You may choose to have a traditional wedding, or you may choose to have a particular type of wedding or incorporate elements from other types of weddings in yours. As a couple you are combining your lives and that means combining your individual histories, what you are bringing into your marriage. So you may wish to incorporate into your wedding family or cultural traditions so that your wedding is a celebration of who you are as well as a celebration of all you mean to each other. It is up to you and my job is to make your wishes a reality in a wedding that speaks to your hearts and to the hearts of everyone present.

A backyard wedding can be a casual setting for a casual wedding, or it can be as elegant and sophisticated as you wish - it all depends on the backyard and your vision for your ceremony. For a couple who want a simple no-fuss wedding the backyard or deck can be the ideal solution.

You may choose to celebrate your marriage using one or more languages other than English. This can be something as simple as a reading in the language of the bride or groom's heritage, the bride and groom speaking from the heart to their parents, or a fully bilingual ceremony in which the various parts of the ceremony are repeated in the second language, or translated. If both the bride and groom speak English, but some of the guests do not, a translator can be used. Where the bride, the groom or one or both of the official witnesses do not speak English, the law requires that an official interpreter be used at the ceremony. 

There is no specific Buddhist wedding liturgy. Wedding customs differ from country to country and the type of Buddhism practised. The conscious intention brought to the ceremony by the bride and groom is of primary importance and can be enhanced by the choice of rituals. The vows can express Buddhist principles and the Five Precepts, which offer a framework for a successful marriage. The Four Blessings can also be included in the ceremony.

Celtic weddings incorporate pre-Christian elements. A Celtic wedding can be specific to your heritage, incorporating Irish, Scottish, Welsh, or Cornish customs. Common inclusions are handfasting, the four elements of air, water, earth, and fire, and jumping the broom.

Chapel Weddings

Whether you are a couple with children, a couple whose marriage will form a blended family, or proud grandparents who want to include the grandchildren in their ceremony, a child-inclusive wedding will enhance the joyfulness of the day.  Including children in your ceremony can greatly enhance the meaning of your ceremony and strengthen relationships with the children.

more information on including Children in your Wedding Ceremony ..

As long as the minimal legal requirements are observed your wedding can reflect the traditions of a particular culture. For some couples this may be the only option open where a legal religious wedding in a particular tradition is not available to them in Brisbane. For others incorporating traditions from their heritage can add immensely to the ceremony. This might be something as simple as sharing wine in the Chinese tradition, tying the bride and groom's garments together and taking the seven steps in the Hindu tradition, or being crowned in the Orthodox tradition, or the ceremony can follow closely the traditions of wedding ceremonies in your culture.

Fusion Weddings

As the world grows smaller, fusion or multicultural wedding ceremonies are becoming more popular. A fusion wedding is a wedding that includes elements from multiple cultures in a sensitive and mindful fashion that avoids appropriating rituals that have no meaning to those attending the ceremony. As your celebrant I will work with you to find the commonality in various cultural customs, traditions, rituals and ceremony elements and draw those common elements together to create a holistic ceremony in a way is respectful and meaningful, and enjoyable for everyone.

Handfasting is a Celtic tradition going back to pre-Christian Pagan times. It involves the binding together of the couple's hands. This evolved from the handshake into the joining of all four hands crossed in the centre to create a sign of infinity. It can be used as an Engagement or Betrothal ceremony signalling intention, or incorporated as a ritual in any marriage ceremony before the vows to signify the couple's agreement to marry, or the whole ceremony can be based on modern interpretation of the ritual. A handfasting can also be used as part of a commitment ceremony or a renewal of vows. It adds a a spiritual aspect to the ceremony outside of specific religious tradition. In a Celtic wedding the colours of the ribbon or cords have individual significance.

With its sub-tropical climate Brisbane is the perfect place to have a Hawaiian style wedding - on the beach or beside a swimming pool in which frangipani or orchids are floating.  Leis, flowers for the women, fragrant and green leaves for the men and a sand ceremony (an Hawaiian innovation) are features of a Hawaiian wedding, as is casual (and colourful) clothing.

In the very deepest sense all weddings are humanist expressions of the intentions of two people to enter a covenantal relationship based on mutual respect and mutual love. A Humanist wedding is non-religious. It celebrates human values and natural human spirituality based on a human sense of integrity without reference to any supreme being, but it is not anti-religion. Australia is one of a very small number of countries in which you can have a legal Humanist wedding. In most countries the only way to have a fully secular wedding is to be married in the Registry Office, Town Hall, or Courthouse. But this means a stock-standard ceremony. A Humanist wedding ceremony has meaningful secular or non-religious content with a very personal focus, which makes the ceremony relaxed and comfortable and allows for light-hearted moments as well as solemn and serious ones. Because it is an inclusive ceremony, emphasising those things that are common to humanity, whatever the beliefs of your guests might be no-one present will feel excluded.

Where a couple comes from two different cultural or religious backgrounds both can be celebrated and incorporated. With careful planning the traditions and customs of both cultures can be seamlessly integrated to create a meaningful and thrilling experience forging a powerful bond that will resonate ever after in the lives of the couple and their families. In other words, I ensure that we work through the ways your different wedding traditions might interact with one another, empahising the concept of unity. I've performed numbers of ceremonies celebrating various combinations of Australian, English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, American, French, German, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, African, Jewish, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Maori, Pacific Islander, Hindu and Muslim heritage, to name just a few. The ceremony can be entirely secular, spiritual or include elements of the religious traditions of either or both families.

Specifically blend the bride and groom's religious traditions. In all other aspects an inter-faith wedding is similar to an Inter-Cultural Wedding.

