FAQs

Do you accept cash or EFT?

Both! When we first meet up to fill out all the paperwork, I require a $100 deposit with the balance to be paid in full at least one month in advance, or you can pay for your ceremony in full at our first meeting. Whatever is most comfortable.

Why did you become a Celebrant?

I blame my heritage for instilling in me a huge passion for weddings, and the celebration of important milestones and family events. And ever since I was roped into drafting love letters for my friends in high school, I’ve been enthusiastic about the public declaration of love! It always makes my heart fit to burst. I’m a huge romantic and relish the opportunity to get the words right for vows to knock your partner’s socks off, and craft a ceremony that allows both of your personalities shine through.

In the 10 years prior to becoming a celebrant I was repeatedly asked by friends if I could solemnise their marriages, and I had to decline, settling instead for an MC or bridesmaid position (or both!). I bit the bullet and in December 2018 became a fully licenced civil celebrant. It was such a joy to finally say YES PLEASE when people asked me if I could marry them!

Can I use my Wedding Certificate to change my name?

Your Commemorative Wedding Certificate is a beautiful keepsake from your wedding day, but you will need to apply to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in your state for an official Certificate of Marriage to proceed with changing your name and applying for a new passport, etc. Information about applying for your Official Certificate of Marriage in NSW is available here, and applying to change your name for NSW residents is available here.

Do you come with you own PA system?

I absolutely do! For no extra charge I can bring along my professional Mipro PA System, which works beautifully indoors and outdoors, carrying the words and music of your ceremony to the ears of all your guests. It also has a super long battery life – which means as your celebrant I am prepared for anything! At one wedding, after concluding the ceremony the power went out at the reception due to a bad storm. While the venue staff scrambled to light candles, I cheerfully whipped out the PA and within moments we had music playing in the background and clear audio for the speeches. (Phew!)

(For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) Can I have a celebrant as an alternative to a Bishop for a civil wedding ceremony?

Since 6 May 2019, all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints choosing to be sealed in the temple can now elect to be married civilly prior to their sealing. A huge round of applause for that policy change!

While your Bishop can marry you, usually at a chapel or sometimes an alternative venue of your choice, you may wish to consider a celebrant who is also a vibrant and committed member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community, who is ready to assist you in creating a warm and inclusive civil wedding ceremony for everyone that you love, adjacent to your temple sealing for time and eternity. The choice is entirely yours.

I’m not really a romantic. Do I have to say all that gross stuff out loud?

No. A hard no! Let’s talk right now about the elephant in the room: Your wedding should not be a copy/paste affair where you drag out all the same quotes you heard last year at your second cousin Jessie’s wedding (sorry Jess). You should definitely not feel pressure to conform to any ideas about what you think a ceremony should look and sound like. If something isn’t genuine to you both, then simply don’t include it. It just becomes faff, and doesn’t need to be part of the picture.

And yet…

You don’t get married every single day, so if you really don’t want to represent your romantic sentiments in your own wedding ceremony, maybe just go with a nice picnic instead? Just kidding! I find what most people find uncomfortable is being vulnerable or crying in front of people they care about when they share the private with the public. Especially with vows. Which is completely normal! This is why you’re hiring me! We’ll discuss every aspect of your ceremony, and I’ll provide you with plenty of options for each segment of your ceremony. We’ll work on it together until we get the tone and sentiment right and you are completely happy with it, from beginning to end.

What do I have to bring to our first meeting and what’s all this talk about paperwork?

Nobody likes paperwork, but for your wedding to be legal in Australia it’s a necessary evil. For our first official meet up, you can pre-fill a Notice of Intended Marriage form, available online here, or we can fill it in together along with your Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage form, also available here. All you’ll need to bring are your original birth certificates and photo ID (driver’s licences, etc) or your passports. If you have been previously married, please bring along your Decree Absolute or Death Certificate of your previous spouse. It’s that simple!