Ceremony Planner

Welcome to your Wedding Ceremony

This guide is designed to help step you through each element of a Wedding Ceremony and to help you to think through all of the ways in which you we can create a truly personalised, genuine and authentic celebration of your love.


Generally speaking, I am on site at the Ceremony location approx 30-60 minutes before the Ceremony starts. I am around to set up and do a sound check, check in with other vendors, greet your guests and really, to set the vibe. I want to make sure your guests are comfortable, warmed up and ready to go to celebrate you and your love!

My Tips:

  • In terms of Ceremony start time, I always encourage my couples to tell their guests to arrive 30 mins before the Ceremony actually starts. That way, we can be that little bit more sure you won’t have any latecomers and that we will be kicking off without a hitch.

  • To create the vibe, think about how your guests will experience arriving at the Ceremony. A big consideration here is music! Whether that be an acoustic artist to play some tunes, your DJ to bump in a little earlier to set the scene or, if you want to nominate someone to be in charge of playing some music through my speaker. A curated and thought out playlist is one of the keys to setting the scene and creating the atmosphere you want your guests to experience. 

  • Setting the scene in terms of a drink (the alcoholic or non alcoholic kind) is always a great start to help your guests connect, relax, stay hydrated and really sets the tone for the celebration.

  • Ceremony location: for the comfort of you and your guests, consider the Ceremony location and the weather. If you are getting married in summer or late spring I strongly encourage you to choose a shaded area for you and your guests, provide parasols or umbrellas, enough seating and also have water available for your guests to stay hydrated and be comfortable.

Partner 1 Entrance 

Now that your guests have arrived, the drinks are flowing, the music is playing and the mingling is all happening, the scene is set for the entrance of the stars of the show. Depending on how you would like to enter the Ceremony, there is an option here for Partner 1 to make their own special entrance to the Ceremony. Whether you choose to have a Wedding Party or not, we can create a super special aisle moment for Partner 1 to enter.

Consider: Do you want your guests on their feet, cheering and clapping as you enter the Ceremony space? Or do you want to drift in in a more subtle way? The choice is yours! 

Celebrant Housekeeping 

While Partner 2 is getting ready to make their Ceremony entrance, this is a great opportunity to seat your guests, and make sure they are warmed up ready to create and experience the unforgettable scene that is your Wedding Ceremony. It’s at this point I like to welcome everyone to the Wedding and cover off any housekeeping or special requests that you would like shared before the Ceremony begins.

Some great examples of this might include:

  • Unplugged Ceremony: if you would prefer your guests to be present with you during the Ceremony and to pop their phones and devices away, I can cover off this information here. 

  • If you would prefer your guests don’t post any pics to socials before you have a chance to I can also request this of guests here

  • Any special instructions you want to remind your guests of for after the Ceremony. For example, we will be enjoying cocktail hour here, please sign the guest book, we are heading to the reception at 3pm etc.. 

    Depending on how you plan to enter the Ceremony (individually, together, or maybe you are waiting at the aisle as your guests arrive!) once we are all set up and ready to go, and depending on the above, generally, I will pop over to Partner 2 to make sure everyone is ready for the grand entrance!


Processional (Walking down the aisle)

This is your moment! 

Your cue to start walking down the aisle is often when you hear the music and your special song start to play. 

Once you reach the end of the aisle, take a moment to connect with your Partner, hold hands, have a cuddle, maybe a sneaky kiss, whatever it is that makes you feel most comfortable and at ease. If you are carrying a bouquet, you can hand that off, fix your dress, take a deep breath! 

My Tips:

  • This is a super special moment to craft and create how you would like to. So, choose what resonates most with you both. Whether that be entering with one or both parents / parent figures, with your best friend or on your own, or entering together holding hands -  there really aren’t any rules when it comes to this! 

  • Take your time and take it all in. This moment comes around once in a lifetime. If you might be feeling a little nervous, focus on your Partner, breathe deeply and smile - you are about to marry your soulmate! 

    Welcome to the Wedding 

    Now that the stars of the show are all in position I will officially start the Ceremony. Legally, I am required to state both of your full legal names and I also like to let guests know who I am too. 

    If you have a Wedding Party and would like to recognise them and the special role they play, this is the perfect place to do just that. Whether it be calling out the special role they have played in your life that led them to be standing beside you on your Wedding Day or a subtle acknowledgement, it’s a beautiful way to recognise & thank your special people, make them feel super special. 

Acknowledgments 

Before we get into the fun stuff, we have the opportunity to acknowledge any special people who may be with us at the Ceremony, or those who unfortunately can not be there.  For some, this might look like acknowledging family members for their love and support and for others this might look like acknowledging loved ones who are no longer with us, but most definitely with us in spirit.


Love Story & Words About Marriage 

Enter - the main event! 

At this point in the Ceremony, you and your partner have settled into the Ceremony and your guests are ready. Your Love Story will be a beautiful blend of the story, woven from our conversations, what you have shared in your Couples Questionnaire and some creative and engaging storytelling by me. This could look like the story of how you met, what lies at the heart of your connection, what you love most about each other, what marriage means to you, and your hopes and dreams for the future. 

Consider: take some time to reflect on if there are any specific sentiments you would like to share, the balance of humorous and heartfelt, or any special moments. The Couples Questionnaire is a brilliant opportunity to do this and the perfect chance to share and express yourselves. Your guests will relate through their connection with you both and the authenticity of what you share and the way in which I bring this to life. 

We will talk about this when we have our Ceremony meeting so that we can craft the perfect celebration of your story.

Monitum * (legally required) 

As we commence the legal components of the Ceremony, I will then generally move over to stand in between the Couple. The Monitum is a legal passage (a couple of sentences) that the Celebrant must say prior to the marriage being solemnised in order for the marriage to be legally binding. 

VOWS 

With your vows I will generally ask you to share them with at least 3 weeks in advance. That way, I can make sure they are the same length, structure and tone. On the Big Day, I will have your vows ready to go on my kindle so that you can read them easily. The other option is, I have black A5 folders to hold your vows - the choice is yours! (Or, you can purchase vow cards and hand write them for a beautiful keepsake).

Legal Vows * (legally required) 

The legal vows are quite simple but are 100% required from you in order for the marriage to be legally binding. We have the option for you to repeat after me, or to read them from the page. They sound like this: 

“I call upon, the persons here present to witness that I (insert your full legal name) take you (insert partner’s full legal name)  to be my lawful wedded husband / wife.”

Personal Vows

If you choose to share personal vows during the Ceremony, I find that this flows really smoothly from the legal vows. Usually, Partner 1 will go first with the legal vows and then flow straight into the personal vows. Then, Partner 2 follows suit.

If you are stuck on what to say or how to say it, please please please reach out to me and I can help you to craft them. (It’s actually one of my favourite things to do!) 

Ring Exchange & The Asking 

If you choose to exchange rings, I will then ask your ring bearers to bring them forward and place them in your hands. This is a beautiful opportunity to recognise someone special with this responsibility - I have seen grandmas and grandpas, mums and dads, best friends, wedding party members or even fur babies take up this important role. You do you! 

As you exchange rings, I will ask each partner a question, which you normally respond with “I Do”. I will ask you to take the ring and place it on the tip of your partner’s finger and then as you respond, “I Do”, place the ring on their finger completely. 

We have options here for how you would like to create this moment, we can keep it sincere and reflect on what marriage and commitment means to you, or, we can create a lighthearted moment and have a bit of a laugh - again, you do you!