FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

My average booking lead time especially for peak wedding periods (March/April and October/November in particular) usually sits around 12 to 18 months. That’s not to say that I’m not available for your ceremony if it’s within that timeframe. My suggestion would be to get in touch as soon as your date is locked in as like your venue and photographer a great Celebrant can only be marrying one couple at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon! More couples are choosing midweek or Friday weddings these days too which I think is great particularly if you fall in love with a venue but find that it’s Saturday’s are booked up a few years.

Most definitely. I’m based in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire and often meet couples for a cheeky beverage, a Balter XPA for me if you’re buying, up at my local, Highfield in Caringbah. Alternatively if you’re not Sydney based or able to come to me we can have a FaceTime or Skype video chat. It’s a tough decision choosing your Marriage Celebrant but often meeting is a great chance to get a feel for each other and see if my approach is in line with what you’re looking for.

Yes I do, these days over half of my wedding ceremonies are outside of Sydney. I work with lots of couples who like me are Sydney based, we do all of our preparation and meetings close to home (which can be super convenient if you’re a bit time poor) and then I travel for your ceremony. Outside of Sydney you’ll regularly find me on the South Coast, in the Southern Highlands, Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley and parts of Regional NSW including Mudgee and Bathurst.

I think it’s important that I dress for the occasional and so I have a selection of outfits that I often ask couples to choose from. I always ask about your colour schemes, for example, what colours your wedding party are wearing and what are your floral tones and then we coordinate my outfit in line with that.

Yes I can. Personal vows are a beautiful moment and a highlight of any wedding ceremony… but they are also not for everyone. If that’s not the type of couple you are or the thought of speaking publicly during your wedding ceremony is well beyond your comfort zone there are lots of other ways we can incorporate those heartfelt moments without as much pressure. Legally you don’t need to share personal vows, or exchange rings, or be given away – like everything when it comes to planning your wedding ceremony decide on what suits you both, and just as importantly, what doesn’t. Be brave to be you. In saying that if you do decide to write and share personal vows I’ve got some great resources that I can share with you and will happily support and guide you through that process.

While I’m beyond disappointed that this question still gets asked (it’s 2022 people!) I am a very proud supporter of Marriage Equality and the LGBTQ+ community. I love that in my role as a Marriage Celebrant that I have been able to celebrate so many beautiful sexual and gender diverse relationships in a way that is unique, inclusive and memorable for each couple.

A $400 non-refundable booking fee locks me in as your Marriage Celebrant. As I only conduct one wedding ceremony a day no need to have an exact wedding ceremony time set, that can come together closer too. I also have a Service Agreement that I send you which sets out how we work together.

As your Marriage Celebrant I see my role to oversee everything that has a direct impact on your wedding ceremony – for example, working with your photographer, videographer, musicians, venue staff, anyone who may be involved on the day. I ensure that we’re all on the same page and ready to bring our A Game for your wedding ceremony. Getting all of the little details right (like entry points, music cues, etc.) ensures we have a smooth ceremony. I usually arrive around an hour before the ceremony starts to set-up and test my equipment. I bring along my own portable battery-operated PA which you are also welcome to use to play recorded music through during the ceremony.

Your wedding ceremony doesn’t need to be long to be meaningful. Legally I could marry you in two minutes (but please don’t, that’s far too brief!) On average most of my wedding ceremonies sit around the 20 minute mark. Keep in mind some of your guests might be standing and we’re often outside in the elements – these are also things to consider. The last thing we want to do is just keep saying the same things but in a slightly different way. An awesome wedding ceremony packs a punch, focuses on what’s important to you both as a couple and helps set the tone for your whole wedding day.

To create a memorable and meaningful wedding ceremony that is genuine and heartfelt I need to get to know you both, and vice versa. Once you’ve booked me we generally would next meet-up around 3 months out from your wedding day. This catch-up takes a few hours, we take care of completing your initial legal paperwork (your Notice of Intended Marriage) but more importantly we just start getting to know each other. I’ve got some questions that I’ll ask you that help draw out meaningful content along with any ideas you might have for your ceremony. From there I take all of that and write a ceremony from scratch just for you. It is sent to you as a draft and you are welcome to make edits. No questionnaires for you to complete in advance, no cookie-cutter generic ceremony waffle, we create a wedding ceremony that is full of laughs, full of feels and is all about you.

Most definitely. We can take care of completing your Notice of Intended Marriage by email (essentially after getting some details from you I pre-complete your Notice, you print and take it to sign in the presence of an authorized witness overseas and then once the signed Notice is back in my possession it becomes active). We discuss ceremony ideas via Skype, finalise your draft by email and meet in person to fine tune things once you’ve arrived in Australia.

I was appointed as a Marriage Celebrant in late 2014 and have since gone on to marry over 300 couples. Over the years I feel blessed to have met so many wonderful people and to have had the privilege of being part of their wedding day, regardless of whether they were big, grand events or more intimate occasions. I’m super proud of every fun, relaxed, heartfelt and unique wedding ceremony that I have been a part of. While even now there are always new ideas that I take away from each ceremony, I love the suggestions and insights I can offer my couples as a result of my experience.

Yes, I use a battery-operated Bose S1 Pro PA system that packs a real punch and you’re more than welcome to use this for ceremony music. All I get you to do is let me know your song selections and I download them onto my own device to use on the day. If they are less common songs, edited versions or not available on Spotify I get you to Dropbox me a MP3 of the song and we can play it that way.

Never lose sight of the fact that your wedding days is not a movie or a production, but instead a moment. It doesn’t need to be perfect but it should always be real. Let it be full of laughs, raw emotion and all of the feels. Spend the time opening up to your Marriage Celebrant and putting your trust in them to take your stories and ideas and turning them into something amazing.

Want to book me as your Marriage Celebrant? Have more questions, would like to check my availability or arrange to chat? Feel free to get in touch here.

Images on this page beautifully captured by:

Ben Sowry Photo, Girl In The White Dress, Stories In Light and Kieran Moore Photography