What do your fees for marriage celebrant services cover?

Some people think that marriage celebrants turn up for 20 minutes, conduct the wedding, and then go home.  If that was the case, the fees for celebrant services would be much less....and you probably wouldn't be legally married.

All Australian registered marriage celebrants must; undertake training, pay an annual registration fee, and complete 5 hours of professional development every year, maintain a small office.

So, I am not just the essential legal part of your marriage ceremony, I am also your adviser, your script writer, your producer, your director - and your friend and support as we journey towards your big day!

My celebrant packages includes:

• Completion of the Notice of Intended Marriage Form
• Reserving the date your have chosen for your wedding
• Ideas for your ceremony, which includes providing sample ceremonies, vows, poems, and many ideas for rituals within the ceremony. 
• Provision of Relationship Services information
• As many meetings as necessary at my home office
• All my administration costs; email, phone, postage, stationery etc
• Preparation of all necessary legal documentation
• Writing your ceremony with your input and as many updates, changes as you want
• Having your final approval of the ceremony
• A run through or rehearsal, of your ceremony in my office about one week before the wedding.
• Preparation of the Declaration of No Legal Impediment for you
• Provision of a portable P.A. system if needed
• Professional Indemnity & Public Liability Insurance
• Change of Name information
• I arrive at your venue at least 30 minutes before the start of your ceremony to make sure the PA is set up and to liaise with photographers, musicians etc
• Conducting your ceremony to ensure that all your guests can hear 
• Keepsake copy of your ceremony
• Presentation copy of your marriage certificate
• Ensuring that your ceremony complies with Australian Marriage Law
• Registering your marriage online, and ordering your registered certificate of marriage for you if you wish

Contact me at esearle@optusnet.com.au to talk about arranging your marriage.

Weddings: 2013 etiquette and fresh traditions exposed

Weddings: 2013 etiquette and fresh traditions exposed

An interesting article about old and new wedding traditions from CBS news.

Handfasting - a centuries old traditional which remains popular.

Have a look at my Pinterest Page for lots of wedding ideas

Looking for ideas for your wedding ceremony?  Go to my Pinterest page for lots of photos and ideas for all aspects of the day.  pinterest.com/elainesearle/

http://theknot.ninemsn.com.au/wedding-planning/ceremony-wedding-planning/tips-ideas/wedding-planning-the-10-wedding-rules-you-can-break/attachment/family-decor

TEN Wedding Rules You Can Break - an interesting article from The Knot

marriage celebrant officiant sydney - elaine searle - wedding ceremony - Sydney Marriage Celebrant Home

marriage celebrant officiant sydney - elaine searle - wedding ceremony - Sydney Marriage Celebrant Home


Click on the link above to go to my Marriage Celebrant website for lots of information  about organising a wedding ceremony and to contact me if you wish to talk about your wedding plans.

Elaine Searle - your friendly, professional and ethical Marriage Celebrant

Go to my website for help with starting the process of organising your wedding ceremony

Click on the link above to take you to my website for information and contact details.

Your Perfect Outdoor Wedding Ceremony

Outdoor Wedding IdeasMany couples want to marry in a beautiful outdoor location, whether it is in a park, on a beach, in the bush or lake or river-side.  A lovely natural setting can really enhance your wedding ceremony but there are some things to keep in mind when you are making your arrangements.

1.       Firstly, it is most important to have a wet weather plan.  If you haven’t made provision for having a back-up plan for an indoor ceremony, it can be very stressful leading up to the wedding day and no-one wants to be drenched with rain during their ceremony. Many reception venues will allow you to hold your ceremony there if the weather is wet.

2.       Make sure that your wedding invitations include the wet weather option, directions to it, and a phone number to call if they are uncertain of where the ceremony is to be. You can leave a voicemail message on the day with details of the location.

3.       If you are happy to go ahead in light rain, or even if it looks like light rain, provide large umbrellas for your guests, and of course, for the wedding party.  They can be hired in a range of colours to suit your colour scheme, or you can borrow golf umbrellas from family and friends.

4.       Make sure that you have permission to hold your ceremony in the spot of your choice. Most outdoor locations require a permit from the local council or national parks. This usually involves a fee. Make sure that you book your spot as early as you can to avoid being disappointed by it not being available on your day.

5.       If your wedding is being held in the summer, you will need to think of a few things to make sure that your guests are comfortable.  Think about whether there is natural shade at the site and whether your ceremony can be held in the shady area. Again you could hire umbrellas or you can purchase pretty parasols quite cheaply & give one to every guest.  Fans can be bought quite cheaply too.  It is really thoughtful to provide bottled water for your guests as they will be at the ceremony venue well before the wedding party and may become hot and thirsty.

6.       In cold weather it’s a good idea to provide knee rugs on every chair.

7.       Check where the sun will be at the time of day your ceremony is being held.  Make sure that the sun isn’t directly in the eyes of the wedding party or in the eyes of the guests.  Nobody wants to be squinting into the sun.

