Wedding Ceremonies
Marriage celebrant available in Brisbane, Logan & Redlands
A marriage is a celebration of the love of two people, generally shared with closest family and friends. It is a time of great excitement and joy. Your marriage ceremony is the most important part of the day. It is the words that are exchanged by you that bind you together for life. Considerable thought and reflection should be given when contemplating the words of the ceremony. This is something that can be done months in advance before the hectic last days before the wedding.
As an experienced and professional Marriage Celebrant in Brisbane, Logan, and Redlands, I provide samples of ceremonies for you to choose from, together with numerous verses and readings, and I will work with you to construct the ceremony you want. I often prepare several drafts along the way for your approval until the final copy is confirmed by you. I also have a strong delivery which will ensure that all guests will clearly hear and understand all words spoken during the ceremony.
I arrive well before the ceremony to ensure everything is running smoothly and to assist in any way possible. I dress according to the theme or style of the day. I ensure everyone is seated in correct places; that mobile phones are turned off or are on silent; that music is queued; and so on. I do more than just turn up and say the words of the ceremony. I take charge of the ceremony to ensure that it is a memorable and special occasion for all.
I have been a celebrant for over twenty-five years and have performed thousands of ceremonies. I attend annual compulsory professional development to keep abreast of changes to legislation and trends. I am truly committed to making your wedding ceremony a warm and friendly experience for those closest to you to witness you change from “I” to “we”.
All Commonwealth registered marriage celebrants are appointed by the Attorney-General's Department in Canberra. My conduct as a celebrant is governed by the Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants, as set out by that department.
Creating your Dream Ceremony
There are a number of ways of personalising your wedding ceremony and these include making reference to children from previous relationships; remembering loved ones passed; acknowledging special guests who are overseas or unable to attend for some reason and so the list goes on. I will provide suggestions during our meeting/s on how to incorporate some or all of these things. Symbols are also used during ceremonies like the lighting of unity candles; the joining of coloured sand into one container; hand fastening; and the love letters and wine box gesture. I am often asked how long the ceremony takes. Because you chose and write your own ceremony with my assistance, the ceremony is as long or as short as you would like it. I can provide guidance on this as we work together on its formation.
Many couples write their own vows which I place on palm cards for them to read to each other on the day. The vows must contain certain words, including your full name, to ensure that your marriage is valid. The only other ‘must have’ wording is referred to as the Monitum which is a short paragraph outlining what marriage means in Australia. Again, the Monitum must be spoken to ensure your marriage is not invalid. I have referenced this elsewhere on my website.
There has been a recent amendment to the Marriage Act in June 2024 which requires an authorised celebrant to meet separately and in person with each party to the marriage before the marriage is solemnised. The purpose of the meeting is to ensure that each party is freely and voluntarily consenting to the marriage. A separate meeting needs to occur in the absence of the other party to the marriage and in a culturally safe environment. Other persons can attend with the party’s permission. The timing of the separate meetings is at the discretion of the celebrant and the couple. It can occur at any time up to and including the day of the marriage, providing it occurs before the marriage is solemnised.
What Paperwork is required to get Married?
You will need to produce your birth certificate or overseas passport as proof of identity and photo ID such as a driver’s licence. If are not aware of the legal paperwork that must be completed prior to a wedding, please refer to my previous information concerning the Notice of Intended Marriage and timeframes.
Getting Married in Public Place
If being married in a park or public place, ensure that your celebrant carries public liability insurance which is a pre-requisite of all Councils for celebrants conducting ceremonies in their venues. Also consider an alternate venue in the case of unforeseen weather conditions.
Getting Married by a Marriage Celebrant
The first step in getting married is to lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage form with your celebrant. The form can be lodged up to 18 months prior to the wedding, and no later than one month before the date of the marriage. [Paragraph 42(1)(a) of the Marriage Act 1961 applies]
Giving notice 'not later than one month before the date of the marriage' - Examples of this are -
1. If the parties to an intended marriage give written notice (the NOIM) to a celebrant on 15 November, the first day the marriage could be solemnised would be 15 December
2. If the parties to an intended marriage give the NOIM to the celebrant on 31 August, the first day the marriage could be solemnised would be 1 October that year. This is because September (being the calendar month after August) only has 30 days.
3. In a year that is not a leap year, the notice period for a NOIM given on 29, 30 or 31 January ends at the end of February in that year. For a NOIM given to a celebrant on 29, 30 or 31 January, the first day the marriage can be solemnised is 1 March of that year.
4. In a leap year, the notice period for a NOIM given on 29 January, ends on 28 February, and the first day that the marriage could be solemnised is 29 February of that year.
What does a Marriage Celebrant Cost?
Wedding Ceremony Formalities
A marriage ceremony allows you the freedom to choose the type of ceremony you prefer. However there are certain words that must be said by the celebrant during a wedding ceremony to make it a lawful and valid wedding. These words are contained in Section 45 of the Marriage Act 1961 as follows:
"I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, (full name) take thee (full name) to be my lawful wedded wife (or husband or spouse)."
In addition, Section 46(1) requires the following words, a paragraph known as the Monitum, to be said by the Celebrant. The new Monitum took effect on 9 December 2017:
"I am duly authorized by law to solemnize marriages according to law. Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter. Marriage, according to the law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life."
Some couples have friends or family who are members of a clergy or other establishment and they would like this person to officiate at their wedding. However this person is not authorised to solemnise marriages in Australia. I can liaise with that person to deliver the ceremony that you want. According to law, it is only the Commonwealth registered marriage celebrant who can administer the vows (as contained in Section 45 and the Monitum (as contained in Section 46(1) of the Marriage Act 1961).
After the Wedding Ceremony
Following the ceremony, you can apply for a certified copy of your marriage certificate through the Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages in Queensland.
In recent times, government departments such as Transport, Immigration, Medicare and the Passport office have refused to accept the Certificate of Marriage presented to couples on the wedding day. This is because that document does not indicate that following the wedding, the required documents were registered in accordance with the Act. These departments therefore require a certified copy issued under the hand of the Registrar.
As part of my service to you, I can provide you with an application form which you need to submit to the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages following your wedding. Because of privacy laws, only a party to the marriage can apply for the certificate. The current fee for a standard certificate is $54.40 and this cost is incurred by the applicant.
Overseas Wedding Ceremonies
The thought of organising a wedding from overseas is daunting to most couples however the process is relatively easy. All couples must complete the Notice of Intended Marriage within the required time frames; the form can be downloaded from my website or from the Attorney-General’s website. It is simply a matter of completing the form and having the signatures of both parties witnessed before a Notary Public or other authorised person outlined on the back of the NOIM.
The original form along with certified photocopies of relevant documents such as birth/death/divorce certificates are then mailed to me. The original of these documents must be presented to me upon arrival in Australia.
Both parties must produce copies of their birth certificates. Depending on your country of birth, it may be necessary to have your original birth certificate translated into English by a qualified translator. If you are unable to locate your birth certificate and you were born overseas, you are able to produce your passport as proof of birth. If you are born in Australia or New Zealand, you must produce your birth certificate.
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