Lake Taupo, there’s no shortage of fabulous venues for this bubbly celebrant, who has found her dream job in paradise.