Arrange your ceremony
Arrange your ceremony
i) Book your ceremony.
ii) Complete any required documents. (Eg NoIM). See your portal for what you will specifically require.
iii) Consider additional Add-Ons you may like to include. Many of these you can book direct through your portal. (eg. Chairs and decorations, Photographer, flowers, cars, reception venue, rings etc)
iv) Plan your trip to your ceremony location. When planning ensure you will have plenty of time to arrive 15 minutes prior to your ceremony. This will then allow you 15 minutes to relax and enjoy the moments before your ceremony. (Even if you are just sitting in the car, around the corner ;-)
v) Share details of your ceremony location with your guests. Also encourage them to arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time.
vi) Your celebrant will give you a call a day or two prior to your ceremony, just to say "Hi" and answer any last minute questions. However, at any time prior to your ceremony feel free to call or email us and we will be able to help with anything ;-)
Day of you ceremony
Day of your ceremony
i) As soon as you wake up, take a couple of moments to reflect on the amazing day that lies ahead.
ii) Breathe.
iii) Now start your day and follow the plan you have made and it will all fall into place
iv) Double check you have everything you need before you leave. Items often missed: rings, flowers.
v) Depart at the scheduled time to ensure you have a relaxed journey and arrive stress free ready to be part of your incredible day.
Meet your celebrant
Meet your celebrant
i) Your celebrant will be at the arrange location at exactly the scheduled time of you booking (not before ;-).
ii) Depending on your ceremony type, your celebrant will have prepared all the legal documents required.
For a legal marriage ceremony they will have prepared:
- Marriage Certificates, which they will get you to check and confirm are all correct,
- Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage form.This form is required to be signed by each party, separately, prior to your ceremony. It basically asks you to confirm that: a) you are not currently married, b) you are over the age of 18 years old, c) you are not in a prohibited relationship (ie closely related to each other), d) you are not being forced to marry.
Your celebrant will talk you though both forms, get you to double check all your details and sign in appropriate places.
At this point your celebrant will check your Photo IDs (ie Govt issued photo ID eg Passport or Driver License) to confirm you are the people on the documents.
iii) Your celebrant will then confirm entrances, vows, rings etc and then arrange your guests and get things underway.
Note. If you are arriving separately, not a problem, your celebrant will see you separately.
This whole process, above, will only take a few minutes.
Your ceremony
Sample Ceremonies
Sample of a legal marriage ceremony
Below is a sample legal wedding ceremony. I have highlighted in bold italics which parts must be included. Charlie and George’s Wedding Ceremony
12 pm on Thursday 5th March 2025
Bradfield Park, North Sydney, New South Wales
To begin, on behalf of Charlie and George, I would like to welcome you here today.
My name is Michael Teulon (Celebrant's full name) and I am a Marriage Celebrant, I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to law.
We are all here today to celebrate with Charlie and George a very important moment in their lives.They have learned to know and love one another and have now decided to spend the rest of their lives together, as a married couple.
Marriage is a commitment to life. To the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.It is a commitment from the heart and mind based on mutual love, trust, respect and the understanding that from now on, each partner will consider the other's desires and needs as equal to their own.
But real love is not about two people being totally absorbed in one another, it is about two people looking outwards, in the same direction – together.
Monitum of Marriage
Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter.
Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of 2 people to the exclusion of all others,
voluntarily entered into for life.
The Asking
George do you take Charlie to be your lawful wedded wife/husband/partner?
George: I do
Charlie do you take George to be your lawful wedded husband/wife/partner?
Charlie: I do
The Vows
George please repeat after me:
I call upon the persons present to witness that from today, I, George Allouache take you Charlie Wong (full names to be used), to be my lawfully wedded wife/partner in marriage / spouse.
Charlie please repeat after me:
I call upon the persons present to witness that from today,I, Charlie Wong take you George Allouache (full names to be used) , to be my lawfully wedded husband/partner in marriage / spouse.
