The cost of your wedding

Consider the following thoughts about the Royal Wedding:
Click here

But a sensitive celebrant will listen carefully to what you really want and he will quote a fair price to cover exactly what your require.

Renewing Your Wedding Vows

There are many reasons why a couple might want to renew their wedding vows.  After a period of 5, 10, 25 or 50 years they might want to re-commit themselves to each other.  Or it may be that a couple have had a wedding ceremony overseas and they wish to have a "wedding" ceremony in the presence of their family and friends back home.  

Whatever your reason, you might like to have a look at the following:  Renewing your vows for some good ideas about how to approach your ceremony.

Should you engage a "Wedding Planner" to coordinate your wedding

My advice to couples is to think very carefully before they commit themselves to a wedding planner.
I am aware that many young couples are "time poor" because of heavy work commitments and that they believe that they might have much to gain by passing over as much as possible to an experienced and capable planner. 
However, I have usually found that it is very unwise for them to allow the planner to come between them and the celebrant.
I can see the argument in favour of engaging a planner to look after material matters such as cakes, flowers, reception services, transport and the like.  However, the wedding celebrant is such a personal aspect of the wedding that it is very important for the couple to be as directly involved with the celebrant as possible.  My experience shows that any attempt to have a planner dealing with the celebrant can lead to disaster.  Only direct engagement between the couple and the celebrant can ensure that the numerous sensitive issues involved can be dealt with effectively.  I have seen bad mistakes made by planners with regard to lodging of legal documents, sighting of identity paperwork, accuracy of information on marriage certificates, management of the nature and tone of the wedding ceremony and questions relating the the complexities of relationships with the families of the couple.
My strong advice is that if a wedding planner is involved in a wedding, then they might well have some good advice regarding who could be a suitable celebrant, but once the celebrant is chosen, the planner should stay right out of the picture and encourage the couple to deal directly with the celebrant in all matters that relate to his services for the couple.  One of the celebrant's roles is to ensure that their wedding ceremony occurs without worry or stress.  More often than not, the services of a planner lead to unexpected stresses that could be avoided if they stayed right out of the relationship between the celebrant and the couple.

What do I wear to my friend's wedding

The question of what to wear to a wedding is often a vexed one, especially for women.  Often people have strong views about what is appropriate.  See what the media had to say when Kate Middleton recently wore black to a wedding.
http://www.catwalkqueen.tv/2011/01/kate_middleton_5.html

For what it is worth, one observation I would make is that often women wear clothing which though it might be "in fashion" is totally inappropriate for their age, their figure or for the weather.  A woman shows her class when she clearly appreciates what is flattering for her body type and her personality.

How to arrange a simple wedding

Sometimes, couples want to keep their wedding as simple as possible.  Well, you can make it ultra-simple by turning up to the celebrant's office with two witnesses.

Or you might like to think about the style of a wedding I conducted last week where the couple simply asked the local cafe to provide a space for them and to serve champagne after the ceremony.  That was it.  And it was lovely.  It only cost them a few dollars per head and everybody was delighted with the result.

Wedding dates to avoid

About.com has drawn our attention to the following issue:  When many couples choose their wedding dates, they think about weather, convenience, or having it coincide with another special occasion (such as the anniversary of their first date.) But before you pay non-refundable deposits, or send out save-the-dates, avoid disaster by making sure your wedding doesn't fall on one of these dates.

Sporting Events

Having a major sporting event the same day as your wedding might not seem like such a big deal, but when half of your guests keep disappearing to check the score, or worse, are listening to the game during the ceremony, you'll wish you had avoided these wedding dates. If your city is hosting one of these major events, you should doubly avoid choosing these wedding dates as it will be near-impossible for your guests to find hotel rooms. Note that not all may apply to you. In some areas, it would be disastrous to have a wedding during the World Cup, in others it wouldn't be a big deal at all.

Applying online for a Marriage Certificate

How to apply online

Go to: Marriage Certificate Applications
Follow this simple four-step process to complete an online application for a Victorian marriage certificate:

Step 1.

From the categories of certificates available, choose Marriage Certificates.

Step 2.

Complete the online application form. You will need to provide your details as the applicant, including your current residential address, and the details of the certificate you are applying for.

Step 3.

Pay online using your Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card.

Step 4.

Mail or take to the Registry Office your proof of identity documents (PDF document, 113 KB, 1 page).  The Registry will not issue your certificate unless you complete this step. If you want to apply for someone else's certificate or would prefer not to apply online, you can download an application form to apply by mail or in person.

