Such a beautiful wedding

What a beautiful wedding it was for Christine and James.

Christine and James married in the woodland setting at Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley.  It was truly a lovely setting for the ceremony and reception.  It was one of the most joyful and love filled occasions I have been privileged to be a part of.  

A wonderful country wedding

When Ingrid married Scott recently, they held their ceremony and reception on a friend's acreage near their work in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.  They did much of the work themselves on the decorations and games for the guests to play between the ceremony and reception.
I was a lovely, warm-hearted and personal wedding day and one which will live in the hearts of the happy couple as well as all of their guests who shared in this joyous day.

A very sweet and funny wedding sign

Wedding Vows

Witnessing the Marriage Register

Fun and laughter at this beach wedding

Peggy and Jeff have made a very deep commitment to each other and wanted their family and friends to share in their joy as they made their formal declaration of their commitment in marriage and celebrated in their style!  I just loved being a part of this fun-filled day.

Many couples have petals thrown at the end of their ceremony but Peggy and Jeff chose to have their guests throw beach balls.  What Fun!

I loved this gorgeous couple!

Wedding at The Basin, on Pittwater

The ferry wharf at The Basin

The marquee, beautifully styled and decorated by Julia and family members

When David and Julia contacted me and asked me to be their celebrant for their wedding at The Basin on Pittwater, I thought that it was a great idea, but also a big challenge for them to organise a ceremony and reception at the camping ground reserve there.

The only access to The Basin is by boat (or by quite a long bush walk) so the logistics of having about 80 guests for the wedding could have been a bit daunting.

Not for this couple...they have had many happy holidays in this lovely spot and that is why they chose it as the perfect spot to celebrate their commitment to each other in marriage and the joining of their families. They decided on a "blue" theme for their wedding and asked that all the guests (and me) wearing blue.

Julia and her daughters did a wonderful job of designing and decorating the ceremony space which was just stunning!

It was the happiest of family occasions and really was such a joy for me to be a part of the day. I loved my ferry ride from Palm Beach and back, and even met some of the guests on the ferry on the way there. Photographs all taken by guests.

 

David's daughter was the ring bearer

With this ring......

Married!

Northern Beaches couple - Liz and Sam

One of the best spots on the northern beaches for a wedding ceremony is  Governor Phillip Park
at north Palm Beach.  Many couples choose to hold their ceremony here, and then move to nearby Dunes Restaurant for their reception.

This is what this delightful couple, Liz and Sam chose as their wedding day plan, with a beachy, casual feel to the day.  Sam is English and his family were delighted to find that not only were they at beautiful Palm Beach, but right near where Home and Away is filmed!  Matt Read, from Reedy Photography took most of their pics and a few were taken by guests. Bride and Groom both arrived in Kombis, true to the feel of this casual, northern beaches wedding.  And of course, their dog was there to offer his congratulations after the ceremony.

What a pretty bride - & I loved the bridesmaids choice of mint green gowns.

They presented their mothers with a rose during the ceremony

The newlyweds - so happy to be married.

The special guest

A Garden Wedding for Glenn and Honi

The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney have long been a familiar and loved site for Sydneysiders and visitors.  In earlier times, the head gardener and his family occupied a rather lovely stone cottage in the grounds, which is now known as the Lion Gate Lodge, because of the statues of lions just outside the gateway into the grounds of this cottage.

These days the cottage and its lovely garden may be hired for a wedding ceremony and the cottage used for the reception.  I think it's a great choice - a bit like having a lovely home and garden to hold your wedding in.  This is where a delightful couple, Honi and Glenn chose to have their ceremony and reception.  Here's the link for a better look at this venue.
 Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, ceremony and reception venues

The lawn area before the ceremony

I was delighted when they asked me to be their celebrant and we worked on an individual ceremony which was true to them.  There were many family and friends there, and all so happy to be a part of this truly beautiful wedding day. Jasmine Kooper of Jazzy Photograhy took their gorgeous happy and romantic shots.

Lion Gate Lodge

Honi's sisters were her bridesmaids - I loved the elegant simplicity of her gown and their lovely floral frocks - just perfect for a garden wedding.

I love this shot of Honi and Glenn - soulmates, lovers, husband and wife!

Snapperman Beach Reserve on Pittwater at Palm Beach - what a hidden treasure

When I met Samantha and Jarrad and they told me they had picked Snapperman Beach Reserve for their ceremony, I was intrigued as I had never conducted a wedding there.  Once I saw it, I really understood why they had chosen it.  It's a small reserve on Pittwater and just perfect for their wedding with about 100 guests. (You'd be surprised at how many guests can fit easily into a fairly small space!)  I cant begin to say how delightful this couple and their families were.  They were just a joy to work with and I loved every moment of discussing their ceremony options, writing their ceremony and most of all, being their celebrant on their big day.  Sugarlove Photography
was their photographer and they headed off to Dunes Restaurant  at Palm Beach for their reception.

Sam and Jarrad make their vows

The bridal party

The groom and his men

Husband and Wife

After the ceremony on Snapperman Beach

setting up before the ceremony

What a beautiful bride!

