Today we’d like to introduce you to Celia Milton

Hi Celia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

Let’s be honest, most memorable wedding receptions ideally end with whispers of “Wow, that food was amazing!”

For years, that was my jam. Right after fire was discovered, I opened an upscale catering company in NJ with my chef/ husband. We were the masterminds of the mousse; the sculptors of the skewers, the creators of the charcuterie. But the pressure of making sure the 200 filet mignons were cooked to different degrees of doneness in a driveway and served at precisely 7:14 pm for maximum melt-in-your-mouth magic? Well, it takes its toll.

Everything about that situation lasted about two decades until my enthusiasm for making thousands of teeny tiny hors d’oeuvres every weekend began to wane. One day, after a particularly harrowing event involving a rogue chocolate fountain, two missing oyster shuckers, and a fainting bridesmaid (not my fault, I swear!), I realized there had to be a less frenetic and more authentic way to express my creativity.

That’s when the universe, or perhaps a particularly zen spatula, nudged me towards seminary in NYC. No, I did not start with this end in mind
. I aimed to become a pastor in a church.

Until I was. And then, even though I loved my church, my congregation, and my colleagues, it’s not all hilarious sermons and coffee hour. The glamour fades and someone has to Windex the stained glass windows. In a little church, that’s very often the minister.

This was just about the same time that I voluntarily ended my catering career and landed at Celebrant USA, an organization that trains people to be, well, Celebrants; people who perform weddings, end-of-life services, baby welcomings, and milestone blessings of all kinds. I was looking for a plan B (or maybe G or F at this point…) This seemed perfect!

I love writing, I love performing, and I soon realized I could still be part of the wedding “industry” without being covered with guacamole by the end of any given weekend.

And so my company was born. And got bigger and became the international sensation that it is today. Okay…the multi-state sensation that it is today!

And yes, there’s still a performance element, but the pressure is delightfully different. The tears are happy ones (not the product of dicing 50 lbs of Vidalia onions), the stress involves rogue butterflies in the groom’s stomach, not a surprise allergy to cilantro. And the best part? Writing love stories with my couples and watching their guests take that journey with us; including the laughter, the tears, the nervous vows and sometimes a tequila sharing? It’s a joyful, heartwarming cocktail sauce to the chilled poached shrimp of life! (Okay, I’m corny. I can’t help it.)

And honestly, now the most memorable wedding ceremonies end with, whispers of “Wow, that ceremony was amazing!”

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Does any entrepreneur have a smooth, straight road? Rarely, but those twists and turns are what enhance the ride! The detours are very often where the fun is, and where we discover our biggest strengths. What’s that old saying, “Life is what happens when we were making other plans”? Something like that and hearing as many life and love stories as I do, I can testify that this is true. Some of the most interesting, successful, entertaining results happen when we have a completely insane idea and the courage to pursue it. (I’m embarrassed to admit how many of my own life decisions have been made with the slightest of pro/con lists…)

Struggles are very often where determination lives. Start-ups almost always have less money than they need, so we figure out how to do things ourselves until we can outsource things. There is always competition, so we’re challenged to make ourselves stand out. There are always failures, so we’re dared to forge on. And for those of us in the wedding industry (and I’m sure others), our client base changes constantly. Not only the ACTUAL clients, but the way different waves of clients plan/shop/behave.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I am an independent wedding officiant,not connected to any religious organization. I write personalized, unique, lighthearted ceremonies for couples of all types regardless of race, ethnic, religious, or sexual orientations. Together, we focus on telling their love story in an engaging and significant way that expresses their personalities and ideally offers their guests not only insights into the couple’s life together, but insights into their own!

That got a little pretentious didn’t it! It’s really very simple.

I think every couple just really wants to have a great ceremony that they and their guests love, that doesn’t last forever, that will make everyone laugh and cry and end with cocktail hour! It’s a noble goal and I’m happy to help!

I’m proud that I’ve been able to build a successful business that speaks of my personal authenticity and my ability to collaborate with couples to express theirs. In the process, I’ve met some fantastic, talented pros who I get to work with regularly. That is the most unexpected and delightful bonus of all!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?

Well, I’d be just dumb if I didn’t mention our podcast… “New Jersey Wedding Podcast”, but maybe not for the reasons people might think! I’ve been a co-conspirator (or mastermind, depending on how you look at it, lol!) with Andrea Purtell, a wonderful wedding officiant who is also in NJ. We co-produce it. (Well, that’s being a bit generous; she does most of the techy grunt work; I reciprocate with a minimally edited episode presented with the enthusiasm of a six year old holding an elbow macaroni Christmas tree. I’m getting better at it, really I am!) This has given us an avenue to meet and schmooze with so many terrific wedding pros in “fly on the wall” conversations that seem to appeal to our legions of loyal followers. And in turn, we learn from them! For some reason, we spend an inordinate amount of time discussing ice and wedding trends we don’t understand, and we try not to swear.

I would recommend anything written by Anne Lamott (for spiritual inspiration and yuks), David Rakoff (a brilliant, hilarious writer who makes me want to hone my craft) and Seth Godin for intuitive business advice that isn’t boring or obtuse).

Contact Info:

• Website: Https://www.njvowsnow.com https://www.celiamilton.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newjerseyweddingpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/njvowsnow
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NJVowsNow/

Image Credits

Gary Flom
Lauren Elle
Ben Crisman