What made you want to become an Officiant?

Funny story! In 2022, I went to Montréal for the iconic Osheaga Music Festival with a group of my friends! On the second day of the festival, we went to see The Arkells tear it up on stage. While most of us were watching the show and singing along, my friends Steph and Tavian couldn’t take their eyes off each other. They had been dating for a few years by then, but they were absolutely inseparable at this show. During one of the songs, Steph tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if I would “marry” them, right there in the crowd, and in front of her favourite band. As any drama nerd would do, I committed to the bit and performed a fake marriage for them while the band played on. People around us noticed our production, and as Steph and Tavian '“sealed the deal” with a dramatic kiss, onlookers cheered and clapped for them!

After the show, Steph said “Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could actually marry us… like, legally?”. This was a really cool idea to me, so I started to do some research! I stumbled upon Humanist Canada, a secular organization founded on beliefs and values that I already shared (compassion and acceptance of others, a love of the scientific method, a belief that humans can be inherently ethical without religion, and many more). After being a member for a year and learning a lot, I was accepted into the officiant training program where I received my certification.