family celebrant

plural family celebrants

1. A person who conducts weddings, civil unions, naming ceremonies, and other celebrations of life events, but who is not a government or church official.

   She is also a family celebrant and conducts baby naming ceremonies.

   2017 February 25, Hilarie Stelfox, “Who was Marie Curie and why should you buy a daffodil this March?”, in Huddersfield Daily Examiner

   2 more examples

   Some families are taking this further and are finding their own family spokespersons or family celebrants.

   2009, Neil Dorward, The Guide to a Dead Brilliant Funeral Speech, →ISBN

   On May 29, they are to have a nonbinding cultural ceremony at Luttrellstown Castle, an event space in Dublin, where Simone Walsh, a civil family celebrant, is to lead the couple in a Celtic handfasting ceremony in which they bind their hands together with a ribbon.

   2016 May 15, Rosalie R. Radomsky, “Linda Jeng and Conor Healy: A Rat, a Leap and a Neat Bookshelf”, in New York Times

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see family, celebrant.

   Cesare Borgia followed his father, the Pope, up the aisle; in their wake were Cesare's mother, Vanozza, his sister, Lucrezia, and his brothers, Juan and Jofre. Behind them were other family celebrants.

   2003, Mario Puzo, Carol Gino, The Family, →ISBN, page 41

   1 more example

   Family celebrants believe that familes are too good for justice. While justice negotiates between competing self-interests, family members share a single interest, the good of the family and each of its members.

   1996, Nancy E. Snow, In the Company of Others: Perspectives on Community, Family, and Culture, →ISBN