Blog Category - Wedding  Planning

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Jennifer Cram asserts her right to be identified as the author of this blog and of the individual blog posts

How to Avoid Ugly Crying During Your Wedding

Categories: |  Vows | Wedding Ceremony |
(15/01/2020)
Are you nervous about ugly crying during the most emotional parts of the day (the ceremony and the speeches)? There are tried and true ways to make sure you feel the emotions but avoid the ugly part of the crying ... More ...

8 Ways to Choose Your Wedding Date

Categories: |  Wedding Planning |
(12/01/2020)
While some people have no problem picking a date - usually an anniversary that just happily falls on the weekend - for most couples choosing a date that everyone will be happy with turns into a nightmarish juggling act. On top of that, 2020 sure gave us all a heads-up about all the pitfalls of getting your hearts set on a particular date for your wedding ... More ...

Plan X - The 2021 Wedding Must Have

Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(05/01/2021)
Plan X is the plan you have ready to guide you when your wedding, as planned, can't go ahead on the day because of restrictions imposed in response to COVID-19 outbreaks ... More ...

Fund your Wedding and Include your Loved Ones with a Wedding Registry

Categories: | Wedding Budget  |  Wedding Ceremony  |  Wedding Planning |
(05/12/2020)
Rethinking what you might put on your wedding registry list and/or substituting a Wedding Wish List for a Wishing Well can be great solutions to two of the big dilemmas 2020 has created for couples planning to marry   More ...

Ramp Up the Fun with Wildlife at your Wedding

Categories: | Wedding Ceremony  |  Wedding Planning |
(22/11/2020)
An emerging trend is that couples are thinking beyond their own fur kids and exploring the idea of adding a wildlife element to their wedding. It is also a growing area in wedding-related businesses, so you are spoiled for choice. However, to successfully include wildlife in your wedding requires some thought and preparation   More ...

Strategic Wedding Planning for 2021

Categories: | Wedding Planning |
(19/11/2020)
With so many weddings rescheduled from 2020 to 2021 because of COVID-19, if you've just got engaged and hoping to be married in 2021, whether you can pull off the wedding you want, within the time frame you want, will depend on how flexible you are prepared to be. You're going to need to be very strategic about your wedding planning, or very lucky!   More ...

White Weddings are uh, White

Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(26/10/2020)
The traditional white wedding, still seen as the norm in Australia, is culturally white, through and through  More ...

Valentine's Day - Pros and Cons of Getting Married on the Official Day of Love

Categories: | Wedding Planning |
(14/10/2020)
Would Valentine's Day, the Official Day of Love, be a great day to marry, or should you avoid it? There are pros and cons to weddings on that day.  More ...

Let's hear it for Negatives First Wedding Planning

Categories: | Wedding Planning |
(13/10/2020)
Kickstart your wedding planning, and ensure you don't blow your budget down the track, by starting with some negative thinking.  More ...

Give your Dog a Starring Role in Your Wedding

Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(27/08/2020)
Dogs being themselves make for magic moments. All you need to do is to give your dog the
opportunity by including them in your wedding every way you can. ... More ...

Breakfast Weddings - A Beautiful Budget-Friendly Option

Categories: | Wedding Budget | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(11/08/2020)
Even on a weekend, having a breakfast wedding gives you more options and more chance of booking your chosen suppliers. And it is a very budget-friendly option .... More ...

In 2020 Children Need to be Invited to Your Wedding

Categories: | Inclusive Weddings | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(12/07/2020)
There are good reasons why it is particularly important in 2020, a year where their lives have been
disrupted, for children to experience wedding ceremonies  ... More ...

How to Have a Plastic Free Wedding

Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(03/07/2020)
Your wedding day is a great opportunity to share and showcase your values. It is also a day that presents multiple opportunities to either pile on the plastics or do your best to avoid that. So I've put together some suggestions, some simple, some straightforward, some the obvious,
and some a little bit cheeky!  ... More ...

What Makes a Good Wedding?

Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(28/06/2020)
After 14 years and well over 1000 weddings (legal and non-legal), together with 11 books and 190+
blog posts about things wedding, I know a bit about weddings, and what makes a good wedding, and what doesn't.  ... More ...

Cats and Weddings - A Melt Your Heart Combination

Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(17/06/2020)
Whatever the temperament of your kitty fur baby including them in your wedding photos is something you'll never regret. All it takes is a bit of caution and some forward planning to make sure your baby is safe and comfortable ... More ...

