Weddings

".....My life is enriched to the extent that I have a Dream and give it appropriate place in My life...."  

What does my service include?

§ Interviews in your home or at a mutually convenient location
§ Telephone and email consultations as required
§ Creation of a unique Ceremony is designed and personalized to FULLY
    meet your needs.
§ Attention to detail and excellent personal service
§ My personal guarantee that no other ceremony will be booked so close
    that I arrive late
§ Your Ceremony will be given the professionalism that it deserves.
§ Fully registered, experienced, and trained Celebrant
§ You will have unlimited access to resource materials
§ A Keepsake copy of your Ceremony is provided
§ In the unlikely event due to my inability to officiate, a suitably experienced
    and appropriate replacement Celebrant will be contacted. This will be at no
    additional cost to you.
§ There is NO hidden extra charges

"Two persons must believe in each other,
And feel that it can be done and must be done,
In that way they are enormously strong"
Vincent Van Gough

 

Elements of Your Ceremony
 
Your Ceremony can be divided into the following sections and can appear in any order. These can be added to or reduced to suit the both of you. No one section is essential and this is a rough guide only, to give you a sense of how a Ceremony can be structured. This is your ceremony and it should be reflective of the you both. Please feel free to make any changes you wish.

"The meaning of marriage begins in the giving of words. We cannot join ourselves to one another without giving our word. And this must be an unconditional giving, for in joining ourselves to one another we join ourselves to the unknown We can join one another only by joining the unknown......"
Wendell Berry-Standing By Words.

§ Pre-ceremonial music
§ Request to silence mobile phones and pagers
§ Entrance music and entrance
§ Introduction of bridal party and welcome
§ Acknowledgment of absent or deceased family members and friends
§ Reason for Ceremony
§ Thanks to parents and other family members
§ Extracts/passages/poems/songs/original pieces
§ Statement of consent to marry/hopes for the future
§ Warming or blessing of the wedding rings;
    Lighting of family candles;
    Combining or blending of water, wine, sand, oils or tea;
    Exchange of roses; giving away by family members
    Breaking of a glass; 
    Tea ceremony: 
    Handfasting; 
    Jumping the broom etc
§ Rite of marriage (Monitum)
§ Vows
§ Exchange of rings/gifts
§ Music/Serving of drinks/Signing of the register etc
§ Declaration
§ Presentation to guests and toast/walking down aisle
§ Music
§ Photos

This is a very small list of available options for your Special Day.

 "Come live with me, and be my love
And we will some new pleasures prove
Of Golden sands, and Crystal brooks,
With silken lines and silver hooks."

 

A visit to arrange your wedding entails a meeting with the Celebrant. Allow at least 1 hour for this visit. During this meeting you will complete a 'Notice of Intended Marriage' form. This form must be filled out NO LATER than one month plus one calendar day!

You will need to supply proof of identity: any 1 of the following

Birth Certificate (original or full copy) - Certified
Passport (if born outside of Australia)
If you have been previously married you will need to supply Final Divorce Papers (Decree Absolute) or Death Certificate. 

If any of the above papers are not in English you will need to get them translated into English.

You will be required to pay a deposit on the first visit. Further payment will be discussed depending on your requirements of what is involved ie. Filling out of further papers. Letter to Immigration Departments. Letter to Embassies, Travel etc...

We also discuss as to what kind of a Ceremony you are looking for:

§ Informal
§ Formal
§ Romantic
§ Spiritual
§ Candle
§ Intimate
§ Ceremony of the Roses
§ Wine Ceremony
§ Lovers Knot

You will need to supply a table and chair for the signing of the Register should your wedding be in a garden or park. Also I will assist and advise you on other aspects of your wedding.
 
Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.
 

Why do some celebrants charge $300 whilst others charge $1500 for a ceremony?

Quite simply, the answer is quality. Personalised ceremonies take time to create. A really good celebrant will take the time to learn about you and your story, the things which are important to you, and your own particular style. In creating your unique and personalised ceremony, an excellent celebrant will also be creating long lasting, beautiful memories for you and your guests. Such memories will support you in the difficult times, giving you energy to move forward with hope and anticipation.

A really good celebrant will provide you with many options and resources, and as much guidance as you wish, but you make the final decision over what is included in your ceremony. Such a celebrant appreciates that sometimes you need to make a decision based on budget limitations, and will endeavour to keep fees as low as possible whilst still providing you with a high quality, wonderful and memorable ceremony. Excellent and professional celebrants are rare. They do not cost much more than a second rate celebrant, but their quality of service far surpasses any other.

Asking a celebrant how much they charge, and making your decision based on the answer, assumes there is no difference in the quality of the ceremonies they will provide for you. Choose the cheaper option and you could be very disappointed. As Dally Messenger, says “Sometimes saving a few dollars just costs too much.”

So, what should you look for?

1. An obligation free first meeting, at no charge
2. A full range of options
3. A celebrant who puts your needs first
4. A unique and personalised ceremony celebrating your special story
5. Unlimited meetings, emails and phone calls with your celebrant
6. A celebrant who is a member of a professional celebrant association
7. A fully trained, experienced, celebrant who arrives really early in order to:

In order to ensure that you are getting the best possible personalised service, from a celebrant who will really take the time to listen to you and understand your needs, it is worth paying that little bit extra.

Some celebrants rush from one wedding to the next, forgetting names and racing through the ceremony. I’m sure that this is not what you want for one of the most important days of your life.

For a truly meaningful and memorable ceremony, you need me, a professional, fully trained celebrant. Email me or call me on 02-9981-7400. I guarantee that your ceremony will be as perfect as you have always imagined it would be.