Are You Thinking of Eloping?
Here are some things to consider if you and your partner are thinking of eloping. 1. Why are you choosing to get married this way? If you're thinking of joining your beloved in wedded bliss without any of the usual fuss and fanfare - just you and two witnesses present...
HOW TO WRITE MEANINGFUL VOWS
While the legal vows you must say in your wedding ceremony are very short, there is nothing nicer than adding personal vows at this part of the ceremony, or when you exchange rings. There are countless examples of personal vows to be found in books and on the...
Why do we wear our wedding rings on the fourth finger?
The Chinese have a beautiful explanation that I really like. They believe that your thumbs represent your parents; your index fingers represent your siblings; your middle fingers represent you; your fourth fingers represent your Life Partner; and your little fingers...
Including personal vows in your wedding ceremony
The legal vows that must be spoken for your marriage to be valid in Australia are very simple: "I, AB/CD, take you, CD/AB to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/spouse/partner for life". But adding personal vows is a lovely way to make your ceremony especially meaningful...
Think carefully about having a surprise wedding
I recently saw an episode of The Moodys about Terry and Yvonne’s wedding where things didn’t go quite to plan and before these two lovebirds could exchange their vows, Dan and Cora ‘stole’ not only their celebrant, but also their hot air balloon and their vows. How...
Changing your name after marriage
(Article courtesy of http://www.easynamechange.com/au/) As your wedding day approaches you may be bouncing around a new name in your head. Changing names can often make a bride a little sad at the loss of her former name, so it’s perfectly natural to want to hold onto...
MARRIAGE EQUALITY
The people have spoken and what a wonderful result from the despised postal survey! However, it won’t be time for a full celebration until the Marriage Act is changed to allow marriage between same sex couples. Even if this is passed by Parliament next month, there...
Relationship Education for Couples – Highly Recommended!
Australian Civil Marriage Celebrants are obliged to give couples lodging a Notice of Intended Marriage a pamphlet that explains a number of changes that marriage will bring for them. Celebrants must also give their couples information about a variety of organisations...
Some Tips on Modern Wedding Etiquette for the Bride & Groom and their Guests
FOR THE HAPPY COUPLE So you’ve set the date to marry the love of your life – congratulations! Here are some tips for what you need to think about both before and after the wedding. Who pays for the wedding? Traditionally, the bride’s parents paid for...
WRITING YOUR OWN VOWS
“I don’t know what to say” “I’m not good with words” “We’re not soppy people, so saying personal vows would feel silly” While some couples are delighted at the idea of writing their own personal vows, many others are terrified at the idea. However, once you realise...
Getting married in Australia if you don’t live here
Would you like to get married in Australia even if you don't live here? Anyone from anywhere can get married here provided they are 'eligible'. To be eligible you must be over the age of 18, not closely related to each other and not already married. There are no...
WHERE DOES YOUR CELEBRANT COME ON YOUR WEDDING PLANNING LIST?
So you're planning your wedding - congratulations! There are many websites that offer good planning tools for your wedding and these can help you decide what you need to do for your special day, depending on how simple or extravagant you want it to be. However I’ve...
Your wedding is far more than a party
You’ve found the love of your life and have decided that you want to spend the rest of your lives together. Congratulations! Now it’s time to start planning for your big day so what are some of the things on your To Do list? The Dress The bridesmaids’ dresses The...
Do you know what a civil marriage celebrant does?
Most people don't know exactly what civil marriage celebrants do "Civil marriage celebrants have overseen the majority of marriages since 1999 and the proportion of marriage ceremonies overseen by a civil celebrant increased again to 74.1 per cent of all marriages in...
PREPARE FOR YOUR SYDNEY WEDDING REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER
With more and more people choosing a civil marriage celebrant to officiate at their wedding, there are wonderful possibilities for custom-crafting your day. As you begin to research for your special day, the weather may be far removed from your mind. However, no...
Pre-marriage education
I've just discovered Sheryl Paul, an American counsellor and therapist who runs, among other things, an e-course on how to give your marriage the best chance of success. Pre-marriage education is always desirable and if you don't have time to attend a face-to-face...
How much do you know about civil marriage ceremonies?
Civil marriages are rising every year (currently around 70% of all marriages in Australian), I believe because people want a greater choice in what can be included in their ceremony. A civil wedding ceremony is far more than basic words and procedures, although some...
Elements of a Wedding Ceremony
Most couples aren’t very familiar with the format of a marriage ceremony; what must be included for it to be legally recognised, and optional elements that can be included to make it more personal. The following is a suggested outline. The beauty of a civil ceremony...
GOOD MANNERS
I always answer enquiries about my services as soon as I possibly can and if I’m available on the date a prospective couple have asked about I advise that I will keep this open for them for a certain period of time. I ask if they want to arrange an obligation-free...
Interesting Media Release from Fair Trading in NSW
23 September 2012 Wedding woes raised with NSW Fair Trading are many and varied, so Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts advises all brides, grooms and wedding planners to study up on their consumer rights and get help from Fair Trading to deal with disputes. Wedding...