Choosing your Celebrant

   A Smile says it all!
                       “Choosing Your Celebrant”

For one of the most important days of your life, if chosen with care, there is one person above all who is able to make that day one you will treasure forever.  YES! It is your Marriage Celebrant.

Many couples are under the false impression that the role of a celebrant is simply to legalize a marriage.

Whilst, yes, the most important role and duty of a celebrant is to legally marry the couple and whilst there are many Celebrants who offer their couples little more than that…. is that what you really want from your celebrant for one of the most special days of your life?

So what do you look for and what should you expect from your Celebrant?

Most Celebrants will offer a meeting without cost or obligation to the couple and it is at this meeting that you should be evaluating the Celebrant.

How much time is the Celebrant giving you? Is that time spent with the Celebrant simply the Celebrant telling you how good he or she is and why you should book their services?  OR is the Celebrant taking the time to put you completely at ease, whilst listening to YOU and asking questions about YOU.

A dedicated Celebrant will take the time at that first meeting to do this and gladly spend their time wanting to get to know all about you. How you met, what you love about each other, how you feel you balance one another, about your families……if, for example, you have grandparents who will be attending the wedding or if you have interstate or overseas guests attending the wedding and if you would like to include them in the ceremony. All of this is vitally important for the Celebrant so that he or she is then able to make suggestions, suggestions that you may never have thought of, making your ceremony not only personal and uniquely yours, but one your guest will remember as a meaningful, beautiful and fun ceremony as well.

Your Celebrant should, at that first meeting explain the Notice of Intended Marriage as well as the documentation needed for the notice to be completed. Then, the structure of a ceremony and the legal requirements, as well as the words that MUST BE included and CANNOT BE changed within the ceremony. Additionally, they will discuss with you the vows, and the sometimes scary idea of writing your own vows, and will offer you ample help and guidance if you choose to do this.

Whilst all this is going on you must be establishing a good, warm and comfortable connection with your Celebrant, as the ceremony and the joining of yourselves together in marriage, and the bliss of that commitment is the joy that you will take into your wedding reception that follows.

Once you have booked your Celebrant, the Notice of Intended Marriage is able to be completed by one or preferably both parties of the couple, and then the fun and excitement starts, as you realise that yes! ..this is really going to happen, you have a date set, you have booked a celebrant and all your dreams are going to come true!

Now, once you have booked your Celebrant, he or she should give you not one, but three or more sample wedding ceremonies to take away with you to look through before your next meeting. These ceremonies will reinforce for you the legal words that must be used within the ceremony as well as giving you many ideas of different rituals and readings, poems  and vows that can be used and how a marriage ceremony is structured and why.

It is then a week or two later that the work and expertise of your Celebrant really starts, as together you begin to work on creating the perfect ceremony for you, a ceremony that will be uniquely yours and treasured by you.

It is also at this point that the Celebrant should ask you for your choices in the paper you prefer for the Presentation Copy of the Marriage Certificate, your preference of gold or silver for the pen on the signing table to be used for the signing of the Marriage Certificate, and the colours of the bridal party, so the Celebrant can blend in and be appropriately dressed.

Your Celebrant, if you need, should be able to give recommendations of at least 3 different websites for each, photography, florists, hair and make-up, cake decorators, coloured sands for sand ceremonies etc, saving you hours of your time searching different websites. As well, they should suggest appropriate places in your ceremony to have music played, and give you the opportunity of playing your chosen music through their own P.A. system.

The relationship you build with your Celebrant over the months leading up to your wedding is so terribly important, as on your “Big Day” you need to be relaxed and confident knowing your Celebrant has covered every aspect of your ceremony with you.

At the “On Site” rehearsal a week or two before your wedding day,  your Celebrant will run you through the ceremony once again, going through all aspects of the ceremony , from how the Groom and Groomsmen will stand – hands clasped in front or behind, the space the bridesmaids need to leave between each other for the photographer to get great shots of the Bride, as well as how to walk so that the bridesmaids and the bride seem to glide into the ceremony rather than racing or seeming robotic, which once again is so important for the photos to show you at your best!