An Irish wedding incorporates Irish customs and symbols. Common symbols are the shamrock, the celtic cross, the Tara brooch, Claddagh rings. The ceremony might include Irish music played by fiddlers and/or pipers, traditionally worded Irish blessings, special coins, an oathing stone, and the Celtic loving cup.

Jewish Weddings

Where one or both of you is Jewish but you prefer a civil ceremony, your ceremony can honour and incorporate Jewish traditions, using the Hebrew language in relevant parts if you wish. Whether you want to put the Oy Vey into your wedding ceremony, or take it out of it, I can accommodate your needs!

A Mediaeval Wedding is a theme wedding that revolves around a particular historical period. While sourcing appropriate clothing is relatively easy, finding a suitable location can be more difficult. You may have to resort to using decorations and props to create a mediaeval ambience. Careful choice of music  and musicians is important. The ceremony will be formal, using language reminiscent of the time. While Australian law requires a certain form of words to be included in the vows, those words are not out of place in a Mediaeval Wedding. 

A military wedding simply involves military participation in a traditional and very formal marriage ceremony. The distinguishing mark of a military wedding is that the groom and members of the wedding party who are serving members of the armed forces (Officers or NCO rank) wear their uniforms and the bride and groom exit under an arch of swords or sabres. The type of uniform depends on the time of day and the formality of the wedding. If a serving member, the bride may also wear her uniform but most opt for the traditional wedding gown. Boutonnieres are never worn with uniforms, but decorations are.

Your pets are an important part of your family. Including them in your ceremony can add an element of fun and playfulness to your ceremony

more information on including Pets in your Wedding Ceremony ...

more information about Bluebonnet Tartan Weddings ...

Photograph courtesy of
Alison Cooke Photography

A surprise wedding is a family-oriented alternative to an elopement. You minimise the stress of the wedding but have your family and friends present at the ceremony. Generally the wedding is held in conjunction with another celebration - your child's naming, a housewarming, or some other festive occasion or family gathering. The Australian Marriage Act requires that both parties must give real consent to the marriage both in the process leading up to the ceremony and in the ceremony itself. While it is legal to surprise your guests it is not legally possible to surprise either the bride or the groom.

Theme weddings add originality and excitment to your wedding and are a hot trend at the moment. While all weddings are, in a sense thematic because the theme is the wedding, adding a unique subject matter will tie it together. A theme wedding can add flair, originality, fun and excitement to your special day, and will actively involve your guests in creating the atmosphere. You can use a theme to link to your romantic history as a couple.  Your venue may suggest the theme, for example a wine theme for a wedding held in a vineyard, or you may draw inspiration from your wedding date, a historical period, personal interests, hobbies, favourite movies, novels, even a storybook fantasy, a particular culture or your honeymoon destination, anything that you feel will stamp your wedding with your combined personality as a new couple.

Koalas or kangaroos at your wedding, didgeridoo music or bush ballads, bush poetry, an outdoor setting surrounded by gum trees or rainforest, and a laid-back ceremony. Any or all of these ingredients can make for a very memorable occasion.

Where either the bride or groom is a foreign national entering Australia on a Prospective Spouse Visa (Fiance Visa) the wedding is required to take place within 9 months of his/her arrival.  Such weddings may be conducted in very simple English or with the assistance of an Interpreter if required.

As celebrant I can provide the required letter and other documentation regarding the arrangements for the wedding that authorities require as part of the visa application process. There is an affordable extra charge for this service.

Photograph courtesy of
Alison Cooke Photography

Legally married or formally committed couples can reaffirm their vows on significant anniversaries or other occasions. Couples who have eloped or who have had a very small ceremony frequently reaffirm their vows as part of the larger celebration soon after the wedding. The ceremony follows the structure of a wedding but is less formal and is focussed on celebrating the success of the relationship.  Under Australian law couples already married  may not have a repeat ceremony, so the vows are reaffirmed not merely repeated.

As a secular humanist civil celebrant I do not include religious references in your ceremony unless you specifically ask me to do so.

Most of the civil weddings solemnised in Australia every year do not include any religious references. However, unlike some other countries, this is from personal choice of the couple, not because of any legal prohibition If you wish, your ceremony can be spiritual in nature, evoking a sense of the sacred without resorting to religion. And if you wish you may include religious references, prayers, readings and music in your civil ceremony.  Where you yourselves are not religious but someone important to you is, this can be accomplished in a number of ways that are not intrusively obvious to guests who are not religious but which lend an air of familiarity to the ceremony for those who are. This is also a way to acknowledge dual religious heritages within a secular (non-religious) ceremony.

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Jennifer Cram is a secular humanist celebrant
in Brisbane Queensland Australia
Serving all of Brisbane, Redlands, Redcliffe, Pine Rivers, Logan and Ipswich
Ceremonies performed in private homes, parks, gardens, hotels, clubs, restaurants, chapels, function centres, reception centres, wedding venues.
Day or evening ceremonies 365 days a year

Her Celebrant Services include:
Wedding Ceremonies including Contemporary, Traditional, Spiritual, Intimate, Cultural, Inter-cultural, Buddhist, Celtic, Fusion, Handfasting, Humanist, Irish, Mediaeval, Military, Scottish, Celtic, Chinese, Buddhist, Mediaeval; Surprise, Theme, True-Blue Aussie, Visa, Green, and Pink Weddings;
Renewal of Vows; Commitment Ceremonies for gay, lesbian, and straight couples; Naming Ceremonies; 
House Warming; Launching; Divorce and Separation (End-of-Relationship) Ceremonies

Contact Details
Phone: (07) 3378 3005
International: + 61 7 3378 3005
Email:
Mail: P O Box 20, Indooroopilly QLD 4068, Australia