What’s included when we book you?

A full list of what’s included can be found in “The Fine Print” section of this document. Long story short, I’ll write a script (based on your story!) to be performed at your wedding ceremony. This will meet all legal requirements of Australian marriage law and we’ll have plenty of communication along the way to rock it out of the park!

What time do you arrive on the day?

I’ll arrive 45-90 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. It all depends on my familiarity with the venue along with certain factors like AV setup and how many suppliers I may have to check in with. You can trust that I’ll arrive within plenty of time to be fully prepared for the ceremony. We will discuss and pre-arrange a time so we are all on the same page.

What happens if you, the celebrant, have an emergency on the day and can’t make it?

The only possible reason this would happen is if I have an accident or family emergency on the way to your ceremony. During our final planning meeting I will provide you with a printed version of the ceremony script with all cues. This script, however, will not include the key legal words of the ceremony. This way you can have a friend or family member act as celebrant and deliver a “commitment ceremony.” Unfortunately, this means you will not be legally married however it will have all the same vibes of a real ceremony. You will then be able to become legally married as quickly as the details can get sorted out on a later date, ASAP. o More details can be found in The Fine Print and we’ll discuss this during our planning meetings. Just remember, this is only absolute worst case scenario.

What happens if our ceremony has a delayed start?

My policy states that I’ll stay for at least 60 minutes past the scheduled start time of the ceremony. If I have a prior commitment or another ceremony to officiate, I’ll have to leave after the 60 minutes to get to that. Don’t worry, by the day of the wedding everything will be planned to a T. If I have no prior commitments I will stay as long as it takes.

What happens if it rains and we are having an outdoor ceremony?

I encourage all couples to consider this scenario and plan accordingly for an indoor backup plan. Worst case scenario, a pop-up tent or gazebo is good to have on hand to at least protect you guys and the important paperwork! I know it’s a tough decision to make, but in my personal opinion it’s always better to play it safe if rain is on the schedule and move to your indoor option or backup plan. With all the work/time put into your wedding, you don’t want to have to skip over the beautiful ceremony words and have your guests feeling damp, physically and emotionally, for the rest of the day.

Do we need a permit to get married in a park?

Sometimes yes, and it depends on the park! Usually you do need to purchase a permit to have a gathering in a park. All parks, though, have different policies. Definitely important to check in with the park’s council to observe rates and availability. Most of the time the fee is minimal to purchase a permit, but be sure to read their fine print which can sometimes include:

• A maximum # of chairs
• Sound ordinances (no speakers, live music, etc.)
• No pets (if you want to get your favourite animals involved in the ceremony!)
• Location specifications

Example: when purchasing a permit you may not get exclusive access to one specific spot… you might just get access to “the park.” If you’ve got one desired location in that park there is nothing stopping the general public from also being there on the day.

I usually arrive pretty early to the ceremony and am good at sweet talking people out of the spot! But no promises can be made. People are weird.

Should we have a rehearsal?

Yes, if you want one! No, if you don’t see it as something feasible.

When booking me as your celebrant I do include a rehearsal or final planning meeting as an option. Whether you have one is entirely up to your needs. In all honesty most couples choose to have a meeting with just me to go over the final draft of the script and some relevant information about what will happen on the day. If it’s easy to schedule and you can swing a rehearsal, definitely do it! The reasons people sometimes don’t have one is because there is a lot of final planning happening the week of the wedding and sometimes not everyone is easily available to be there. If planning a rehearsal becomes a source of stress, sometimes it’s best to just have that final phone call or meeting with me to put your mind at ease for everything ceremony related. A rehearsal is good if it’s easy but not completely necessary. Don’t worry if it’s not something that resonates with you. If it makes you feel better, as well, I’ll try to swing a site visit of the ceremony space to make sure I have everything completely sorted too.

How long does the ceremony take?

On average, ceremonies run from 15-30 minutes long. This gives time to meet all legal requirements and keep things short, sweet and intimate.

They can be as short as 5 minutes if you just want the absolute bare bones to meet the legal requirements, or as long as you’d like if you’ve got some grand ideas!

Can we write our own vows?

Yes! You can write and deliver your own vows in addition to the minimum legal vows. See the “legality” section for more detail.

"I’m a bit nervous about public speaking… do I have to use the microphone?"

Nope! This is much more common than you think. It’s a big moment to be fiddling around with a microphone, I get it. Australian marriage law does state that you must say your vows aloud to your partner with the celebrant and witnesses present. However, this means that if you want to go acapella on this one and just say them loud enough for those key people to hear, that’s all that matters! In this scenario I’ll usually say something along the lines of, “The couple have chosen to make their vows completely intimate and not use the microphone. This way they can focus just on each other during this special moment.” That’ll usually get some tears shedding from the guests!

What are the legal requirements for a marriage in Australia?

To be eligible for marriage in Australia you must:

• Be 18 years old by the date of the wedding.
• Not be an immediate family member of your partner.
• Freely consent to the marriage.
• Not be married already.

Besides that, I’ll provide all paperwork as you need it. I’ll also say a few key words during the ceremony and you’ll say your bare minimum “legal vows.” If you want to know more you can check out the “legality & vows” section of this guide.

Our venue or date has changed for the ceremony… What do we need to know?

Things happen and dates change! Totally understandable. Hopefully I’ll be around for the new date. If I am then nothing changes at all on my end. I’ll tweak the government paperwork to reflect the changes and away we go.

If I’m not available, I can help connect you to a new celebrant if you’d like. Either way let me know who your new celebrant is as I will have to transfer some legal documents to them. If you’ve paid the full balance for my services I will refund you the rate minus the initial booking fee.

There is a bit of discretion here when it comes to refunding the booking fee as well. It all depends on how much has been set in motion already. That booking fee covers initial meeting times and admin work on the paperwork for your wedding, If most of that has been done when your date changes, I will most likely not refund the booking fee. It’s not to be mean! It’s to cover the cost of time and work thus far.

Do you provide a speaker/microphone?

Yes! I have a portable speaker & microphone that you can use for your ceremony. It’s also worth it to check in with your ceremony venue to see what their AV system is like. It is pretty standard to add a charge for use of their audio as it can require extra staff.

You can see full specifications of the equipment I use in “The Fine Print” section of this guide. My setup at this exact moment is powerful enough for a crowd of about 125. We can discuss if you need something stronger.