When Coronavirus Forces You to Un-Invite People to Your Wedding

Categories: | Wedding Planning |
(18/05/2020)
Social Distancing restrictions, together with the flow-own effect of rescheduled weddings competing with previously booked weddings for limited venue and vendor availability, is forcing couples to change plans, and this may require cutting guest numbers ...  More ...

Double Weddings are Fun, Budget Friendly, and Poised for a Comeback in 2021

Categories: |  Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(06/05/2020)
Double weddings are great fun, budget friendly and likely to make a comeback in 2021 because of extra competition for dates, venues and vendors that will flow on from weddings postponed in 2020 ...  More ...

What's the Best Time of the Day to Get Married?

Categories: |  Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(30/04/2020)
The time of day you choose for your wedding will have a significant impact on your whole day, including on your budget, your photographs, your choice of venue, and possibly on the availability of your preferred vendors and whether or not guests can attend ...  More ...

How to Write a Love Letter

Categories: |  Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning | Wedding Rituals|
(15/04/2020)
What could possibly be more romantic than receiving a love letter? Writing one! Putting your love in writing is a way to have it endure for ever....  More ...

Getting Married via Skype - Possible or Not?

Categories: |  Wedding Ceremony |  Wedding Legals  | Wedding Planning |
(24/03/2020)
Is it legal to get married over Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, or other videoconferencing technology? ...  More ...

So Coronavirus Cancelled Your Wedding ... What Now?

Categories: |  Wedding Ceremony |  Wedding Planning |
(23/03/2020)
You've been thrown a curve ball that means your wedding can't go ahead on the day you've planned for, or, can't go ahead the way you've planned it. Closure of venues, restrictions on the number of people who can be in both indoor and outdoor spaces, travel restrictions, social distancing, and a lot of uncertainty because we have no idea how long this will last ...  More ...

What Should We Tell Our Guests About Our Wedding in the Time of the Coronavirus?

Categories: |  Wedding Ceremony |  Wedding Planning |
(19/03/2020)
With Government restrictions ramping up on a daily basis, concerns about flattening the curve, and worrying media reports about the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on weddings, you wouldn't be human if you weren't stressing about your wedding, or worrying about what you should tell your guests...  More ...

Can You Have Two (or More) Weddings?

Categories: |  Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |
(17/03/2020)
Can you, as a marrying couple, have more than one wedding? The answer is Yes, but also, That Depends... More ...

Coronavirus and Your Wedding - Some Suggestions

Categories: |  Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |
(11/03/2020)
How novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) might impact your planned wedding is a hot topic at the moment. So, should you be concerned? Or, in the words of that wonderful World War II advice, Alert but not Alarmed? ... More ...

You Are Never Too Old To Get Married the Way you Want

Categories: |  Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(03/03/2020)
How do you, as a mature age couple, negotiate the whole process of wedding planning when most of the marketing, information, and focus out in wedding land is on the younger couple wanting the fairy-tale wedding experience? ... More ....

Not "Just a Celebrant" (and Not "Just Half an Hour")

Categories: | Celebrant | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |
(28/02/2020)
What does a celebrant do? And why do they charge for more than the half hour the ceremony takes? The easy answer is that a celebrant changes your legal status from not-married to married. which is a pretty big thing. Life-changing, in fact. And they do that by creating and performing a ceremony. But it certainly doesn't stop there. When you hire me as a celebrant, you're getting a lot more than someone who will make sure you tick a few legal boxes, stand up in front of your guests, rabbit on for a bit, and then declare that you are married. ... More ...

No Licence Needed

Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |
(21/02/2020)
Getting married in Australia is super simple. You don't need a marriage licence, and your venue doesn't have to have a licence to host wedding ceremonies ... More ...

You Just Got Engaged. Now What?

Categories: | Wedding Planning |
(15/02/2020)
So, the question was popped. You said yes. Everyone got excited. Now What? Well, everyone will start asking the When? and Where? and How? questions. Here are my top three picks for 1, 2, and 3, on your We're Engaged, What Next To Do List... More ...

How to have a Stress-Free Wedding in Your Own Backyard

Categories: | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(05/02/2020)
The benefits of holding your wedding in your own backyard are many, and varied, but they all add up to two things - a backyard wedding is easy on the budget, and it gives you the ultimate opportunity create a more relaxed, more personal feel to your wedding. More ...