From this explanation, you can see that it is not possible to apply by a fully online method since you still have to mail documents to the Registry.  However, if you live a considerable distance from the Registry, you may find that the combination of online and mail methods is more convenient than actually visiting the Registry in person.

Heavenly Harp

When you encounter a true professional as a musician at a wedding, it really lifts the tone of the ceremony.  Last weekend, I met up with just such a professional, harpist Alannah Guthrie-Jones.
Check out her credentials at:
www.heavenlymoments.com.au
Heavenly Moments indeed!!!

Can I get married less than one month after lodging my Notice of Intended Marriage form (NOIM)?

It is quite common for couples to ask me if they can be married without giving a full month's notice of their intention to be married.  The most common reason for this request is that one of the parties is facing the expiration of a visa and needs to marry sooner than one month's time.   Only "Prescribed Authorities" such as the Registry Office can give couples permission to shorten the time and this permission is never given if the reason is that a visa is about to expire. 

The Victorian Registry website sets out clearly some of the acceptable reasons that might be given for a shortening and I advise anybody who wishes to consider whether they might be eligible to visit this site:

Shortening the Time of Notice

Animata String Quartet

You can't beat a string quartet at a wedding.  Here's one that gave a touch of class to one of my recent weddings.  Visit their website at  www.animatastringquartet.com.au

Tying the Knot

An ancient Celtic ritual sometimes used at Australian weddings is what is known as Handfasting.

What are the Banns of Marriage?

The word banns refers to an official announcement of an intended marriage.  These days it could take the form of an a notice in a newspaper.  Long ago the term covered births, deaths and taxes but since the time of Charlemagne it has referred only to marriages. He had an eye to preventing marriage between brothers and sisters!!! He required seven days notice for a wedding giving people time to reveal if the couple were indeed brother and sister. The practice still exists in some cultures, but is more likely to be aimed at preventing polygamous marriages.  Times sure have changed!

Popping the Question

There are countless ways one could propose marriage to the love of one's life.  If you were to enter the question "Will you marry me?" into Google you would find currently 890,000 different results.  If you would like to bring a touch of romance into this event in your life, why have a look at Google and see if it offers you any appealing ideas.

If you want to sample examples of how others have done it, have a look at:
Will You Marry Me?

Whom Should I Marry?

A young woman recently asked me this question, "Should I marry the person whom I have fun with me and who treats me like a princess or should I marry the person who has been a loyal friend to me over a long time?"  A naive question, no?  And one I did not dare to try to answer directly.  So I decided to answer in the words of one wiser than I who says, "Marry the one whom you would like to have as the father of your children". 
She just said, "Wow! That makes me think."  Can you think of a better answer I could have given to the young woman?

George Bernard Shaw on Marriage

"When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part." George Bernard Shaw
He has a point do you not think? So happy are those couples who discover the deeper, enriching and fulfilling basis for a happy marriage and find that their partnership gets better and better over the years.

What about a Facebook group for your Wedding Guests

Not all of your family, friends and guests will be familiar with Facebook, but imagine how much fun and information will be available for them if they are familiar with Facebook. Would you like to know how to set one up and run with it? See the following:
http://weddings.about.com/b/2010/04/20/making-a-facebook-group-for-your-wedding-guests.htm

Do you have to apply for a change of name when you get married?

It is surprising just how often I am asked this question. Just to reassure those who are not clear on this point, the answer is No!. After your wedding, the Registry can issue a marriage certificate if you require it and this is usually sufficient evidence to have personal documentation changed to your married surname. However, some organizations may require you to register a change of name where you have married overseas.

Wedding Directory

For up-to-date information on wedding services, see:
theweddingdirectory.com.au - Australian Wedding and Bridal Directory

Happy Day at Redesdale

Any place is a good place for a wedding when you are in love!
This is what it was like at Redesdale today before one of the worst storms in recent memory hit Melbourne.
Hope everybody got home safely!

NSW Migration Agents

There are many excellent migration agents in Victoria who understand that "Weddings In Melbourne" is the best place to send clients who want a prompt and efficient marriage ceremony when they are dealing with Partnership Visas.  However, we have noticed a NSW Agent, Jose Respall, who has given his clients a very helpful link to a  complete list of Australian Marriage Celebrants for the guidance of his clients.  How helpful is that?  See: https://www.respall.com/index.php/default_con