Civil Marriage Celebrant, Ceremonies Celebrant, Wedding Celebrant

WEDDINGS

WHEN MEETING WITH THE CELEBRANT YOU SHOULD FEEL A CONNECTION

The Marriage Celebrant should be friendly, have great communications skills and be professional in all aspects of presentation. Please contact me for an obligation free chat and if you decide to book me, I will provide you with peace of mind that all the details for this very important moment in your lives will be considered.

I am experienced in managing a functions venue which provided a stunning location for weddings. My main focus was in organising, managing and coordinating weddings. I loved the numerous challenges involved and worked incredibly hard to ensure my clients enjoyed the wedding they always dreamed of.

What you can expect from Me:

♥ Attend to all the Legal Paperwork prior to & after your marriage.

♥ Registration of your marriage with Births, Deaths & Marriages.

♥ Solemnise your marriage according to Australian Law.

♥ Preparation of your ceremony and provision of drafts for you approval.

♥ Flexibility and choice of your ceremony.

♥ Take the time to get to know your needs, develop a personal

understanding of your ceremony and create a personalised

individual ceremony.

♥ Provide you with the opportunity to discuss all aspects of

your ceremony and unlimited consultation by phone, email

or in person.

♥ Provision of government information regarding Relationship Education Services.

♥ Lodge the application for the Registered Marriage Certificate from Births, Deaths and Marriages for you.

♥ A rehearsal preferably onsite at your chosen ceremony venue.

♥ We will work together to design a contingency plan for wet weather.

♥ Your Presentation Marriage Certificate and copy of your ceremony.

♥ Attire to fit in with your wedding theme. It is your day and it is my intention to complement the Bridal Party.

♥ Provision of a portable table and chair with white cloth for signing of documents.

♥ A professional PA system so the ceremony will be heard by all guests. This is provided at an additional cost.

♥ Time - a guarantee that no other wedding will be booked so that the Celebrant arrives late or needs to leave early.

♥ Complies with the Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants.

♥ Recognition of social, cultural and legal significance of marriage in the Australian community.

♥ I conduct weddings ceremonies in ALL areas of Sydney including Northern Beaches, Eastern Suburbs, Inner West,

Sydney City and Sutherland Shire locations.

I guarantee PROFESSIONAL, FRIENDLY & RELIABLE service

I LOVE WHAT I DO & will work hard to CREATE A MEMORABLE CEREMONY for you

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THE BASIC ORDER OF CEREMONY

The Ceremony will take approx 15 to 20 minutes. Civil, cultural and religious rituals differ of course, however a standard ceremony would look something like this. I have highlighted the Mandatory legal elements required by the Marriage Act 1961.

♥ Entrance / Processional

Music can be played as the couple and wedding party enter the ceremony.

♥ Welcome / Introduction

Welcome to family and friends. Celebrant talks about how you met and the purpose of the ceremony.

♥ Readings

For a good balance to the ceremony, 2 readings are recommended. These as well as additional music selections

may be incorporated anywhere throughout the ceremony.

♥ Giving the Bride Away

Optional. This is generally done by one parent or both parents,

a family member or close friend.

♥ Monitum (Legal)

This is the legal part of the Ceremony from the Marriage Act that

must be said by the Celebrant.

♥ The Asking / Statement of Intent

The Celebrant will ask if you are willing to take each other as

Husband & Wife.

♥ Exchange of Vows (Legal)

The Marriage commitment. This can be repeated after the Celebrant, memorised or you can read from a Palm Card.

♥ The Ring Exchange

Optional. There is no legal requirement to exchange rings and is a personal choice. There may only be just one

ring, usually for the bride.

♥ Other Rituals

Optional. This could be a Candle Ceremony, Blending of Sands or Communal Ring Blessing etc. These and other

rituals may be incorporated into your ceremony.

♥ Declaration of Marriage (Legal) and the Newlywed Kiss

♥ Signing of the Marriage Register & Cerificates (Legal)

Two witnesses both 18 years of age are required to sign legal paperwork together with Bride, Groom and Celebrant.

Music can be played at this time.

♥ Presentation of the Newlyweds

You will be presented with your Marriage Certificate and announced as Husband and Wife for the very first time.

♥ Recessional

The couple leaves the ceremony area, followed by the Bridal Party, generally with some music.

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LEGALITIES

TO MARRY IN AUSTRALIA YOU MUST SATISFY CERTAIN LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

♥ You must both be 18 years or over.

♥ At the wedding itself, you must have two witnesses minimum 18 years of age.

♥ Lodge the Notice of Intention to Marry Form. You must give the Celebrant at least one month and one day notice.

The form is valid for 18 months. You can download a copy here Notice of Intention to Marry (NOIM) Form.

♥ If you were born in Australia - You MUST provide the Celebrant with an Original Birth Certificate as proof of identification and

age. This can be obtained from the Births, Deaths and Marriage Registry office in your State of birth.

♥ If you were born overseas you will need to provide your Original Birth Certificate or current Passport. If you provide a Passport,

you must also provide me with a Statutory Declaration Form. The client will complete a Statutory Declaration Form stating

that for reasons specified in the declaration that it is impracticable to obtain such a certificate and to the best of the declarant

knowledge & belief and as accurately as the declarant has been able to ascertain, when and where the party was born.

You can find details here Statutory Declaration Form.

♥ If the Birth Certificate is not in English, you must provide a translated Certified Copy.

♥ Your marriage will be registered with the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 14 days of your marriage, and

will be recognised both by Australian Government and overseas.

For State Registry Offices, Family Court, Supreme Court and UK Birth Certificate contact details see my Resources & Links Page.

