Ceremonies That Tell
Your Story
Personalized ceremonies for life's most meaningful moments, from weddings and elopements to funerals, memorials, and celebrations of life, across Central and Western Michigan.
If you're getting married, renewing your vows, or eloping, the weddings page is where to start.
If you're a family facing a loss, the end-of-life ceremonies page is where to begin. It explains what celebrants do, what kinds of ceremonies are possible, and what working together looks like.
If you're a funeral director, hospice professional, or other partner in this work click here to learn how we can partner and what working together looks like.
A Ceremony Shaped By Your Story
Some ceremonies mark a beginning. Others mark an ending. Both deserve more than a script with your names filled in.
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I'm Michelle Sponseller, a Certified Master Celebrant based in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. I write and deliver personalized ceremonies for couples getting married and for families saying goodbye. Every one begins the same way: with listening.
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The shape of the ceremony follows the life, not the other way around.
What I Do
End-of-Life
Ceremonies Services
Funeral services, memorial services, celebrations of life, and graveside services.
Each one is shaped to the family and the person being remembered, religious, non-religious, interfaith, or anything in between.
Whether the ceremony happens in a funeral home, a church, a forest, or a backyard, the goal is the same: a service that genuinely reflects the person who lived.
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Weddings
Weddings large and small, elopements, vow renewals, and commitment ceremonies.
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Every ceremony is written around your love story, with the traditions and personal touches that matter to you, and none that don't.
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One wedding a day, one flat fee, and a marriage license I see through to the county clerk. All you have to do is show up and say the words.
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Training
and Speaking
I'm available to speak with organizations, community groups, and professional audiences on the changing landscape of end-of-life work.
Additionally, I serve as End-of-Life Instructor at the Celebrant Academy, training aspiring celebrants in the craft of meaningful ceremony.
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Why Choose A Celebrant
Ceremonies in America are changing. More families and couples are looking for something that fits their lives rather than a template, whether that's religious, non-religious, or somewhere in between.
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A wedding in a barn. A celebration of life in a forest. Vows that sound like the people saying them. A eulogy that actually sounds like the person who is being honored.
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A professional celebrant is trained to listen first, then write a ceremony built around the people at the center of it. That can mean religious, non-religious, or interfaith. It can include cultural traditions and rituals, or none at all. I work with couples, families, funeral directors, and clergy to make the day what it needs to be.
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Standing in front of a room full of people is harder than it looks. A professional celebrant brings training, poise, and the judgment to know when to step forward and when to step back. You only get one chance at these days, and they deserve someone who has done the work to get them right.
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If you're not sure what you're looking for, that's exactly what our first conversation is for.