Gold Coast, Brisbane
Tweed & Byron Bay

MY PLEDGE TO YOU
I will meet with you and craft a ceremony with the balance of formality, romance, even humour or spirituality that you desire. All with your input and approval. Your wedding is your special day. Together we will make it all you want it to be.

QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL CELEBRANT

If you are not having a church wedding (70% of Australians don't), finding a suitable civil celebrant for your wedding is extremely important.

START EARLY
& ASK QUESTIONS

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of planning the reception but the ceremony is the core of your day. Many couples leave choosing the celebrant too late and find that their preferred celebrant is already booked months in advance and they end up with a celebrant who does not make their day the special event it should be. Book early and ask these questions:

How do you create the ceremony?
Your celebrant must interview you to understand your beliefs, your values, and what makes your love so special. Then creates a ceremony based on your needs.

Do we have final approval over what will be said?
It is your wedding, don't be railroaded.

When will you be there? The officiant must be there at least 20 minutes before the ceremony to coordinate details with readers, musicians and people such as photographers.

Does your fee include a rehearsal at the venue? Most celebrants are happy to have a rehearsal but for an additional fee for their time. If the celebrant is made aware of everything that you have planned, there may be no need for a rehearsal.

Do you provide a public address system? For large weddings or difficult outdoor venues, the celebrant may provide a PA system for the ceremony only - not for the reception. Most often it is not required.

Can we face our guests? Yes. After all, the guests are there to see to you married, not see the celebrant.

What training do you have? Barry Pierce's Bio
In Australia all wedding celebrants must be authorised by the Australian Government and are governed by a Code of Conduct.. Your celebrant will have a registration number which you can ask for. Celebrants do re-training courses each year.

How will you work with our wedding photographer? Your celebrant should be aware that you'll want wonderful keepsakes of this day and will work with musicians, photographers and videographers to enable them to get the best shots.

Will you provide us with a copy of our ceremony? If you require a written copy of the words spoken at your wedding, your celebrant should provide them for you, preferably printed on quality presentation paper.

FURTHER QUESTIONS?
Call Barry Pierce

CELEBRATE WHO YOU ARE
Every aspect of your wedding, from readings to music to symbolism, should be a reflection of both of you and the bond that you share.

Here are some wedding ceremony guidelines. To make your ceremony unique, mix and match them with poems and vows that suit your personalities.

Share your story. How did you meet? What made you fall in love. What were the first words you said to each other? Where was the first date? How did the proposal go? What does the other do that says I love you without words? What do they do that always makes you laugh?

Honour the Presenter. If one or both of you will be presented ("given away") in marriage, take time to reflect on what the person presenting you means to you. The celebrant can include words of honour, amusing stories, and thanks.

Given Away. It used to be that fathers “gave away” the bride and the words were “Who gives this woman to this man”. But that doesn’t sit well in a 2006 society. You can therefore choose your own words while upholding the tradition. You might like to use “Who presents this woman for marriage” or “Who supports this woman in her marriage to this man”. Say what is in your heart about the honour you are giving to the person (usually parent) in that role..

Celebrate Your Heritage. If you each come from an ethnic, cultural or religious backgrounds, think about including wedding rituals, poems or music from those traditions. hip.

Something New. If you are looking for something different, borrow freely from wedding customs around the world. You don't need to belong to a particular culture the rituals to have meaning.

Interfaith Weddings may require a celebrant who is independent of each of your religions but who has the sensitivity to create a spiritual ceremony embracing both beliefs. Over 25% of marriages are between partners of different faiths, presenting both challenges and opportunities for couples.

Children/Stepchildren should be included in the ceremony if the bride and groom have established families. This starts the new family off with a common bond. When children are involved, your wedding reflects not only the joining of husband and wife, but the creation of a new family or stepfamily. There are many ways to reflect family unity in your ceremony.

Bilingual Wedding Ceremonies will require either a celebrant who speaks both languages or a celebrant who embraces both cultures in the ceremony and uses a translator for the second language. Where one of the people being married or their official witnesses does not speak English, an official translator is mandatory by law.

Writing Your Own Vows. You can personalize the very heart of your ceremony by speaking vows you have written for each other. This is, in essence, a spiritual or ethical verbal contract of how you intend to respect, honour and behave in the relationship as it moves forward through tough and good times.

Your wedding day is one of the most special days of your life, that moment when you pledge your lives to each other
for life. Choose a celebrant early so that you are
not left with too few choices.