| What is my role as your celebrant? |
| As a registered civil celebrant I will provide the “legal” link for your marriage ceremony. I will attend to all the paperwork that needs to be submitted to Birth Deaths and Marriages within 14 days of your wedding. I will assist you in creating a ceremony that you will be happy with and then attend on your special day to solemnize your marriage. |
| What will our celebrant charge for our wedding |
| Wedding celebrants authorised by the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department are entitled to charge for any services they provide. Fees for weddings are not fixed and may vary from marriage celebrant to marriage celebrant. |
| My costs will almost certainly be one of the less expensive parts of your wedding and are dependent on various factors. For example, a simple ceremony in my home office with just 2 witnesses will almost certainly be less expensive than my attendance at a venue some distance away. |
| I am happy to discuss my costs at our first, obligation free meeting. If you decide to engage my services, a non-refundable 25% deposit will be required at the time of booking to secure my services for the date and time of your choice. The balance will be required at least one month prior to your ceremony. A 10% discount will apply to those couples who pay the full amount at the time of booking. Additional travel costs may apply for weddings more than 80 km from Brisbane CBD and I would be happy to discuss these at our first meeting. |
| What does the celebrant fee cover? |
| The initial ‘getting to know you’ consultation is free and without obligation. If you decide that you wish to use my services from that point, a fee would apply, to cover: |
- Completion and lodgment of your legal paperwork relating to your marriage, to Births Deaths and Marriages.
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- Unlimited emails and phone calls to discuss your ceremony
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- Discussion of style of ceremony design and providing samples of ceremonies, readings and vows
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- Writing or assisting with the writing of a ceremony that suits your needs including culturally specific readings, vows etc
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- Attending a ceremony rehearsal prior to your wedding day if required
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- Meeting prior to your wedding day to finalise all the legal documents.
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- My attendance on the day to conduct your marriage ceremony
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- Registering your marriage with Births Deaths and Marriages
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- Provision of a signing table and chairs where not already provided
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- Provision of a portable Public Address System where necessary
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| How soon should we book our Celebrant? |
| Celebrants are often booked out well in advance particularly for popular times of the year such as Valentines Day, Spring, Easter and New Years Eve. You can book your celebrant no more than 18 months and no less than one month and one day prior to your wedding. Booking your celebrant as soon as you have confirmed the day, time and venue of your ceremony, will ensure your Celebrant of choice is available for your special day. |
| How long can we expect our Celebrant to attend at our wedding? |
| As your celebrant, you can expect me to be in attendance on the day of your wedding for approximately 90 minutes. I am committed to arriving no less than 30 minutes prior to your ceremony and most ceremonies take between 20 and 30 minutes depending on length of readings, vows etc. I allow additional time for photographs with myself and the bride and groom if you so wish. |
| Members of the wedding party should commit to arriving at the ceremony at the scheduled time, both as a courtesy to your guests and also to your celebrant who may be committed to attend another wedding following yours. |
| What are the legal requirements to getting married? |
| As your celebrant, I will guide you through the legal requirements. This will include — |
- Completion of a Notice of Intent to Marry (NOIM), which is valid for 18 months. I can supply you with this form or you can download from the Federal Attorney-Generals Department at www.ag.gov.au/celebrants
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- The minimum notice in completing your NOIM is one month and one day from the date of your wedding.
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- I will need to see your original Birth Certificates if born in Australia. If you were born overseas you will need to provide an original passport or birth certificate which shows your date and place of birth. If these documents are in a language other than English, you will need to supply a certified translation of the documents.
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- If you have been married before, the law requires you to show your celebrant original documents to verify your divorce (Certificate of Divorce, or decree absolute), or widowhood (death certificate).
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- You must be over the age of 18 years to marry as must be your witnesses.
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| Are there any restrictions on where we can hold our wedding ceremony? |
| Registered Australian marriage celebrants can marry couples anywhere in Australia including within Australian airspace and within Australian waters. If you are considering a less than conventional venue (eg hot air balloon, boat), you should discuss this with your celebrant at your initial meeting. |
| If considering an outdoor venue for your ceremony, you should ensure that you have an alternative under cover venue in the event of bad weather. You should also consider the level of light if marrying at an outdoor venue late in the day as this can affect your photography. You will also require sufficient light to sign the legal documents of your marriage. |
| Local council fees and permission often apply to public outdoor venues, so you should check prior to finalising your venue. |
| Always consider the comfort of your guests when choosing your venue. Steep or slippery hills may be very difficult for your more elderly guests or those with a physical disability as will a beach wedding in the heat of a summer day where there is little protection from the sun. |
| Can overseas visitors marry in Australia? |
| Absolutely. If visiting from overseas, you have the same legal rights and responsibilities as those born in Australia. If either or both the bride and groom are overseas prior to the wedding, all the arrangements can be made via email, telephone or by post. It is worth confirming that the country you are travelling from accepts your Australian marriage. |
| If either of the couple are applying for entry into Australia under the prospective marriage (fiancé) plan, I am able to provide you with a letter and a copy of your Notice of Intention to Marry for presentation to the Consulate. You should consult your Migration Agent or The Australian Department of Immigration for further information. |
| We are unsure of the type of ceremony we would like? |
| It is important to remember, that your wedding day is about the bride and groom and your commitment to each other and how you wish to express that commitment during your ceremony. I can provide you with a selection of sample wedding ceremonies, wedding vows and appropriate readings. You are welcome to include any wording that reflects your spiritual or religious beliefs. I will assist you to create a wedding ceremony that will go beyond your expectations and meets all the legal requirements. |
| As an authorized Marriage Celebrant, are you able to perform a Gay Wedding? |
| Marriage between same sex couples has not been legalised in Australia and as such I am not able to “marry” couples in that context. However I am able to perform a Commitment Ceremony for same sex couples that can include many of the traditions of a wedding ceremony but excludes any mention of the union being a legal marriage. |
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