about ME
jen southan
Hi - I'm Jen and I'm so glad you've made it to my little corner of the internet.
I love my role as a Marriage Celebrant and hope by letting you know a little more about me, you can feel assured that as your celebrant, I will treat you with the care you want surrounding your wedding day.
I graduated from The Celebrant School in 2016 with a Certificate In Celebrant Studies; I also hold a Bachelor of Communication Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Business Studies from Auckland University of Technology.
I am a member of CANZ (Celebrants Aotearoa New Zealand) - which is the professional body for celebrants in New Zealand. We are bound by a code of ethics and use our network to support each other and develop our professional skills. You can rest assured - by being part of this association, I can lean on members should I ever need to in times of my own sickness or otherwise.
I am also a VCANZ Celebrant, which means my work, my professional development and my understanding of ethics have been submitted, reviewed and validated. This accreditation means I have achieved the highest professional accreditation level possible for celebrants in New Zealand.
Currently, being a Marriage Celebrant is not my full-time gig. I also work in People & Culture, where I use my compassion, empathy and listening skills daily to make a difference in people's working lives.
My previous work experience has been in Radio - working in a number of roles, ranging from journalist, events, MC, on-air, producer and inventory management. I have toured NZ with bands, reported on international sporting and news events and worked with some of NZ's most talented broadcasters.
I am also a Mum to two beautiful children, Ollie (6) and Sophie (3). In my spare time, I like to swim (over the summer I participate in the NZ Ocean Swim Series), I am studying te reo via Te Wananga o Aotearoa, and I am a member of my local Toastmasters group. Reading, baking and gardening are the at-home activities that I enjoy.