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 ... More ...

When Disaster Strikes - Plan D - How to Get Married Legally When your Venue and your Celebrant are Unreachable

Categories: | Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |
(03/01/2020)
The one thing that is required to make any Plan B work is the capacity to communicate. When disaster strikes, and communications are cut, even the most detailed and multi-faceted Plan B is useless. So what can you do if you've planned your wedding (and a viable Plan B), and now your venue and your celebrant are within one of the disaster zones ... More ...

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. ... More ...

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 ... More ...

How Many Toilets Does Your Wedding Need?   

Categories: |  Wedding Planning |
(20/11/2019)
The ratio of toilets to guests at your wedding is incredibly important. Here's how to do the maths to make sure that the venue you choose has sufficient ...    More ...

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. ...    More ...

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 ...    More ...

Making Sure Your Wedding Service Providers are Legit     

Categories: | Wedding Planning |
(04/11/2019)
Checking out your other service providers to make sure they are legit is a bit more complicated than ensuring your celebrant is duly authorised, but definitely worth the effort if you want to not only avoid disappointment on your wedding day, but ensure that they are going to meet your expectations...  More ...

Genius Wedding Planning in a Nutshell     

Categories: | Wedding Planning |
(30/10/2019)
It's easy and simple to build your own wedding planner and checklist based on the reality of your wedding. What this means is that you create your own list of deadlines in conjunction with your own To Do list to create an infinitely scalable planner, suitable for big weddings, small weddings, and microweddings regardless of how much lead time you have...  More ...

Don't let FOMO wreck your budget ... or your wedding     

Categories: | Wedding Budget| Wedding Planning |
(27/10/2019)
Fear of Missing Out can prompt you to spend money without due consideration or sign up to wedding services in a hurry, leaving you with Buyers Remorse, or worse...   More ...

Wedding Insurance

Categories:  | Wedding Planning |
(12/10/2019)
However good your Plan B is, it may well not be adequate where a catastrophic natural disaster, severe illness, or vendor non-performance is concerned. Having to cancel or postpone your wedding can be financially very costly,
unless you are insured.....  More ...

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 ....  More ...

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?...  More ...

More than one Plan B for your wedding is a must!

Categories:  | Wedding Planning |
(26/09/2019)
You need Plans B1, B2, and B3 to cover all eventualities and to make sure your wedding can go ahead on the day ...  More ...

Saying I Do in Secret (it's legal!)

Categories:  | Wedding Legals |Wedding Planning |
(18/09/2019)
If you choose to be married with a civil celebrant in Australia you can be married in secret ...  More ...

7 Surprising Facts about Getting Married in Australia

Categories:  | Wedding Legals |Wedding Planning |
(16/09/2019)
Getting married in Australia is easier than many people imagine - here are some little known facts that confirm that. ...  More ...

Balloons and Bushfires 

Categories:  Naming Ceremonies | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Rituals | Wedding Planning |
(12/09/2019)
Balloon releases can cause or spread bushfires  More ...

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... More ...

20 things you can do in a backyard wedding
that you most likely won’t be able to do anywhere else

Categories: Wedding Planning |
(15/08/2019)
Hosting your own wedding in your own backyard opens up a wide range of possibilities, not only to save money, but also to make your wedding totally unique because you have complete control over every aspect of the day in a way you don’t if you marry in a wedding venue, or even in a public park   More ...

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.   More ...

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.. ...   More ...

Showcasing Wedding Photographers

Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(05/05/2019)
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.   More ...

Surprise Weddings - How to have a successful 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 ...    More ...

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 ...    More ...

Your Wedding Scentscape: 7 top tips to a planning a memory-making wedding

Categories: Wedding Planning |
(08/03/2019)
Science tells us that smells trigger more vivid emotional memories and are better at inducing that feeling of “being brought back in time” than images.  Science also tells us that fragrances can have a powerful calming effect. When planning your wedding, plan for the memories. One of the simplest ways to do that is to plan not only how your ceremony, and the celebration afterwards will look and feel, but also how it smells....  More ...

Weddings are rife with bullying – and its got to stop

Categories:  Wedding Planning | Wedding Traditions |
(22/02/2019)
There are many forms of common wedding bullying and it is not all about the bride bullying the bridesmaids...  More ...

