Blog
Category - Wedding Ceremony
When (soppily) romantic isn't your thing
Categories: | Wedding
Ceremony | (23/01/2020)
Your wedding ceremony doesn't have to be dripping with sentimentality to be meaningful, and special, and a real reflection of the commitment the two of you have to one another and to your marriage. If you don't do soppy, and don't feel comfortable with lovey-dovey poetry or extravagant vows, you can still have a personal ceremony that is everything you wish for." ... Read on...
It's True - Your Marriage Ceremony can be
Unstructured!
Categories: | Wedding
Ceremony | Wedding Legals | (19/01/2020)
It might surprise you to learn that there is nothing in the Marriage Act that requires that your marriage ceremony has to follow a tightly structured script. As long as you meet the very minimal legal requirements, everything else is optional! ... Read on...
Charitable Giving and your Wedding
Categories: | Wedding
Ceremony | Wedding Planning | (15/01/2020)
There are many ways to make charitable giving part of your wedding, including making it part of your ceremony, and it is always a good idea to give your guests a heads-up if you are asking them to give to a cause dear to you ... Read on...
Your Wedding Party - Busting the Myths
Categories: | Wedding Ceremony
|(13/01/2020)
Four myths about wedding parties persist, despite it being the 21st century, despite society more inclusive, and despite three quarters of wedding ceremonies in Australia being civil ceremonies where ceremony content is all about personal choice and ensuring that your wedding reflects who you are as a couple. ... Read on...
How to Get Them to the Ceremony on Time
Categories: | Wedding Ceremony
| Wedding Planning |(21/12/2019)
Guests arriving late to the ceremony is a common problem which puts you, your celebrant, your photographer, together with other guests in the unenviable position of having to decide whether you will exchange your vows in front of a lot of empty seats, have special people miss the ceremony, suffer disruptions caused by people wandering in half way through the ceremony, or become unwell because of a long wait in the heat. ... Read on...
How to have a Hygge Wedding in a Heatwave
Categories: | Wedding Ceremony
| Wedding Planning |(08/12/2019)
A hygge wedding is a perfect way to beat the heat and have a cosy and comfortable wedding ... Read on...
Easy ways to Conquer Your Fears about Your
Vows
Categories: | Vows | Wedding
Ceremony |(21/11/2019)
One of the biggest fears couples share with me is about speaking in public and stuffing up their vows, but making your vows to one another is not like standing on a platform, facing an audience, and making a speech. So there are ways to avoid ugly crying ... Read on...
Tree Planting Ritual
Categories: | Naming Ceremonies
| Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Rituals
|(19/11/2019)
The planting of a tree during a wedding, naming ceremony, or memorial ceremony is a powerful ritual. ... Read on...
Micro Weddings - Pluses and Opportunities
Galore
Categories: | Wedding Ceremony |
Wedding Planning | (19/11/2019)
While a Micro Wedding is usually interpreted to be abbreviated on all fronts - a shorter, simpler ceremony and celebration with only a handful of guests - it allows greater flexibility and offers many wonderful possibilities not
possible in a larger wedding. ... Read on...
10 Ways to Beat the Heat on Your Wedding Day
Categories: | Wedding Ceremony |
Wedding Planning | (14/11/2019)
Australia is a hot place where outdoor weddings are popular. Heat can compromise your wedding in many ways, Doing these 10 things can help you beat the heat and have a fantastic day ... Read on...
Religion in your Civil Marriage Ceremony
Categories: Vows | Wedding
Ceremony | (13/11/2019)
In Australia there is no prohibition on including personal expressions of religious or spiritual belief in a civil marriage ceremony, and there are many ways to do this ... Read on...
Nail your Vows by doing these 3 simple things
Categories: Vows | Wedding
Ceremony | (21/10/2019)
I've never met a couple who didn't want their exchange of vows to go without a hitch on the day. The good news is, like everything else about your wedding, preparation is key. Doing 3 simple things before you start writing your vows will guarantee a flawless vow exchange ... Read on...
Avoid pre-wedding dramas with a Witness Lottery
Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |(02/10/2019)
Because being witness is an honour, not choosing someone who expected to be chosen can cause hurt feelings and a ongoing drama, including broken friendships and family rifts. Sidestep problems by having a witness lottery .... Read on...
A Spontaneous Wedding? Yes you can
Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |(29/09/2019)
Does that whole let's get married now vibe appeal to you? No big wedding, just running away and doing it without any fuss and bother?... Read on...