Another important issue to check is, does your Celebrant have a good and reliable PA system. So many times guests are disappointed, being unable to hear the ceremony due to the lack of, or the   inadequate PA system, of the celebrant.

“It is your Special Day “, so make sure the beautiful words you exchange to one another are heard by all and remember to make sure when choosing a Celebrant that YOUR DAY should be just as important to him or her, as it is important and special to you!

                                  Again I Say …..

                         “A smile says it all”!!

As does the following testimonials and photo:

“Dianne Morpurgo is an extremely warm, creative and professional celebrant. Dianne helped us  create a unique and memorable wedding ceremony that was a simple and genuine reflection of Duncan and I as a couple. By the time the wedding day dawned, we were looking forward to the ceremony because we knew it was going to be not only fabulous but something that would mean something really special to us and our guests.  Dianne was able to give us great ideas on adding little rituals to our ceremony that meant something to us as individuals, including a sand ceremony, Gaelic blessing and warming of the rings. All of our guests and family have commented on how meaningful and enjoyable the ceremony was. It was even more impressive given that almost the entire ceremony was organised remotely via phone and email as we live in Melbourne. Dianne is brilliant and we are falling over ourselves at the chance to recommend her services. She is truly wonderful!”

Love B and Duncan

Dear Di,

“The ceremony was beautiful, and I would recommend Dianne to anyone wishing to get married. Everything you did to help make the  day run smoothly beforehand, and the personal touches you suggested for the ceremony made our special day even more special and I can’t thank you enough. The whole experience was so effortless and the result was breathtaking. Dianne went above and beyond our expectations at every step of the journey, again Thank you.”

Kindest Regards
Kat and Julian

 

Wedding Planners

What do they do and do we need one? 

Very few brides-to-be are experienced in organising an event as large and important as a wedding.

Planning a wedding can be a full time job! The average bride spends 250 hours organizing her wedding – that’s equal to 6 full-time working weeks! Few couples have the time in their schedules to successfully plan, manage, and execute such an event effectively. And sadly, many couples don’t realise or acknowledge this until it is too late, when parts of their dream wedding have already fallen apart leaving behind huge disappointments.

Your Wedding Planner can do as much or as little as you like. From discussing a budget to organising flowers, cake, hair and makeup and every other detail that goes into planning a wedding, you choose what you would like a helping hand with. Wedding planners have an abundance of creative ideas and insider’s know-how. They have connections with the best suppliers in town and have learned to become polished negotiators to get you the best deal and value for your budget. They can manage the overall event and ensure that everything goes exactly as planned right from the initial stage to the closing stage. They can assist you in making the right selection and choosing the perfect wedding vendors and venue, and also help maintain a balance in what is happening, when it is happening, who is doing it, all the while keeping a strict watch that everything remains within your budget. Importantly, a wedding planner will help you set a realistic wedding budget, based on how much you have to spend, and in most cases, a wedding planner will save you money.

But wedding planners aren’t just for the disorganized and time-poor. They’re also ideal for those who have it all organised and just want to sit back and relax in the run-up to the big day. Some brides employ a planner to step in the week of the wedding so that the bride can spend time with her friends and family and have some stress-free time to herself. The planner will meet with all of the suppliers/vendors to confirm arrangements, and then contact them again the day before the wedding. The planner will also co-ordinate and liaise with the parties on the day to ensure the smooth running of the wedding.

So, how do you measure the cost of hiring a wedding planner? Having someone to organise the most stressful day of your life is a service you’d do well to consider but, as with all good services, it comes at a price. However, most good wedding planners will offer you an initial consultation free of charge. The main purpose of this meeting is to discuss the range of services the planner offers and for the bride to determine if she feels comfortable and wants to avail of the service.

Once you decide to proceed with their service is when the costs are incurred. Travel expenses and the time spent planning your wedding are both taken into account, the costs – like the functions of the wedding planner – depend largely on what the bridal couple wants.