Has Marriage Equality Changed Weddings? – My Predictions Revisited

Categories: Inclusive Wedding | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning |
(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?   More ...

How to have a Gracious Wedding

Categories:  Inclusive Wedding | Wedding Planning |
(22/11/2018)
Most couples today host their own weddings. Here are 35 ways to make sure that everyone feels welcome, appreciated, and both physically and emotionally comfortable.  ...    More ...

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.  ...    More ...

Reduce Your Wedding Stress

Categories: Wedding Planning |
(16/11/2018)
8 easy ways to take control of your wedding and reduce your wedding stress  ...    More ...

You, Your Wedding, and Trans-Gender and Non-Binary Inclusivity

Categories: Inclusive Wedding | Wedding Planning |
(27/10/2018)
If you’re a Cis-gender couple planning your own wedding, issues of gender identity may not be front and centre in the process. However there are good reasons why they should be. Here are some tips on how to make sure your wedding is a comfortable and inclusive experience for everyone who attends, regardless of their gender identity.    More ...

8 Simple Ways to Keep Within your Wedding Budget

Categories: Wedding Budget | Wedding Planning |
(23/10/2018)
One of the most difficult aspects of wedding planning is keeping within your wedding budget. Here are 8 simple things that will make that a breeze ...    More ...

The Importance of Wedding Invitations ... and other Wedding Stationery

Categories: Wedding Planning |
(16/02/2018)
Of all the "must haves" attached to a wedding, the two that seem to be pushed to the bottom of the budget are the celebrant (without whom you'd just be having a very expensive party) and the invitations (without which none of the people you want to be there would know the important where and when facts)... More ...

How Marriage Equality Will Change Wedding Ceremonies

Categories: Wedding Ceremony | Inclusive Wedding | Wedding Planning |
(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 ... More ...

Multicultural Fusion Weddings

Categories: Inclusive Weddings | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Planning | Wedding Rituals | Wedding Traditions |
(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 ... More ...

8 Things I've Learned Over 11 Years of Being a Marriage Celebrant

Categories:  Wedding Planning |
(04/01/2018)
Some of the things I've learned include it is never too early to book important vendors, the most common questions asked, the most common fear, and more ... More ....

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 ... More ...

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 ... More ...

How to have an Environmentally Friendly and Socially Conscious Wedding

Categories: Wedding Budget | Wedding Planning |
(25/10/2016)
Environmentally friendly celebrations do not have to lack style. As well as ensuring that you do not start your married life by unwittingly contributing to climate change or environmental damage, making socially conscious choices can save you money – and provide a defensible justification for not breaking the bank!  Here's how  ... More ...

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 ... More ...

How much does a wedding cost?

Categories: Wedding Budget | Wedding Planning |
 (18/09/2016)
While other parts of the retail sector are seeing a downturn, even though the number of weddings in Australia per year is dropping, the wedding industry is flourishing - and that is costing couples big time. But it doesn't have to ... More ...

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 ... More ...

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 ...  More ...

How to avoid getting less than you paid for ... or more than you bargained for ... when booking your ceremony

Categories: Wedding Budget | Wedding Ceremony |  Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |
(04/09/2016)
Insider tips about what to look at when considering a ceremony package...   More ...

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 ... More ...

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 ... More ...

6 Good Reasons to Celebrate when Something Goes Wrong at your Wedding

(updated 26/07/2017)
Categories: Wedding Planning |

Bali Weddings

Categories: Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |
 (27/07/2016 updated 25/09/2019 to reflect changes in Indonesian law)
Everything you need to know about getting married with an Australian celebrant in Bali ...  More ...

10 Things we "Know" about Getting Married that Ain't So

Categories: Wedding Legals | Wedding Planning |
(26/07/2016)
As Artemus Ward said 'It ain't so much the things we don't know that get us in trouble. It's the things we know that ain't so.' In wedding land there are a lot of common beliefs that just aren't true ...  More ...

How to get the best "getting ready" photos

Categories: Wedding Planning |
(23/07/2016)
Ensuring that your 'getting ready' photos are fantastic requires not just a photographer with skills and a good eye, but some preparation on the part of the bridal party.   ...  More ...

How to create a talking logo for your wedding 

Categories: Wedding Planning |
(23/07/2016)
Borrow a tool from business networking for effective communication about your wedding  ...  More ...

Scottish Islamic Tartan

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 ... More ...