7 Things to Read at your Wedding instead of a Poem
Categories: | Wedding Ceremony
| (21/09/2019)
While meaningful readings can add to the whole emotional impact of a personal ceremony, just inserting a standard reading or two adds little or nothing, and can detract. marrying with a civil celebrant opens up many more possibilities, as long as we think outside the box and don't feel constrained by (or obligated to follow) the tradition of including 3 readings Read on...
Balloons and Bushfires
Categories: Naming Ceremonies | Wedding
Ceremony | Wedding Rituals | Wedding
Planning | (12/09/2019)
Balloon releases can cause or spread bushfires Read on...
OMG! We forgot the rings ...
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Planning | Wedding Rituals |(24/08/2019)
Forgetting the wedding rings happens. But it doesn't have to if you have strategies in place to avoid this. Worst case scenario? There are multiple creative ways to deal with being ringless on the day... Read on...
The curious reasons why Marriage Documents are signed with black ink
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals |(04/08/2019)
Have you ever wondered why your marriage certificate must be signed in black ink? Or, indeed, why the Notice of Intended Marriage should be filled in using black ink (if you're filling it in by hand)? It has a lot to do with archival requirements - but also with status! Read on...
Acknowledgement of Country
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Rituals | (26/07/2019)
Starting your wedding or other ceremony with an Acknowledgement of Country sends a powerful message of respect and inclusion... Read on...
Oathing Stone Wedding Ritual
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Rituals |(26/07/2019)
The oathing stone is an ancient Celtic tradition that can add meaningful symbolism to your wedding ceremony - and can be used as a planned or emergency substitute for wedding rings... Read on...
Sweet Wedding Rituals
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Rituals |(14/07/2019)
Honey and sugar are traditionally used in many cultures to wish a couple a sweet married life. These customs can add a beautifully romantic moment to a contemporary wedding ceremony... Read on...
Coffee Unity Ceremony
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Rituals | (11/07/2019)
A coffee unity ceremony can be a variation on the wine ceremony, or a variation on the sand ceremony, depending on whether you use liquid coffee or coffee beans... Read on...
Booze, Pills, and your Wedding
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Legals | (08/07/2019)
Being drunk or under the influence of other substances, legal or otherwise, can prevent you from getting married ... Read on...
Showcasing Wedding Music Makers
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Planning | (03/07/2019)
One of the joys of being a celebrant is seeing other wedding professionals "on the job", and working with them as a team. Recently, I took the opportunity to delve into what lies behind the skills of a couple of favourite wedding music makers, and what enables them to make the magic they do... Read on...
Quick-fix hacks for unexpected wedding problems
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Planning |(30/06/2019)
There will always be something that doesn’t go to plan on the day. Some have the potential to derail the whole wedding... Read on...
Wine ceremonies for vineyard weddings
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Rituals |(19/06/2019)
A wedding in a winery or vineyard offers not only a wide range of settings for your ceremony - both indoors and out, depending on the facilities made available by the particular winery - but also creative inspiration for the ceremony... Read on...
Realistic Wedding Readings
Categories: Wedding Ceremony |(09/06/2019)
If you're a down to earth couple, with a realistic view of what marriage really entails, the vast majority of the poems and poetic prose read at weddings are just not for you. I've gathered together a selection of more down-to-earth readings... Read on...
Showcasing Wedding Photographers
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Planning | (05/06/2019)
One of the joys of being a celebrant is seeing other wedding professionals "on the job", and working with them as a team. Recently, I took the opportunity to sit down with two photographers I always love working with to delve into what lies behind the skills, what enables them to make the magic they do... Read on...
Ageist Judgemental Celebrants Make Me VERY Cross
Categories: Celebrant |
Inclusive Wedding | Wedding Ceremony | (05/06/2019)
A rant about celebrant advertising that is judgemental of clients and ageist about other celebrants ... Read on...
Getting married when you don’t identify with a
gender
Categories: Inclusive Wedding |
Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals | (23/05/2019)
Gender is now immaterial when getting married in Australia. When marrying you do not have to use gendered terminology or adhere to gendered role ... Read on...
Children in your bridal party
Categories: Wedding Ceremony |(19/05/2019)
Including children in your bridal party can make for unexpectedly magic moments ... Read on...
Getting the Author right for a Wedding Reading
Categories: Wedding Ceremony |(10/05/2019)
A popular poem claimed to be a translation of an original Persian poem by Sufi poet, Hafiz, is found not to be so. This is a problem because ... Read on...
Wedding Reading - Epithalamium
Categories: Wedding Ceremony |(09/05/2019)
A beautiful poem read at the wedding of the first gay couple to legally marry in Scotland ... Read on...