Hiring a wedding planner might seem like an extravagant extra, but it could be the best investment you make. Most charge a flat fee, rather than accepting commissions from the vendors. This ensures that your wedding planner is working for YOU and not the suppliers. The best thing about charging this way is that you’ll know from the start exactly what your wedding planner will cost. Complete wedding co-ordination – where the planner organises practically everything – is generally measured by taking a percentage of the overall cost of the wedding, often with a minimum charge.  Some wedding planners charge 10% of the overall cost for example. Partial co-ordination is often based on packages offered at set prices.

 

Top Wedding Trends – 2012 Part 3

Your wedding bouquet will not only be showcased on your walk down the aisle, but you will also be able to preserve it as a keepsake, so it’s a great idea to ensure you put your own personal touch into the design of your bouquet!

 

WEDDING BOUQUET TRENDS

In 2012 you will see that large majority of wedding bouquets will be hand-tied, where the flowers are gathered together and the stems are wrapped in wide satin ribbon.

 

Brides wanting more glamorous bouquets are choosing beads, brooches, feathers, jewel pins, pearls, crystal/rhinestone picks and embellished ribbons to dress up plain ribbon-wrapped stems and blooms. Feathers are the ‘must have’ accessory in any bouquet!

 Beach and garden themes are continuing to be popular, so brides are also adding elements such as shells/starfish, feathers, berries and pinecones to their arrangements.

The rose continues to be the most popular and elegant bouquet flower. Lilies, peonies, hydrangeas, tulips and orchids will be popular as trendier choices. Arrangements with a just-picked and a looser casual look have replaced the more tightly-bound bouquet shapes of previous seasons.

 

Though many brides still choose the traditional pastels and neutral shades of white and cream for their bouquets, the latest bridal bouquets contain flowers with glowing colours like hot pink, bright orange, magenta and fuchsia. Colours such as  navy blue,plum and violet are this year’s hot colours!

   

Another trend will be with the use of more unconventional bouquet plants and natural earthy greens, such as feathers, fruit, grasses, ferns and herbs. For instance, rosemary or mint not only adds great greenery, but also adds fragrance. Complimentary and contrasting foliage and branching is used, giving the overall look a simple, elegant appearance. Some people feel that having a simple, green or organic bouquet will take the focus off the flowers, and allow the bride to take more of the attention as she walks down the aisle!

 

 

There are an endless variety of bouquets for wedding flowers, and the perfect bouquet should complement the bride’s personality, and cater to her style.

 

Kylie and Matt’s Photos

One of the drawbacks as a celebrant posting a blog about a recent wedding you have conducted is the fact that you have to wait a few weeks to receive the photos from the B&G or the photographer. So what do you do? Hold off writing about the wedding?

Well, I went ahead and wrote the blog of Kylie and Matt’s beautiful garden venue ceremony at the Miramare Gardens some weeks back and have at last received the photos to post.

Hope you enjoy them and check out the photo showing Kylie’s fun way of wearing something blue. If you need a clue …check out her shoes!!! I just loved the quirky touch to this beautiful and otherwise traditional bride.

“Hi Dianne
Once again thank you for making our wedding day so special. Matt and I both had an amazing day, and everyone commented on how personal our ceremony was.
Throughout the last 10 months you have always been such a pleasure to work with as we planned the details of the day .
Matt and I have enjoyed getting to know you just as much as I am sure you have enjoyed getting to know us and it really does make all the difference on the big day.
Thank you again.
Kylie and Matt”

Christmas and New Years Eve Proposal Ideas

 A new year….. a new life together. Why not start the year off with a bang? What better time to get engaged? Here are a few Christmas and New Year’s Eve marriage proposal ideas…

1. Commemorate special moments in your relationship by writing or illustrating each event on a Christmas ornament with paint pens, or photographs attached to the tree by ribbons. Decorate the tree with all the special moments. On the top of the tree — which you should wait to put in place – have an ornament with “Will you marry me?” written on it.


2. The best way to propose is to catch them off guard. Hide the ring box in her stocking – she’ll be expecting a selection of candy and small gifts, and instead she’ll find something much better!


3. If you’re at a party, work your proposal into the crowd’s big countdown to the new year. At the stroke of midnight, tell her how much you love her and simply whisper, “Will you marry me?” Celebrate the rest of the night by sharing the news with all your friends.

