You’ll have read A LOT about trusting your Rebel Heart over the last few pages but what does it actually mean? Have you ever stood in front of the mirror and thought ”I can’t wear this, what will they think” and then done it anyway and everyone loved your look… that right there, is trusting your Rebel Heart. But what does it mean when it comes to planning a ceremony for your life event? Read on to find out!
There are SO many rules around weddings, funerals and baby namings right? The things you HAVE to do because as a society we’ve been doing them for the last five centuries. Because Great Aunty Hilda will be upset if you don’t. Because funerals aren’t the place to crack open a bottle of bourbon and laugh. Because people expect you to. But actually when you break it down there are very few rules when it comes to ceremonies, very few that are legally required anyway, so who are you doing it all for?
Rebel : A person who resists authority, tradition or convention
Heart: Courage or Enthusiasm
For me the ethos of Rebel Heart is to have the courage to resist tradition, just for tradition’s sake. If you LOVE everything about tradition then embrace that with your whole heart. If you’ve dreamed about walking down the aisle of a sprawling country manor, in a white princess dress, paraded by 6 bridesmaids scattering petals, whilst promising to love, honour and obey, wearing a lacy garter and a six pence in your shoe, followed by greeting your guests in a bridal party procession – then you should absolutely do all of those things. But you should never feel you HAVE TO. If you and your other half have talked non-stop about a wedding ceremony in your ripped denim shorts and a t-shirt, on the beach at dusk, with your friends BBQ’ing fresh fish in the background, a ukulele player strumming the greatest hits of Madonna and toasting the Happy Couple with Sour Cherry Bourbon Freakshakes – you should totally do that! At our wedding, you didn’t get through the door if you weren’t wearing a skull somewhere (even my lovely Gran had a Skull Handkerchief), and the cocktails were Rock Music themed to accompany the Heavy Metal canapes!
As much as embracing your Rebel Heart is about swerving tradition for tradition’s sake, it’s as much about dodging the extreme just to prove how ‘cool’ you are. I’ve seen weddings where couples have chosen elements that are far-out and jaw-dropping just to prove how utterly hip and alt they are – before returning to suburbia and their jobs in accounts on Monday morning (sorry accountants!). Half their guests didn’t event recognise them, even fewer felt comfortable celebrating with them.
Trusting your Rebel Heart is about creating exactly the ceremony you want, that tells your story with pride and passion, in a way that truly reflects who you are. It may be showing a side of yourselves to friends & family who learn something new about you (not everyone knows you dress up as Captain Spock on a weekend, right?). It might be unravelling the layers of someone’s life at a funeral or memorial in a way that surprises people. It might be a blended family opening up about vulnerabilities that binds them even more tightly in the future. It’s about having the courage to be who you are, with no apologies. But it should always be true to who your are in your heart. It’s definitely not about pretending to be someone or something else.
And if you need a little more Rebel Inspiration…check out this video to hear where mine came from!
Trust your Rebel Heart, Ride into Battle,
Don’t be Afraid, Take the Road Less Travelled
If you’re ready to embrace your Rebel Heart – let’s talk!
Email me now and let’s start telling your story!