Surprise Weddings - How to have one without breaking
the law
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Legals | Wedding Planning | (03/05/2019)
The Marriage Act is very clear. Surprise weddings are illegal - but only if one of the marrying
couple is being surprised. Which means there are plenty of legal ways to have a surprise wedding ... Read on...
Unity Candle Ceremony
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Rituals | (27/04/2019)
The Unity Candle Ceremony - what it is and how to prepare for it ... Read on...
Unity Sand Ceremony
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Rituals | (25/04/2019)
The Unity Sand Ceremony - what it is and how to prepare for it ... Read on...
How Many Bridesmaids is Just the Right Number?
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Planning | Wedding Traditions |(13/04/2019)
There is a very fine line between an appropriate number of bridesmaids (and groomsmen) and just too many, and a wide range of factors that come into play when deciding how many is the right number for your wedding ... Read on...
Writing your vows doesn't have to be hard
Categories: Vows | Wedding
Ceremony | (07/04/2019)
Writing your own vows is a wonderful way to personalise your ceremony - and it is not difficult if you remember one simple thing ... Read on...
Civil Ceremony, Secular Ceremony,
Humanist Ceremony. What's the difference?
Categories: Wedding Ceremony |(02/03/2019)
All legal marriages in Australia are, in a sense, civil marriage, because they are registered and recognised by the state. Secular and Humanist marriage ceremonies differ in some profound ways... Read on...
When are you actually legally married?
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Legals |(08/02/2019)
There are many incorrect assumptions about when in the sequence of the ceremony, the signing, and the registration of their marriage a couple is actually legally married. ... Read on...
Has Marriage Equality Changed Weddings? – My Predictions Revisited
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning | Inclusive Wedding |(25/01/2019)
A year ago, I predicted that Marriage Equality would change all weddings in Australia, as more and more heterosexual couples, previously constrained by a wedding playbook that includes outmoded traditions and embedded roles defined by gender, experience the individual, meaningful, expressions of an equal relationship in the weddings of same-sex couples - and that every wedding, gay or straight, would be the better for it. So how accurate was I? Read on...
The Drones are Coming
Categories: Wedding Ceremony |
Wedding Planning(24/01/2017)
This year I predict that drones will be the must-have at a wedding. But there are some things you need to take into account to ensure disaster doesn't strike ... Read on ...
What if Someone Objects?
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Legals |(05/01/2019)
We've all seen it in movie after movie - If anyone knows any reason why these two should not be joined in marriage, speak now .... So what happens if someone objects at your wedding?
Read on...
Witnesses and Weddings
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Legals |(05/12/2018)
In Australia, no matter whether you marry in church, the registry office, or by a civil celebrant, and no matter whether you have the big white wedding with a large wedding party, or choose just to elope, the one thing that every wedding must have is two witnesses... Read on...
Friend or Professional Celebrant?
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding Ceremony
| Wedding Legals |(02/12/2018)
Would choosing a friend instead of a professional celebrant to conduct your wedding ceremony be a good option for you? Everything you need to consider - and how you can have the best of both worlds ... Read on...
Before you Meet Your Celebrant
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding Ceremony |
Wedding Planning |(19/11/2018)
There are two distinct aspects to getting married - planning the ceremony and meeting the legal requirements. Without the ceremony, your wedding will just be an expensive party. And without meeting the legal requirements you will not be legally married! Here is a list of things to decide and things to do before you meet with me. If you can tick off all of these the process will go smoothly and efficiently. ... Read on...
Wine Box or First Fight Box?
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Rituals |(20/09/2018)
Why an Anniversary Wine Box is a more appropriate ritual for a wedding than a First Fight Box ... Read on...
Bride promising to obey until death? Not any more
Categories: Vows | Wedding
Ceremony | (09/09/2018)
A very common question from brides is "Do I have to promise to obey" Read on...
'You may kiss your bride' - oh yeah? How to have the Perfect (and Perfectly Modern) Kiss
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Traditions |
(updated 04/08/2018)
As a celebrant I not only see many many wedding kisses, I also have the responsibility of prompting them. Your first kiss as a married couple will be photographed and remembered by your guests (and everyone who sees the photographs) for years and years, so it is important to plan for the perfect kiss! Read on....
How Marriage Equality Will Change Wedding Ceremonies
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning | Inclusive Wedding |(17/01/2018)
This is my prediction – wedding ceremonies will change, but it won’t be a case of the wedding industry merely accommodating same-sex couples. Rather same sex couples will influence, by example, all civil wedding ceremonies in Australia, and all weddings will be the better for it.
Read on...