Contact me at Elaine's email to have a chat about your wedding plans and how I can help you, as your celebrant, have a happy, stress-free ceremony!

Beautiful Mountain Gardens Wedding

When I first met Tamara and Josh, they told me they had fallen in love with Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens in the Blue Mountains, near Bilpin and wanted to make their vows there, followed by a reception at home. Their wedding was held on a perfect spring day and was the prettiest wedding you could imagine.  The wedding party was a picture, with Tamara in white with pink and white flowers, and her bridesmaids in soft pink.

They chose a reading A Lovely Love Story  from the whimsical writings of Edward Monkton.  The first few paragraphs are;
"The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice. Although it was cold he was happy in there.  It was, after all, his cage. Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.  The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur's cage with kind words and loving thoughts. I like this Dinosaur, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny. He is also quite clever although I will not tell him this for now. I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur, thought the Dinosaur. She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.  She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a Dinosaur."......................

Tamara's mother escorted her

Husband and Wife - sealed with a kiss!

First stroll as husband and wife.

Josh's two brothers were his groomsmen - it was a bit hard to pick them apart!

Here's a note I received from Tamara and Josh after they returned from their honeymoon.

"Hi Elaine,

Our honeymoon was great fun and an experience to remember. So many places and all so different to one another.

Thank you so much for your services. You were fantastic and everything we wanted for our celebrant. We were so lucky to have found you. 

Thank you for thinking our wedding was beautiful, we thought so too, we loved the gardens and the weather was perfect. It couldn't have been any better and our reception was fantastic as well. The day went too quickly. 

We have also received our marriage certificate. 

Thanks again you really helped make our day special. 

Kind Regards

Tamara and Josh

Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens, 11^th October, 2014"

Warm hearted home ceremony for Jacqui and David

Jacqui and David live in the country and decided to have their wedding in Jacquie's parents home on the northern beaches.  It's a great idea if you have a suitable house, and want a relaxed and casual wedding. It was a second marriage for both of them, and they were determined that their children would be a part of the ceremony.
This lovely wedding day certainly was a family affair - their brother-in-law played guitar and sang for the ceremony, all the children acted as flowergirls and pageboys, and family members and close friends were delighted to be a part of their day.

Jacqui's sister read Love is Friendship Caught Fire by Laura Hendricks,  which begins.......
"Love is friendship caught fire;
It is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving.
It is loyalty through good and bad times."

They hired a marquee for the ceremony.  This is the set up before we began.

Jacqui's dog was an honoured guest

"Hi Elaine, thank you so much.  We couldn't have asked for anyone better than you for our special day! " 

(A note from Jacqui and David)

A pretty garden wedding in Hornsby

As long time residents of Hornsby, Rachel and Jolyon chose to marry in Hornsby's hidden treasure,  Lisgar Gardens. (booked through Hornsby Council)
The gardens were looking at their best with colourful spring flowers.  Rachel didn't want a traditional white wedding dress, but chose a medieval style gown in red, with a cloak and circlet of flowers on her head.  You will agree that she looked very pretty indeed.
They chose to have their reception at Hornsby RSL Club  which is quite close to Lisgar Gardens.

Handfasting ceremony

Rachel and the gardens were a riot of spring colours - isnt she lovely!

Husband and Wife!

Celebration of a Union in beautiful Leura

Elise and Amanda contacted me a year before the date they had chosen for their Commitment Ceremony, and over the months, we worked together to craft a ceremony which expressed their ideals, and was true to them as a couple.  They told me they were having the ceremony in a house in Leura, and with just close family present - including a couple of newborns.  It truly was a family day with their parents, brothers and sisters, and the little ones of course.  Both women were escorted by their father to the ceremony spot, and all the parents gave their blessing to the union as part of the ceremony. Both of their mothers gave a reading during the ceremony. It was a day of laughter and tears of joy.
I love working in our beautiful Blue Mountains and the house they rented, Ellengowan , was just stunning and perfect for this occasion. Amanda and Elise were just a joy to meet, to get to know a little, and to conduct their heart-felt ceremony.  I truly feel privileged to have been a part of such a special day in their lives.  Their photographs were taken by Rachel H Photography - I think she did a great job!

Website picture of Ellengowan

After ceremony kiss

I loved their wedding cake - I snapped this with my iPhone

The lovely garden, ceremony space (pic by me)

The prettiest of weddings in the loveliest of gardens, Wendy's Secret Garden in Lavender Bay

When I met Dianne and Michael, I was delighted when they told me they had fallen in love with Wendy's Secret Garden (booked through North Sydney Council)
It's a magic spot in Lavender Bay and perfect for the style of wedding they wanted.  They chose a lavender theme (Lavender Bay?) which was just lovely with the flower girls dressed in that colour and lavender flowers decorating the ceremony spot.  They married in late September and the gardens were full of Spring colour and their wedding added to the colour and beauty of the place.
J Roberts Photography took these great photos of a very happy and colourful day.  I wish Dianne and Michael all the best for their life together and I just loved being a part of their wedding day.

You can see what a pretty and colourful wedding it was

love that Lavender theme

Wendy's Secret Garden is just magic

This is a casual iPhone pic of the couple

I love this great post-ceremony pic