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.

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

Saving Costs and still having a Dream Wedding

Click on the link above for an article from the Sydney Morning Herald about how to have a lovely wedding without blowing out the budget.

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.

Cost of Registry Office Weddings in New South Wales

The cost of getting married in the office at the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages in New South Wales

Monday to Friday, 8am - 4.30 pm it will cost you $350 plus cost of Reg.Cert. Total is $398
Friday evening and weekends, it will cost you $445 plus cost of Reg.Cert.       Total is $493

So, why would you go and have an impersonal wedding ceremony in a small office with no choice of vows or other wording, when for a little more you can have your ceremony when you want it and where you want it and have input regarding the design and wording of your ceremony?

Contact me to talk about your individual, personal wedding ceremony, at 0402 810 062 or esearle@optusnet.com.au

Not exactly a romantic setting!

Tie the Knot on Excess

Click on link above to read an article from the Daily Telegraph on reducing costs on weddings.

Choice Magazine article on cost of wedding suppliers

Weddings Weather the Financial Storm from the Sydney Morning Herald

Weddings weather financial stormCHRIS ZAPPONE
August 25, 2009
The global financial crisis is so far proving no match for the wedding plans of Australians, causing only a modest nod to thrift.
The average wedding cost $31,948 this year, down 4.2 per cent from $33,349 in 2008, with spending set to recover much of the drop within a year, according the research from IBISWorld.
''IBISWorld is forecasting the average wedding spend will rise next year to $33,010,'' said Mr Robert Bryant, general manager IBISWorld Australia.
''The industry overall was worth $3.9 billion in 2008, which will fall to $3.7 billion this year before largely recovering in 2010 to produce revenue of $3.8 billion. Basically, weddings are still big business,'' he said.
Couples are prepared to pay for the custom-made wedding dress, with skimping - if any - limited to spending on receptions and fancy extras, Mr Bryant said.
''This might mean trading the horse and carriage and flock of live doves for a Commodore and confetti,'' he said
Portfolios squeezed
Mr Bryant said the slumping share portfolios, particularly among the parents of the brides and grooms, is the key factor that pulled down the wedding expenditures this year.
''Booking for next year should be coming around now but they're not coming as fast as expected,'' said Alan Woo of Akwoo Photography in Melbourne.
Mr Woo said this current year's bookings happened ''very fast.'' Nonetheless, there are still similar numbers of people visiting the company's website.
Meanwhile, shifting social patterns are also giving couples more flexibility when timing their nuptials.
''Around 76.8 per cent of Australian couples live together before tying the knot, taking the pressure off hurrying into marriage,'' IBIS's Mr Bryant said.
''This means more and more couples are delaying their big day until the financial time is right, so while the current crisis may see some couples think twice before setting the date, those who already have plans in motion will persevere.''
Although the economy is not growing at the pace seen before the emergence of the financial crisis, companies that sell wedding services may ''be more inclined to offer better deals on everything from dresses to cakes.''
Mr Woo said he has noticed more people are buying DVD packages of their weddings, rather than the printed photos as well.

czappone@fairfax.com.au