Your Wedding Ceremony

Three things will last forever;
faith, hope, and love,
and the greatest of these is love.

On this day, as you come before your friends and family, to share and celebrate your love and commitment to each other, you can relax and enjoy the day, knowing that all the details have been taken care of. This day, you come together, the merging of two lives, still individual, yet together as one. In doing so, together you can love, laugh, support and grow together, through your journey of life.

As your marriage celebrant I would work closely with you both, to create a special ceremony of love, which is unique to you as a couple. My goal is to help you create your dream wedding, one that truly reflects your beliefs and values.

In creating your individualised ceremony, please be aware that there are two paragraphs from the Marriage Act 1961 that have to be legally included in the ceremony: The Monitum from the Marriage Act, Section 46, said by the Celebrant:

I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to law. Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are about to enter. Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

and the Declaration of Intention to Marry, from the Marriage Act, Section 45:

I call upon the people here present to witness that I, (name), take you, (name), to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/spouse. said by the couple.

This allows marrying couples to make a personal choice about the terms to be used in their marriage vows that best reflect their relationship. The term ‘husband’ can refer to a male marriage partner, and ‘wife’ to a female marriage partner, regardless of the sex or gender of the person saying the vows. The term ‘spouse’ can refer to a male, female, intersex, non-binary gender or transgender person.

As long as the above two paragraphs are included, your wedding ceremony can be your own personal creation. I would love to help you to design a ceremony that is perfect for your needs, or, if you prefer, I would be happy to design an entire ceremony for you.

I have a wonderful and extensive selection of ceremonies for you to use, or for you to gain inspiration from.

The following is a brief overview, of an Order of Ceremony. However, if you choose to engage me as a celebrant, I will work with you to create a fully personalised ceremony. It’s your day and I am very passionate about really listening to what my couples want and working with them to help turn their dreams into reality. Through providing lots of resources and ideas for inspiration, I have endeavoured to make the process as fun and enjoyable as it should be.

Order of Ceremony guide:

• Processional:

  Where you can walk down to your partner, by yourself or accompanied by a parent, friend or family member. Or you can walk down together

  The moment we have all been waiting for.

  The Bridesmaids / Bridesmen enter, followed by the Bride or Groom.

• Welcome:

  I introduce myself and welcome all your lovely family and friends who have gathered together to share this special day with you both.

• Giving away:

  The giving away can be done in many ways, or not at all. A couple can give themselves to each other in life and love for always.

• Introduction:

  I speak a little about your commitment to each other, what marriage means to you and also about how you met and how your love grew.

• Reading:

  A poem or verse read by myself or by a family member or friend. Alternatively a song may be sung. Again, it is entirely up to you, as a couple, as to what you would like.

  I have an extensive collection of beautiful readings and poems that you are welcome to choose from.

• The Monitum and the Declaration of Intention to Marry:

  Those two paragraphs are the only mandatory part of the ceremony. They have to be legally included.

• The Vows:

  The writing of vows is a very personal and intimate way of expressing your love and commitment to your partner. You can write your own vows or use traditional vows. I am here to help you to express what is in your heart.

• Ring Ceremony:

  "With this ring I thee wed." The exchanging of rings during the ceremony is a beautiful way to symbolise your unending love and commitment to one another.

• Pronouncement of the happily married couple:

  I step to the side so as not to photobomb your kiss. "By the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Australia I now pronounce you husband and wife / wife and wife / husband and husband, you may kiss."

• Signing of the register:

  You will need two witnesses over the age of 18.

• Symbolic action:

  This is an optional ceremony, that some couple incorporate into their wedding ceremony as a way of symbolising their unity and love, or as a way to include children into their ceremony.

  Please see my Rituals page for more information about these beautiful symbolic rituals.

• Conclusion:

  This is often short as everyone wants to get the party started. "Today you have married your best friend, the one you laugh with, live for, love for always. Family and friends it is with great pleasure that I present to you for the very first time Mr and Mrs / Mr and Mr / Mrs and Mrs."

• Recessional:

  The music starts as you walk down together as a married couple, to the cheers and hugs of your loved ones.