Ring Exchange
George please repeat after me:
With this ring I marry you (place ring on finger)
Charlie please repeat after me:
With this ring I marry you (place ring on finger)
Declaration
Charlie and George, now that you have made your promises to share your lives together in accordance with your vows, it is with great pleasure, I now pronounce you husband and wife/ partners in marriage.
Congratulations, you may kiss!
The signing of the register
Witnesses: Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten
You are welcome to add, remove or amend as long as the legal bits remain
If you would like to write your own vows, not a problem, we would normally include these just before the legal vows.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sample of a Commitment ceremony
Below is a sample of a commitment ceremony. As this ceremony is not a legal marriage ceremony the only legal requirement required is that as a celebrant we make it clear that it is not a legal marriage ceremony.
Charlie and George’s Commitment Ceremony
12 pm on Thursday 5th March 2025
Bradfield Park, North Sydney, New South Wales
To begin, on behalf of Charlie and George, I would like to welcome you here today.
My name is Michael Teulon, and although today is not a legally recognised ceremony, it is far more important than that. Today is about George and Charlie standing up in front of people they love and respect and making a promise to each other..
We are all here today to celebrate with Charlie and George a very important moment in their lives.They have learned to know and love one another and have now decided to spend the rest of their lives together,. Marriage is a commitment to life. To the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.It is a commitment from the heart and mind based on mutual love, trust, respect and the understanding that from now on, each partner will consider the other's desires and needs as equal to their own.
But real love is not about two people being totally absorbed in one another, it is about two people looking outwards, in the same direction – together. The Asking
George do you take Charlie to be your lawful wedded wife/husband/partner?
George: I do
Charlie do you take George to be your lawful wedded husband/wife/partner?
Charlie: I do
The Vows
George please repeat after me:
I call upon the persons present to witness that from today, I, George take you Charlie to be my wife/partner in marriage / spouse.
Charlie please repeat after me:
I call upon the persons present to witness that from today,I, Charlie take you George, to be my husband/partner in marriage / spouse.
Ring Exchange
George please repeat after me:
With this ring I marry you (place ring on finger)
Charlie please repeat after me:
With this ring I marry you (place ring on finger)
Declaration
Charlie and George, now that you have made your promises to share your lives together in accordance with your vows, it is with great pleasure, I now pronounce you husband and wife/ partners in marriage.
Congratulations, you may kiss!
The signing of the Commitment Certificate
Witnesses: Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten
Again, you are welcome to add, remove or amend, as long as the legal bit remains.
If you would like to write your own vows, not a problem, we would normally include these just before the legal vows.
====================================
Signing of Certificates
i) Immediately after your ceremony we will sign the relevant certificates.
In the case of a legal marriage ceremony there are two types of certificates: the Certificate of Marriage and also your Marriage Certificate.
In the case of a Commitment Ceremony or a Renewal of Vows ceremony there is only one certificate: the Commitment Certificate or Renewal of Vows Certificate.
You and your partner will sign the certificate(s) first followed by your two witnesses.
ii) Following the signing of the certificate(s) your celebrant would normally "introduce you". Example. "Please join me in congratulating for the first time as Husband and Wife OR Partners in Marriage OR Similar.
After your ceremony
i) Your celebrant will provide you with your certificate.
In the case of a legal marriage ceremony you will receive your Certificate of Marriage (as issued by the Commonwealth of Australia)
In the case of a commitment ceremony or a renewal of vows, your will receive the Commitment Certificate or Renewal of Vows Certificate.
ii) Time permitting, your celebrant is always happy to take a few photos for your and your guests.
In the case of a legal marriage ceremony only
iii) Immediately following your legal marriage ceremony, your celebrant will register your marriage with Births, Deaths and Marriages in your State. They will also send you an email within the next 24 hours to confirm your marriage has been registered and the registration number.
iv) If you require a registered Marriage Certificate you can order that really simply as an Add-On through your Simple Ceremonies portal or you can manually order it direct, after your ceremony has been registered, direct though BDM in your State.
CELEBRATE
Now is the time to celebrant, knowing you have had a fabulous ceremony and relived how: amazing, easy and simple it was.