8.       Find out if your chosen venue has public toilets nearby. 

9.       It is considerate to provide seating for older guests even if most of your guests will be standing for the ceremony.

10.   If you are having musicians, you may need to provide chairs for them.

11.   Walking on grass on high heels can be very tricky!  Stiletto heels with sink into the grass which is an ungainly look and will ruin the shoes.  There are several products on the market which are a clear plastic cap which fits on the heel of your shoe with a clear wider base, and which makes walking or standing on grass easy and possible.  Some of these products names are:  Starlettos, Heeline, The Soul Mates.

12.   Check the prevailing winds for your site.  You don’t want the bride and bridesmaids’  hair being blown over their faces or the bride’s veil flying off. 

13.   If you are getting married on the beach or on the water’s edge, check the tide schedule.  You don’t want to be washed away!  Also, it’s worth knowing that incoming tides can be quite noisy, and outgoing tides are less so.

14.   Make sure that your celebrant has a good PA system if you are getting married on the beach. The waves and wind can make it difficult for your guests to hear the words of your ceremony if a PA is not used.

15.  Check with the venue owner or local council etc. to see what decorations are permitted.  Most places allow rose petals, a carpet, chairs, bridal arch, balloons etc.  Most do not allow confetti or rice.   Make sure your styling is well secured so that it doesn’t fly off in a sudden gust of wind.

Parasols are a great idea for a sunny, beach wedding

16.   If you ceremony is very early in the day, or late in the afternoon or evening, it’s a good idea to have citronella candles to keep insects away.

An Unplugged Wedding

Would you like your guests to turn off their mobile phones and cameras and resist posting photos to Facebook until after the wedding?  An interesting article from Off Beat Bride blog. http://offbeatbride.com/2011/06/unplugged-wedding

Let the bride and groom and the ceremony be the centre of attention.

How to be a great Wedding Guest

An article from The Knot about dos & donts for wedding guests.
How to be a Great Wedding Guest from THE KNOT

Ten Wedding Rules you can break



The bride wore red and doesn't she look stunning!

Click on the link above for an article from The Knot about the Wedding Rules you can break.

Red shoes can be a fun accessory. This lovely photography by Curly Tree Photography.

HANDFASTING

Handfasting is an ancient Celtic tradition that you may wish to incorporate into your wedding ceremony.

It is ususally placed after the vows and ring exchange as the handfasting ceremony symbolises your commitment to each other in marriage.  Ribbons or cords are used for the tying of your wrists and below is the traditional meaning for colours.

Dark Blue: for a safe journey and longevity

Light Blue: for understanding and patience

Pink: for romance, honour, partnership and happiness
Green: for health, prosperity, luck, beauty and fertility
Red: for courage, strength and passion
Yellow: for wisdom and harmony
Brown: for healing animals and the home
Silver: for creativity and protection
Gold: for unity, prosperity and longevity
White: for peace, sincerity and devotion

This couple had their handfasting specially made for them.  Others may use a plain white ribbon. It's all individual. Photograph from Mint Photography of Randwick.

PreWedding Planning Mistakes

Click on the link above for an article from The Knot, Australia (http://www.theknot.com.au/) about what to avoid when you are planning your wedding.

New Rules for planning a wedding from THE KNOT

Click on the link above for an interesting article about the new rules for planning a wedding from The Knot online newsletter, for example, who pays for the wedding, do you have to wear white, etc.?

A beautiful garden wedding with paper pom poms as a charming decoration

Wet weather predicted until the end of 2010

The Bureau of Meteorology http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/glossary/lanina.shtml has advised that Australia is experiencing a La Nina event, which means that rainfalls will be above average at least until the end of 2010, and possibly up to about April of 2011.

So, if you are planning your wedding in this time, be very sure to have a wet weather plan.  I hope that your beach, park or garden wedding will be held in beautiful, sunny weather.  But in case there is rain, have a good plan in place so that your ceremony can be held somewhere else with the minimum of fuss. If it does rain, just remember the Irish saying that "every drop of rain on your wedding day is a drop of happiness in your marriage".  You really can't lose!

Many reception venues are happy for you to have your ceremony there if the day is wet.  However, you will need to make the decision early in the day so that they can prepare for you.

Some parks have gazebos, or rotundas, or other forms of shelter.  When choosing your venue, think about what you will do in the eventuality of heavy rain.

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Article from the Sydney Morning Herald about illegal marriage vows

You can be assured that all marriages which I conduct contain the legally correct wording for the vows.

I am happy to discuss any aspect of the legal requirements for marriage in Australia.

RUFFLED a wedding blog full of creative ideas for weddings

Brides Know Best

A blog where brides share their tips and wedding wisdom

Child-friendly wedding tips

Another article from Examiner.com

Stone ceremony with unity bowl

At Yuki and Andrew's wedding, guests all added a polished stone to their glass vase. The stones symbolised the uniting of the families and the blessings of all the family and friends.