4. If parties and crowds aren’t your thing, you can plan the ultimate at-home proposal for midnight instead. After a wonderful meal, cooked by you of course, retire to the candlelit living room for a romantic movie, or even the New Year’s eve countdown. Even better…leave the television off, and ask her to slow dance to a favourite song. At the stroke of midnight or when the moment is right, look in her eyes, and ask.

5. Write out and read each other your New Year’s resolutions and let your last one be to make her your wife.

6. Do it at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve. What better way to start the new year than to have her as your fiance?


7. Make reservations at an elegant restaurant and arrange for the waitstaff to bring out two covered desserts. Under your lid will be a heart-shaped cake in her favourite flavour; under hers, a ring box nestled in a bed of rose petals. Once revealed, instruct the waiters to bring over a bottle of bubbly.

8. Write out your proposal with roses around the Christmas tree or in fairy lights on your house.



And don’t forget – whatever you do, don’t do it empty handed!If you haven’t already talked about her taste in engagement rings, and don’t want to risk proposing with a ring that she doesn’t like, perhaps think about using a fun and sparkly dress ring or even a  family heirloom as a stop-gap measure until you can go shopping together.

And once you have proposed [and been accepted], and shared the wonderful news with your families, remember to book your celebrant early – good marriage celebrants book up quickly!

Top Wedding Trends – 2012 Part 2

If you thought your wedding cake had to be fruitcake… think again! Classic cake designs will never go out of fashion. But traditional doesn’t have to mean old fashioned

The choice in wedding cakes is literally endless! Wedding cakes can come in almost any flavour you can think of. In the end it’s a matter of personal taste but here are a few of the latest trends.

WEDDING CAKE TRENDS

Serving your cake as dessert
If you’re serving your cake as dessert, plan carefully what comes before it. If you’re having a very savoury main dish you might consider a more sweet and sticky cake, if your meal is quite rich, you might go for something a little lighter in texture and taste. Ask your caterers to serve it with cream, ice cream or fresh fruit.
Other points to take into consideration are the time of day your wedding will be held. If you’re having a wedding brunch, a banana cake might be just the ticket. Also, what season is your wedding to be held in? A lighter cake in summer may be more to your guest’s tastes, however in winter a white chocolate mud cake may be the ideal choice!
Miniature wedding cakes are very popular and have many uses. They can be served as an alternative to de
ssert at your reception or they can be mini versions of your wedding cake to be given to guests as bombonniere. They can also come in just about any flavour and colour.

Which flavour?

The best flavour cake is the one that you and your partner will enjoy the most. Chocolate wedding cakes are ever increasing in popularity, but many couples are also choosing to have layers in toffee, fudge, coffee, carrot, and fruity flavours. Go to your cake designer together and taste some of the options available. If you just can’t decide on the best flavour why not have a different one for each tier?

Here are some flavour ideas to whet your appetite:

  •     Traditional dark fruitcake
  •     Mud cakes in any flavour you can think of – try cherry, caramel, mango and of course white or dark chocolate.
  •     Carrot cake
  •     Flourlesss orange and almond
  •     Croqembouche
  •     Butterscotch
  •     Lemon
  •     Honey maple carrot
  •     Lemon buttermilk
  •     Port and chocolate fruitcake
  •     Almond banana
  •     Chocolate cherry


Cakes inspired by bridal gowns
There is a growing trend towards basing your cake design on the style of your wedding dress or your wedding theme. Ivory, cream and white cakes are regaining popularity, and these are being decorated with pearls, diamante, fabric, flowers and pieces of jewellery to mimic the bride’s outfit. Some high end cake makers are actually working with dress designers to create couture cakes inspired by the designers’ collections.

For brides who want something different to the traditional white cake, colour is making a big comeback and strong colours and bold patterns such as polka dots are very fashionable. The cake colours can be chosen to complement the overall wedding colour scheme; choosing a bolder shade of the bridesmaid dress colour often works well. Large individual patterns such as flowers can extend across several cake layers to add impact.


