Sweet Ceremonies

Marriages

A ceremony takes careful planning and choosing the "right" Celebrant will make all the difference: your Celebrant can help create a ceremony which is uniquely yours, reflects your feelings and beliefs, and will make your special day one to be remembered for the rest of your life.

Congratulations! You're getting married. What a wonderful and exciting time it is right now for you and your partner. You are beginning to plan an occasion you will want to remember for the rest of your life. With a maze of options to choose from and decisions to make it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

Don't worry: with Deborah, you are in the hands of a qualified, professionally trained Civil Marriage Celebrant duly appointed and authorised to solemnise marriages according to Australian Law. Great care and attention to detail is her philosophy. Furthermore, Deborah will listen.

Your wedding is about you and what you have dreamed it to be and Deborah will help you create a ceremony that reflects your wishes, personality, feelings and beliefs.

You didn't come about the decision to marry lightly - it took time and effort to make sure your partner was the right person for you to spend the rest of your life with. Once the decision was made and the offer accepted, the joy and elation followed. You now want to share that joy with family and friends in a most memorable way - your wedding day!

You now need to take the time to consider exactly how you want to get married and by whom; the date, place and time of your wedding; where your ceremony will take place - a church, gardens, family home and so forth; and whether you want a religious or civil ceremony. If you have come this far, chances are you are looking for a civil ceremony.

Choosing The Celebrant

There are a multitude of Celebrants eagerly wanting to perform your ceremony, but not all Celebrant's offer a high level of quality service, flexibility and care. There are four basic rules to follow when choosing a Celebrant:

1. Does she/he sound friendly, interested in listening to you and answering your questions? You want a Celebrant who listens. A Celebrant needs to be able to provide you with answers to questions (even if they can't answer you immediately, you should expect them to get back to you with a reply soon). A warm and friendly demeanour is important, too.

2. Is the Celebrant able to provide you with a range of ideas and willing to assist in the writing of vows? Don't let a Celebrant impose their tastes on you. A Celebrant should offer a range of previously-used or designed vows for you to use or gain inspiration from, as well as offer advice and suggestions in helping you to write your own, if you desire. Generally, the whole ceremony lasts for 20-30 minutes. Apart from a few specific sections which must be included according to Law, the Celebrant should help you create a ceremony to suit your needs. The Celebrant should have as much or as little input in its creation as you request. Some couples like to create the wedding ceremony entirely from their own ideas, while others want little or no input and are happy to be provided with a range of ideas and suggestions from their Celebrant. Either way, be sure you get to approve a copy of the ceremony beforehand - you have the final say in your ceremony. Celebrants should also co-ordinate all aspects of the ceremony, which includes performing readings on request and performing the ceremony at any agreed location.

3. Do you feel comfortable and confident with them? A good Celebrant will put you at ease, be mature and capable of handling all situations on the day, arrive at least 20 mins prior to the commencement time and perform the ceremony as agreed by you and to your wishes. This is your day, not theirs.

Costs

What are the Celebrant's fees and what is included? Importantly, do not base your decision on price alone: the cheapest is often not the best. Equally, expensive doesn't necessarily mean quality, either. There is nothing worse than agreeing to one thing, only to find out there are a whole lot of 'other' things that weren't mentioned before that now have to be considered. Be sure to get a written quote detailing the fee schedule and what is covered.

Make sure there are no "hidden extras." Planning a wedding should be a happy occasion, free of additional and unexpected costs.

A Beautiful Day

Whoever you decide to perform your ceremony, be sure that you feel comfortable with the Celebrant and confident that they will provide a professional service and help create a memorable ceremony to your needs, for you, your family and your friends to share. This is your day.

May all your plans be successful and I wish you a happy future.

Any Questions?

Contact Deborah at any time with any questions you may have. She is only too happy to help. Alternatively, the Resources link will be updated soon offering a large range of free information and links to assist you in planning your special day.

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."

Helen Keller