Opening the Cabinet of Curiosities

Every story begins somewhere, and today this one will begin with a key.

By Way of Introduction

I've always been drawn to objects that hold stories: the things that you might find tucked away in an old drawer, on a dusty shelf, or in a forgotten corner of a museum. Becoming a humanist wedding celebrant felt, to me, like a natural extension of that instinct: the idea that you can learn so much about people and the way that they interact together by carefully gathering tiny fragments of stories or objects which are often jam-packed with unexpected symbolism and personal meaning.

My Cabinet of Curiosities

Over the years, I've found that I've been steadily building my own Cabinet of Curiosities of a kind. Unlike historical Wunderkammers, my collection is yet to take over entire rooms, but it nonetheless holds many oddities and trinkets which inspire the ceremonies I craft.

My hope is that many of the objects will spark the kind of wonder and conversation for you that they have done for me and in doing so I ask the question:

Which objects hold the secrets to your story, if you had your own cabinet of curiosity?

Our First Curio

So we begin with the key. Not only a symbol of starting a new journey (or opening a door), but also of vulnerability and revealing something secret. For many people giving someone their key is a richly symbolic gesture of trust, and a big step in their relationship. There are endless poems about finding the key to love, or the key to someone's heart.

In a wedding ceremony, keys can take on a significance as a demonstration of unlocking a shared future together.

The Cabinet of Curiosities Series

Today's key allows us access to the heart of my celebrant work: the small, strange, beautiful objects which I've collected as tokens of the stories I have told.

My work is about crafting ceremonies that feel personal, poetic, and alive with meaning. The Cabinet of Curiosities series is my way of sharing that process. As I open the cabinet and explore each object, I'd also encourage you to explore the forgotten objects which hold importance in your life and listen to the stories they invite you to tell.