Ice cream cakes

 For casual summer weddings, ice cream cakes are the perfect choice, and should double up as dessert as your guests won’t be able to take a piece home. White chocolate and strawberry or lemon are popular flavours for ice cream cakes, just be careful not to leave the cake out of the freezer for too long if you don’t want it to collapse.

A new twist on cup cakes

The trend for a large cake stand with individual cup cakes is still going, but some couples are looking for new ways to work with this. One innovative solution is a traditional round layered cake with a couple of layers made up of tiny individual square cakes, fully iced and personalised for your guests. This is a more formal alternative to cup cakes but still means that each guest gets an individual cake.

Metallic accessories
Metallic themes are currently becoming more evident  in every area of wedding design, including the cake decoration. Ribbons, icing and other decorative features can be found in traditional silver and gold, or more contemporary metallics such as pink, pewter and bronze. Another trend is using large pieces of costume jewellery instead of flowers to adorn your wedding cake, and to tie the cake design in with your overall wedding theme. This trend is particularly good for winter or evening weddings, where the jewels will sparkle under your lighting. Swarovski crystal monograms and white on white icing with textured highlights are becoming increasingly popular with modern brides.

Unusually shaped layers
Tiered wedding cakes do not need to have matching layers. Stacking various shapes on top of each other creates a modern, alternative look. Traditional tiers are still quite popular, although plastic pillars are a definite no-no!  Instead, the layers are placed directly on top of each other.  If pillars are needed to steady a heavy cake, then the cake decorators are hiding them behind fresh flowers, sugared fruits and berries for a lush look.

Cake calligraphy
There is a trend for wedding cakes with writing, usually they tend to be white cakes with black iced writing. Many couples choose a single word or phrase, while others have a whole poem or verse in beautiful writing on their cake.

Etiquette

Traditional wedding etiquette says that the top tier of the cake is to remain uncut and stored until the first anniversary, so if you would like to follow this, then the top tier of your cake should be fruitcake. Store it well, wrap and freeze it in an airtight container. When your first anniversary arrives, you can have the cake re-iced and enjoy.

Lauren and Tim Loved their Beach Ceremony!

How perfect was the weather for the wedding of Lauren and Tim last Friday at Bilgola Beach on Sydney’s Northern beaches.

The hot sun was just what was needed to show to the best advantage the four bridesmaids as they walked down the stairs in stunning long orange dresses and white Japanese style parasols. They really set the scene beautifully for Lauren’s entrance.
Lauren looked amazingly beautiful as she followed the bride’s maids down the stairs in a magnificent strapless gown, with exquisite detailed beading around the bodice. Her makeup was perfection and her upswept hair completed the perfect picture for this simply stunning bride.

Tim and Lauren wrote their own vows and Lauren couldn’t stop the tear of happiness trickling down her cheek as she heard Tim’s words of promise and love for the first time.

Yes! It really was a beautiful ceremony and one that Lauren and Tim will treasure in their hearts always as will many of their guests

 “Dianna exceeded our expectations and went above and beyond what we were expecting. Our ceremony was very personal, beautiful and reflective of Tim and I and captured exactly how we feel. Dianna was professional, yet we felt like we had known her for years. She offered guidance and assistance in the lead up to our big day and our guests were blown away at how amazing our ceremony was! We would recommend Dianna without any hesitation, and once another Kirby comes along, we again will have Dianna doing the naming day ceremony. Dianna, you’re an absolute treasure!” with love, Lauren and Tim Kirby.

Photos courtesy of Linda Wales Photography .

www.lindawalesphotography.com

Top Wedding Trends – 2012 Part 1

With Christmas and the end of the year fast approaching, I have been giving some thought to the latest wedding trends that I have seen emerging here on the Northern Beaches!

“Walking Down the Aisle”

One of the big wedding trends coming through at the moment that I see as a Marriage Celebrant, is for less traditions. Couples are eliminating ‘traditions for tradition’s sake’ and coming up with fresh, modern ideas for their special day, focusing on personalizing every aspect of their wedding to reflect their interests and personalities.