Same Sex Ceremonies - Negotiating the Gendered
Nature of Ceremony Traditions
Categories: Inclusive Weddings | Wedding
Ceremony | Wedding Traditions |(09/01/2018)
Rather than assign roles, assign various customs .... Read on...
Multicultural Fusion Weddings
Categories: Inclusive Weddings | Wedding Ceremony |
Wedding Rituals | Wedding Traditions | Wedding
Planning |(08/01/2018)
If you are an intercultural couple, how do you navigate your ceremony? It is not uncommon to have two ceremonies. But there is a third option - a fusion wedding ceremony that incorporates the traditions of what are important to you both ... Read on...
Signing the Register and the Certificates
Categories:
Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals |(updated 16/12/2017)
Everything you need to know about signing the Marriage Register and Marriage Certificates .... Read on...
Your celebrant is NOT ripping you off (it is more
than just half an hour)
Categories: Celebrant |
Wedding Budget | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Planning |(10/07/2017)
There is an awful lot that goes into the half-hour the ceremony lasts - and that's what you are paying for .... Read on...
The Drones are Coming
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning(24/01/2017)
This year I predict that drones will be the must-have at a wedding. But there are some things you need to take into account to ensure disaster doesn't strike.... Read on...
Great Wedding Photos Start in the Mind
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning(22/09/2016)
Mindset and mind-power can make or break your wedding photos ...Read on ...
How
to Train your Flower Girl for a Brilliant Petal Toss
Categories: Wedding Ceremony
| Wedding Planning(14/09/2016)
There is nothing sweeter than a flower girl tossing petals with exuberant abandon. But achieving that takes a little training ... Read on ...
And the Flower Girl
wore a Backpack ...
Categories:
Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning(14/09/2016)
Give the children you want involved in your wedding ceremony the choice of what they will do and what they will wear and magic happens ... Read on...
Everything you Learned about Wedding Ceremonies
from Married at First Sight is WRONG ...
Categories:
Wedding Ceremony (13/09/2016)
Married at First Sight is about the worst wedding manual on the planet ... and here's why ...
Read on...
How to Remember and Honour Deceased Loved Ones in
your Wedding Ceremony
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Rituals(09/09/2016)
Memorialising deceased loved ones is something many couples wish to include in their wedding. There are many ways to do this, and many things that need to be considered ... Read on...
How to avoid
getting less than you paid for ... or more than you
bargained for ... when booking your ceremony
Categories: Wedding
Ceremony | Wedding Budget | Wedding
Legals | Wedding Planning |(04/09/2016)
Insider tips about what to look at when considering a ceremony package... Read on...
How (Not) to
Stagger Down the Aisle (in 3 easy steps)
Categories: Wedding
Ceremony(31/08/2016)
There is an art to walking down the aisle elegantly - and most of it relates to preparation ...
Read on...
Don't Forget This One Simple Thing When Choosing a Ceremony Venue
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |(23/08/2016)
There is a very simple thing that makes all the difference when choosing your ceremony venue. Forgetting to do it is a serious oversight ... Read on...
How to Avoid the #1 Wedding Embarrassment
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning
(15/08/2016)
The most feared wedding embarrassment is something that nobody wants to do in public, let alone at their wedding ... Read on.....
Wedding
Psychology: How and Where to Stand
Categories:
Wedding Ceremony(30/07/2016)
How and where the bride and groom stand during the ceremony not only impacts on photographs of the ceremony, it can have a far-reaching impact on the marriage, Read on...
The
Problem with Wedding Readings
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding
Ceremony
(17/07/2016)
Most people assume that you have to have readings in a wedding ceremony. Unfortunately, on the day they often don't work ... Read on...
(17/07/2016)
Most people assume that you have to have readings in a wedding ceremony. Unfortunately, on the day they often don't work ... Read on...
Microphone Wars
Categories: Wedding Ceremony(17/07/2016)
Most celebrants use a hand-held microphone. But is that the best choice? ... Read on...
Food,
Flowers, and Furniture
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding Ceremony(updated 30/07/2018)
Every now and then, someone asks me what I supply in terms of styling and other add-ons for a wedding ... Read on....
Drone and GO
Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Planning(06/08/2016)
Drone and GO, sounds like the typical wedding ceremony, doesn't it - the celebrant drones on, and eventually you get to kiss and go. But that's not what this post is about ... Read on....
Talking Heads
Categories: Wedding Ceremony(13/07/2016)
Let's face it. Most wedding ceremonies are pretty ordinary. And that's partly because they are all about words. Marrying Couple and Celebrant as Talking Heads, with the celebrant doing 98% of the talking ...Read on....