THE WEDDING CEREMONY LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

For a Marriage ceremony to be legal, there are few simple words that must be said. This includes 'The Monitum' that the Marriage Celebrant must say and the 'Legal Vows' which the Bride and Groom must say to each other in front of two witnesses 18 years of age or over. The Bride and Groom's full legal names (including middle names) must be used at least once in the ceremony.

The Monitum

My name is Danielle Ledgerwood and I am a Marriage Celebrant legally registered to solemnise marriages according to the law. (Bride and Groom), before you are joined in marriage, in my presence and in the presence of witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship in which you are about to enter. Marriage, according to the law in Australia, is the union of a man to a woman, to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

Legal Vows

I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, (Groom Full Name / Bride Full Name) take you, (Groom Full Name / Bride Full Name), to be my lawful wedded Husband / Wife.

RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION SERVICES

All Celebrants are legally required to provide you with the pamphlet issued by the Australian Government 'Happily Ever... Before and After' - to encourage relationships skills for love, family and life. I will also provide you with an additional document providing national and local services available to you, should you wish to explore this further.

Many couples dismiss Relationship Education and Counselling as unnecessary or only for people with problems. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The paradigm of marriage has changed significantly over the past generation. Increasing numbers of couples are living in de-facto relationships, getting married later, having children later and once mothers, more women are working full time. There have been increases in divorce rates and blended families. Expectations about what makes a successful marriage have also shifted.

Some couples may not have considered how their relationship may change once they are married. When there are differences in expectations, relationship conflicts or negative reactions to life transitions, professional educators and counsellors can provide assistance. Subjects covered range from how to resolve conflict without blaming each other through to dealing with issues relating to your different backgrounds and upbringing that can impact on how you want to bring up your own children.

Many programs cover topics like Personality Differences, Lifestyle Expectations, Communication and Listening Skills, Conflict Management, Friends and Interests, Sexuality and Financial Issues Management.

Although not mandatory, you should consider it. Relationship Education and Counselling comes in all shapes and sizes and can be tailor-made to meet your needs.

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REHEARSAL

Before the event, I recommend that the Bride & Groom host a rehearsal. It eases everyone's nerves is a good opportunity for participants to practise readings and ask questions. The main purpose is to walk through the processional & the recessional, making sure everyone knows where he or she will stand or sit. It is important to rehearse with the chosen music and to finalise the choreography and positioning of all the people involved.

It is preferred to hold your rehearsal on site where your ceremony will be. I suggest we have the rehearsal as close to the time of day as your ceremony is planned. This way we can get a true indication of how it will be on your special day. E.g. where the sun will placed be if you are planning an outdoor ceremony. I know it is not always possible, however I recommend we ask all the participants in the ceremony to attend. Finally I explain the signing of the Marriage Certificate to all parties involved and go over all your paperwork to ensure it is correct.

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Interstate Couples

Many couples living Interstate choose to marry in Sydney. I am happy to advise you with organising the details. I am happy to discuss travelling interstate for your special day, if you wish. In this case the travel and accommodation fees would be at your own expense.

After your marriage, you will need to apply for your Official Registered Marriage Certificate from the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry office of the State in which you were married. You will require this certificate as proof of marriage and also for change of name purposes. I am happy to assist you with this process.

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Overseas Couples

It is possible to live your dream of getting married in Australia!! With our spectacular Sydney Harbour, stunning Botanical Gardens, gorgeous white sandy beaches and our spectacular Blue Mountains ... there is an abundance of ceremony and wedding venue ideas. Please contact me to assist you with some ideas.

♥ When arranging a wedding from overseas, you must satisfy the same requirements as a person living in Australia.

♥ Your marriage can take place anywhere, on any day, and at any time of day or night.

♥ You must satisfy the same legal requirements as an Australian couple including lodging a 'Notice of Intention to Marry

form, at least a month and a day before the wedding day. This needs to be signed by at least one of you at this time.

If your fiancé is out of the country, then he/she can sign this document on the day of the wedding if needs be.

You can download a copy of the form here Notice of Intention to Marry Form (NOIM).

♥ If you are both from overseas the Notice of Intended Marriage can be completed and posted to you and witnessed by

Justice of the Peace (or relevant signatory) in the country that you are in. It can then be forwarded back to me and I

will do the necessary paperwork this end.

♥ If any of your required documents are in a foreign language, you need to have them translated by a Certified Translator.

You can find details on Translators here www.naati.com.au.

♥ You may want to find out more about marriage in Australia by contacting the Australian Embassy in your own country.

You can find details here www.embassy.gov.au.

♥ Some countries require the wedding certificate to have a special stamp which must be obtained at your country's

Consulate or the Department of Foreign Affairs before you leave Australia to go home. It cannot be done after you leave

Australia, so it is advisable to find out your exact requirements before you leave your country of origin.

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australian marrying an Overseas Partner

When an Australian decides to marry an overseas partner, and intends to seek permanent residency for the partner, the matter is no longer just a matter of marriage - it becomes an immigration matter.

To find out the latest Immigration requirements go to The Immigration Department's Website at www.immi.gov.au.

For information on Visa application try the following:

♥ Relationship Visa at www.welchlaw.com.au.

♥ Australian Migrating and Visa Solutions at www.migrate-australia.com.

♥ Visa Solutions at www.liveinaustralia.com.

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Getting Married Overseas

For information on an Australian getting married overseas, please contact the Embassy or other diplomatic mission of the country concerned. You can find details here www.embassy.gov.au.

If that country requires you to get a certificate of no impediment to marriage, contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on (02) 6261 3015 or see details at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs website www.smartraveller.gov.au.

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