what’s the secret?
My number 1 priority is ensuring you just have the best day (and night) of your lives together. The aim is keep everything simple, listen to what you want (and what you don’t), ensure you feel comfortable, prepared and mostly excited!
A marriage in its simplest form is completing some legal paperwork, saying some short legal vows, providing 2 witnesses and all with a registered commonwealth celebrant. Everything else is on the table for discussion for your wedding.
We’ll share discussions around how we begin your ceremony, music, positioning, vows, rings, games, exit, your pets, confetti and everything in between. I’ll ensure that you feel organised, prepared and empowered that your ceremony feels like us!
You’ll have immediate access to my planning resources and after our ceremony planning meeting you’ll be emailed your unique wedding run sheet. At this stage it is very much a work in progress, some areas to work through but you’ll head away feeling prepared and excited.
My philosophy about your ceremony is, and I genuinely mean this, your ceremony is 100% about you. I write your story from scratch from the questionnaires you’ve prepared and our meetings. There are no generic sentences, passages, poems or readings, only the good stuff, the sweet stuff, the funny stuff. I keep the script a surprise for your wedding day, as this leads to much better natural reactions and joy for you both.
I love the right amount of humour popped into your ceremony that will make you laugh but also Nanna. I’m conscious to keep it light with good banter but always positive to ensure it leaves a lasting memory with you. Yes, I will ask you questions throughout your ceremony and interact with your guests where appropriate.
My phone and email are always available to you, if you’ve got a question or something you’re not sure about in the lead up, I love when couples send a text, ring or shoot off an email, I’m here to chat and give you the answers and reassurance you may need. This will likely be your first time, so let us help.
On your wedding day, I’m there early to greet you both and also your guests. I love chatting with your guests (on and off the mic) prior to your ceremony and clear, but friendly directions are always appreciated.
I will deliver your ceremony off to the side of the ceremony space, this is deliberate to ensure you are comfortable with your lover, you can hold hands (or not), chat with each other, laugh together and just feel close without someone speaking through you. Plus, you’ll have all these beautiful natural shots without my head in the back ground!
Your decision on vows and rings with absolutely no pressure but support, tips and advice if needed. I’ll print your vows and craft a personalised ring promise, no ring is round and eternal or in sickness or poor, death do us part rubbish, just something light and fun and I’ll be out of the shot when you exchange the rings. This part is left to be more candid and more enjoyable rather than practising ring exchanges and hand positions. no thanks.
The kiss shot. Put it simply, I’ve moved well before announcing the kiss shot in a sleek movement that no one will notice. I’m out of shot of a close up or wide shot from your photographer. It’s inexcusable for celebrants to be in kiss shots (moving, hiding or just standing in the middle)
I provide 2 speakers, 2 microphones, 2 wireless receivers and back up XLR cables, so if a technical issue occurs (which is very rare), we’ll swap the equipment and you, and your guests will be able to hear every word during your ceremony.
If we’re throwing confetti or rose petals, I’ll move up and down the aisle to prepare your guests and let them know to throw them up in the air and not at your face. The secret is also to have some guests behind the photographers and throw over their shoulders. I can help with the group photo organisation, and I’ll chat about creating lists for your family photos.
How long will the ceremony be? The most asked question by far. I tend to say allow 45 minutes. Now before you fall off your chair, the 45 minutes allows a bit of wiggle time at the start of the ceremony, some story telling, vows, rings, a first kiss, signing of the certificates, exit, hugs and kisses with your guests and a group photo. This is a rough guide but generally pretty spot on.
There’s no secret recipe to reception. Guests really just want good food, good wine, good music and just to relax, chat and enjoy themselves but most importantly they want to spend time with you! Over scheduling formalities can at times cause a few headaches.
My role at your reception is to liase with all your vendors (photo, video, venue, DJ, etc) to help them do the best job that they are able to do. Sure, I’ll introduce some wedding party members, lift the energy for your entrance, then welcome forward some speech makers, but the amount of talking on mic is minimal, we’re there to highlight you, your VIP’s and the guests, ensuring everyone feels comfortable and pumped. But I am never the centre of attention. A good MC will almost be un-noticed.
It’s important to understand the natural flow of the evening without letting things drag.
What is important to you? Let’s prioritise those instead of doing everything you think you have to. Do you love dancing? Well, why not enter your reception then share your first dance or open the dance floor for 10 minutes? Does your family mean the world to you, and you can’t wait to hear from them, rather than limiting speech makers and just ticking a box, why not allow more time for speech makers to express themselves. You can begin your reception by giving the newlyweds speech and officially welcoming your guests to your wedding.
The run sheet and running order for your reception is always a topic for discussion, here’s four key timings to begin with: entrance timings (guests and wedding party), meal timings (formal entree/ main/ cocktail/ catered or other), sunset (daylight savings yes/no) and finish time. These key timings can form the structure of your reception and from here there really are no rules to the running order. Speak with your venue and professionals to be guided as what works well and how long things may take.
Allow mingling time! This is such an forgotten part of the night, you want to spend time with your guests, so allow some free time.
Final secret - book your celebrant to MC. They’ll know you like a friend but run your reception like a professional. No worries, no intoxicated guest MC’s and your other vendors will thank you as they can focus on their task.
Actually, one more. Ice creams on your dance floor are the bomb!
Photo credit @joeysphotography__