My Journey
From Sacred Beginnings to Celebrating Every Story
“Some journeys begin with a single step. Mine began with sacred water and my great-grandfather’s gentle hands.”
A Lifetime of Learning the Languages of Love
My journey through different faith traditions—from Baptist baptism as a teenager to becoming a Benedictine Oblate—taught me that the sacred appears in many forms. Each tradition added depth to my understanding of how ceremony can hold both ancient wisdom and personal meaning in perfect balance.
As a spiritual director, ordained minister, and certified celebrant, I’ve learned that the most meaningful ceremonies aren’t just about beautiful words—they’re about truly seeing and honoring each family’s unique story.
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Sacred Water & Gentle Hands
I was just a baby when my great-grandfather baptized me, but family stories painted the picture: a quiet morning, sunlight streaming through windows, and a man who had spent his life serving others welcoming me into a community of faith.
“That moment, though I couldn’t remember it, became the foundation of everything that followed.”
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Learning the Languages of Faith
The Baptist Waters
In my teens, when my father baptized me through Baptist immersion, I understood for the first time what it meant to publicly declare your faith. The full submersion, the community witnesses, the feeling of emerging transformed—it was my first conscious experience of ritual’s power to mark transition.
Finding Home in the Episcopal Church
My twenties brought me to the Episcopal tradition, where I discovered the beauty of liturgy, the comfort of ancient prayers, and the way ceremony could hold both tradition and personal meaning in perfect balance.
The Catholic Tapestry
Through full communion, I became a fully-initiated Catholic, diving deeper into the richness of sacramental life. Every Mass, every feast day, every moment of the liturgical year taught me how ceremony weaves through daily life, marking time as sacred, ordinary moments as holy.
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Walking with the Benedictines
When I took vows as a Third Order Benedictine Oblate of Divine Will, I learned that serving others could be a form of prayer itself. The Benedictine way of life—with its rhythm of work and worship, its commitment to hospitality, its understanding that all of life is sacred—became the foundation for everything I would later do.
“Service became prayer, and prayer became service.”
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Becoming a Spiritual Guide
My training as a spiritual director taught me the art of deep listening, of holding space for others’ sacred stories, of recognizing the divine in the everyday struggles and celebrations of life. These skills, I would later discover, were perfect preparation for ceremony work.
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The Call to Ministry
When I was ordained as a minister, I felt the weight and joy of being entrusted with others’ most sacred moments. But I also began to understand that ministry isn’t limited to Sunday mornings or church buildings—it’s about showing up wherever life’s transitions need to be honored.
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The First “Yes”
When my brother asked me to officiate his wedding, I felt nervous and honored in equal measure. Standing before him and his beloved, watching their faces as they spoke their vows, I realized that all my years of spiritual exploration had been preparing me for this moment—not just to speak words, but to hold space for love to be declared and witnessed.
“All my years of spiritual exploration had been preparing me for this moment.”
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The Gift of Beginnings
When my son was born, everything changed. Suddenly, I understood firsthand the profound need to mark life’s beginnings with intention and joy. As couples I had married started having children, I found myself invited into another sacred circle: welcoming new lives with naming ceremonies and baptisms.
“There’s something particularly beautiful about blessing babies—the way a whole community gathers to promise protection and love to someone who can’t yet speak for themselves.”
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From Coast to Coast, Heart to Heart
What began in the Northern California Bay Area has grown into something I never imagined: the privilege of helping families nationwide create ceremonies that honor their unique stories. I realized that geography shouldn’t limit access to meaningful ritual.
Whether it’s a couple in rural Montana needing a wedding ceremony that honors both their ranch heritage and their modern values, or a family in urban Boston wanting a celebration of life that reflects their loved one’s complex spiritual journey, every family deserves ceremony that feels right.
When Life Calls You to Serve
The Friend Who Saw Something
“There’s something about the way you understand what’s sacred,” she said. “I want you to be the one to marry us.” That wedding confirmed what I was beginning to suspect: this work was about helping people find their own language for the sacred.
Embracing the Intimate
I discovered that I was drawn to the intimate celebrations—small weddings where every word matters, elopements where couples focus purely on each other, destination ceremonies where families travel together to mark a new beginning.
The Full Circle
As time passed, I was asked to officiate celebrations of life for people I had married, whose children I had blessed, whose anniversaries I had helped celebrate. My life had become a beautiful tapestry woven from ceremonies of every kind.
Your Story Becomes Part of Mine
Every family I work with adds a new thread to my own tapestry of understanding. When you choose to work with me, you’re not just hiring someone to write words for a ceremony. You’re inviting someone who has spent a lifetime learning the languages of faith, hope, and love to help you find your own voice for life’s most important moments.
Rev. Ema Drouillard has a very reassuring presence and that is big when nervous tensions are sky-high. She is mature and stable, a vitally important characteristic of the best officiants since they do not need to draw attention to themselves. Ema is very knowledgeable of wedding day dynamics and has a good sense for disarming fears and instilling confidence, something of a gentle commander who doesn’t get ruffled. One prominent Bay area photographer considers “her one of the top five officiants” in the area.
Schedule Our First Conversation
Let’s discuss how we can create something that feels authentically yours
Every ceremony begins with a conversation—a chance for me to listen to your story, understand your vision, and help you create something that will be remembered well.