Walking down the aisle:

Rather than the tradition of the father walking the bride down the aisle, many brides and grooms are walking down the aisle together. This is a wonderful option for brides and grooms with blended families. Other walk-down-the-aisle trends include:

  • the bride walking down the aisle by herself,
  • having both parents accompany the bride and groom,
  • the bride walking down the aisle with her mother or grandparents or children.
  • couples to walk down separate aisles during the ceremony and meet together in front of their guests
  • in some outdoor weddings brides are riding their horse or walking their dog to the altar!
Stay tuned for our next instalment of the top 2012 Wedding Trends 🙂

Lucky Number Eleven? Thousands to Marry in Vegas on 11/11/11

‘Once in a lifetime chance,’ says one of those making a bet on marriage in gaming mecca

By Sevil Omer, msnbc.com

Las Vegas will hit the wedding jackpot Friday with a lucky number: 11/11/11.

The singular date will make matrimonial unions of at least 3,500 couples who have applied for marriage licenses in Clark County, where Las Vegas — long a destination for nuptials — is located. With a couple of days left, more could be flocking to the gaming mecca to make a bet on marriage.

“It’s once in a lifetime chance,” said Stacy Alsen, 32, of Boise, Idaho, hours before her flight to Las Vegas Tuesday. She and her fiancé, Dustin Hall, are planning to get married at 1 p.m. Friday at Chapel of the Flowers. “We’re so excited. It’s going to be such a great day and what a better place than Vegas.”

Clark County Clerk Diana Alba urged couples to plan ahead as her license bureau prepared for an onslaught of applications. She has temporarily reassigned staff to process applications to keep up with the average speed of 20 minutes.

Typically, the office gets less than 1,000 pre-applications in the queue for a period of 60 days, said Jim Pierce, assistant county clerk. As of Tuesday afternoon, the clerk’s office had 3,500 pre-applications for — you guessed it — Nov. 11, 2011. ‘Tremendous boost’ to business that has given a lift to Las Vegas’ wedding-related businesses up and down The Strip, where at least 100 wedding chapels are promoting 11/11/11 packages.

“Logistically, it will be a challenge, but a lot of fun,” said David Nye of the A Elvis Chapel, where 40 couples were expected to exchange vows on the day. That’s compared to the chapel’s average of 40 a week.

“It’s been pretty spectacular and has given us a tremendous boost,” said Aimee Stephens of Chapel of the Flowers. Stephens said the chapel has called in more workers, hired additional chauffeurs and rented extra limousines to accommodate couples. Chapel of the Flowers officiates at least 20 weddings on a typical Friday, compared to the 77 on the books this week.

Many people believe getting married on triple numbers is lucky and will bring a lifetime of fortune and happiness. Remember 10-10-10 and the most sought-after wedding day, 7-7-7?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45194144/ns/us_news-life/#.TryGRlb4Jif

Garden Venue – Kylie and Matt

Last week the magnificent “Miramare Gardens” at Terrey Hills was the venue chosen by my beautiful couple Kylie and Matt, for their very romantic 5.30pm wedding.

As many couples at the last NBWE wedding expo I attended  were asking about garden venues, this would certainly be one for them to check out.

The gardens are just beautiful with hedges dividing areas for intimacy, amazing water features giving a sense of style and tranquillity and the beautiful gazebo housing the signing table was a perfect back drop to the bridal party beautifully positioned on the three steps leading into the gazebo for this fairy tale wedding.

The guests mingled in one section of the gardens before the ceremony with music playing and the sound of water trickling in the fountains in the background. Once the bridal party had arrived, the guests were then ushered effortlessly across to take their seats and places in the garden area where the ceremony was to take place.

Kylie and Matt both had 3 attendants, the bridesmaids looking stunning in long black dresses and the guys looking handsome in their perfectly tailored suits and silk ties AND  then came  the oh’s and ah’s as the bride walked in on the arm of both her mother and father.

Kylie looked amazingly beautiful and radiated the happiness she was feeling.Her gown was exquisite and a rose tucked in low at the side of her upswept hair, just visible as her veil floated down, was ever so romantic and the perfect finishing touch for this beautiful bride.

The ceremony was ever so meaningful with all 110 guests feeling they were very much  part of the ceremony, as they were all included in the warming of the rings, making it truly a special ceremony for both the guests and my beautiful couple.