Ceremonies with Tanya, offers formal or informal ceremonies, whether it be on a beach, on a boat, headland or in a floral garden, it would be my pleasure to provide you with my professional wedding celebrant services.

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I will attend to all legal paperwork so that at the end of the day you can rest assured your marriage will be registered and you will be recognised legally as husband and wife. You will receive a commemorative marriage certificate.

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I will set aside as much time as you need, to discuss and listen to your wishes and ideas and I encourage you to have as much input as your desire.

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I have lots of sample ceremony’s & material/poems available, you can choose my words or create your own (the possibilities are endless)! Either way I will help and guide you in the design of your Personalised Ceremony.

‘Planning the special day’ – this can be an overwhelming task but with my advice and professional service, plus the added recourses I have provided below it will be much easier than you thought and a lot of fun too.

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Your wedding day is a day you will want to remember forever. A Civil Wedding allows you the freedom to hold your Ceremony anywhere you like. The ideal location for your wedding ceremony would be your favourite park, beach, headland or garden,  on land or on a boat the options are limitless. The time can be sunrise or sunset or anywhere in between – it’s your choice (the strike of midnight if you fancy).

Choosing a Wedding Celebrant is a very important decision. When meeting with a Celebrant you should feel a connection, after all one your big day you want to feel that the person standing at the alter with you has a calming influence. It can be intense with all the excitement. A Celebrant should be warm, approachable and sincere, please feel free to contact me and we can have an obligation free chat.

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• I attend to all legal paperwork.

• Together with you I will create your personalised, individual Ceremony.

• I provide everything necessary for the Ceremony. Including;

• PA system – ensuring every word is heard by your guests.

• Music may be played through my PA.

• Portable table and chair with white cloth, for signing of marriage certificate and marriage register.

• I will Solemnize your marriage according to Australian Law.

• I will register your wedding with Births Deaths and Marriages.

The Ceremony will take approx 20 to 30 minutes (it can be longer or shorter if you prefer) and must include:-

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Monitum
Legal element from the Marriage Act – spoken by the Celebrant.

Vows
Marriage commitment – repeated after the celebrant – no need to memorise.

The Ceremony may include:

Readings/Poems
Up to 2, this will give your ceremony some balance and help set the mood. (may be read by family member or friend or Celebrant)

The Giving Away
Optional. This is generally done by both or one parent or a family member/ close friend.

The Asking
I will ask you, if you take one another as husband and wife. The answer being “I do” or “I will”.

The Ring Exchange

There may be two rings, one ring or no rings, this is completely your choice

Declaration and Kiss
Declaration of marriage.

There are many gorgeous and meaningfull rituals such as:

• Sand Ceremony

• Butterfly Release

• Dove Release

• Ring warming

• Hand fasting

There are many options and including one of these can add dimension to your ceremony

Before you can be married in Australia you will need to complete a Notice of Intended Marriage form (NIM) no later that 1 month and 1 day prior to your Wedding. This can be lodged 18 months in advance. This may be done by fax or email, followed by the hard copy in the mail. A booking fee is required at this stage with the balance of the fee due 7 days prior to the wedding. For more information please follow the link on the links page.

Some of the documents I may need to sight are:

• If born in Australia – Original Birth Certificates.

• If born overseas – Original Birth Certificate or Overseas Passport.

• If either of you have been married before – Original Divorce Decree papers or Death Certificate of a previous spouse.

• Passports – Australian or Overseas

• Drivers Licence for photo Identification if passport is not available.

Two witnesses over the age of 18 are required to sign the Marriage Register and Certificates. This is often an opportunity to include people into your ceremony. It may be your Best Man and Maid of Honour, or, you can have the mother of the bride and mother of the groom, or your grandparents, or godparents etc etc. As long as they are over 18 years of age. Being asked to witness and sign the legal documents is quite the honour and by choosing people other than those in the wedding party you can involve more people on your special day.

If you are choosing to elope, I can supply two witnesses for the day. We would discuss this as part of the preparation for your ‘elopement’ style wedding.

It may be possible (although not guaranteed) to request a shortening of time, if you are unable to wait 1 month and 1 day to marry. You will need to meet with me to fill in a Notice of Intended Marriage form (NIM). You can then apply to a prescribed authority for approval. (Your local court or Registry Officials) They are the only ones who can shorten the required period provided they are satisfied that the circumstances prescribed in the regulations are met. These circumstances are:

• Employment related or other travel commitments.

• Wedding or celebration arrangements, or religious considerations.

• Medical reasons.

• Legal proceedings.

• Error in giving notice.

It is up to the prescribed authority to approve the application, and is not an automatic process. It is always best to plan ahead.

Your Personal choice – to be played before the ceremony and the guests are waiting, perhaps a song for the bridesmaids as they walk the aisle and one during the bride’s arrival. Some brides like to have a separate song for the bridal party (bridesmaids and flower girls) to walk down the aisle – followed by a song that is just for the bride. Then a song or two to play whilst signing the legal documents. Also consider having a song to play at the end of the service – an upbeat, celebratory song, this is your announcement to the world you are husband and wife!

It is not fashionable to be late! Consider your guests, who may be elderly and become hot, tired and thirsty. Your reception, caterers, photographers and musicians are all running to a time schedule. If the Ceremony starts late so does everything else.

Trial run your arrival, one week prior.

Allow time for any unforeseen events – traffic jams, etc.

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As your celebrant I will always arrive to the ceremony early to ensure that I am set up and to offer any assistance. 

Council approval may be required for public venues. This coves insurance and public liability. Please check with your council or park if you are required to book, it would be unfortunate to be fined on your wedding day.

A large umbrella in the wedding car in case of rain.

Take things slowly – there is no need to rush, remember to breath and relax and above all else be yourself – you have worked hard to achieve this Special Day – it’s yours to enjoy.

Bride will sign her maiden name on all documents.

• Have a plan B available in case of bad weather:

• An alternative venue for holding the Ceremony indoors.

• 30 – 50 umbrellas available for guests for rain.

• Consider parasols in the summer for ladies to provide shade, or look for options with natural shade, trees offer a lovely backdrop and protect the elderly from the heat of summer.

All Celebrants have many bookings ahead of time so locking in with your celebrant may be one of the first things you should do. Contact me to check my availability and we can arrange a meeting. I am happy to come to you should it be difficult to come to me.

Getting married on the sunny down under beaches may be your dream. Australia has many beautiful spots  to get married in, with its spectacular Harbour, stunning Botanical Gardens and white sandy beaches – and is certainly possible. Please contact me for all the details. Once married you will need to apply to Births Deaths and Marriages to apply for your Official Marriage Certificate, I will provide the application form. All the necessary arrangements for your wedding can be done by email, phone or fax from you home town.

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Please check with your local authorities for full details of recognition of marriage in your country. Some countries require a special stamp which needs to be obtained at your country’s Consulate in Sydney, before you leave Australia – it cannot be done when you arrive home.