Hi, I’m Lisa Cornelissen, Celebrant and MC. I’ve been involved with the tourism industry in the Wairarapa for nearly twenty years and it is a joy to officiate weddings in a region with such beautiful, diverse venues and a host of talented wedding providers.
I officiated my first funeral in 2020 and my first wedding in 2021 and, since then, I have developed a deep appreciation for the importance of ceremony to honour significant life events.
Ceremonies help us find connection and meaning at times of great joy and great sadness. Whether it is a wedding, funeral, naming ceremony or a farewell to a loved pet, my role is to make your ceremony personal and meaningful to you.
My role as a celebrant has led me to offer MC services for ceremonies and events. It is work I love and I’m looking forward to gaining more experience in this area.
To create a good ceremony I need to get to know you, so it seems only fair to tell you a bit about myself.
I live with my husband Frank and two rescue dogs just outside Martinborough. We built our house ourselves from the piles up, having already built the units and facility buildings at Martinborough TOP 10 Holiday Park, a business we started in 2005 and still own.
I have volunteered for Retired Working Dogs Charitable Trust creating content and keeping their website up to date. I donate half of any fees from pet funerals (yes I do those too) to this wonderful charity.
I read extensively, love to travel, I hike (fulfilling a long held dream by conquering the Tongariro Crossing in 2022), and I run, albeit very slowly. I’ve started to learn as much as I can about Te Ao Māori, Te Tiriti and Te Reo, I still have a long way to go.
I bring warmth, empathy and professionalism to all of my ceremonies and events.