Planning a wedding can be a massive task. Depending on what style of wedding you want there are certainly a lot of elements that make up the elements to a fantastic wedding day. However, let’s strip it back to the absolute basic element and the ONE and only thing you truly need to get married … a celebrant!
Without a legally authorised celebrant there is no marriage. With no marriage there is no wedding. So … let’s look at the typical flow of working with me as your celebrant on the Gold Coast.
Step 1 – Contact Me!
The first step seems obvious really. Send me a text message, give me a call, email me or fill in my online form on my site. However you wish, but it all starts with you reaching out to me (or whoever you want as your celebrant) with your names, contact details, where you are thinking of having your ceremony and if you have a preferred date.
Step 2 – We Connect
Once you contact me, I send you my price list so you know if I am within your budget. I may ask you some additional details and invite you to contact me back if you would like more information.
Step 3 – We Meet
Once you have decided I have made your short list of potential celebrants, I highly suggest we meet. Video chat is of course and option, but if you are within South East Queensland I like to arrange a time to meet in person so we can get to know each other better over a drink and a chat. This is the time I get to give you some ideas, ask what you are envisioned for your day and also we get to know each other. Like favourite movies, hobbies … just a good chat so we get to see how we connect on a friendship level.
Step 4 – We Sign Some Paperwork
It is a legal requirement to sign something called the Notice of Intent to Marry form a minimum of 30 days prior to the marriage date. So we arrange to catch up again where you will be required to bring along a current ID (eg. Driver’s licence) and either your current passport or original birth certificate.
Once we get this filled in, I then submit it to the department of Births, Deaths & Marriages. Then we of course chat again and potentially start getting some ideas together for your ceremony.
Step 5 – We Plan Together
By this point, you will have been given access to our 24 hour, 7 day a week online planning portal where you have filled in some details and answered some fun questions about your love, your lives and your vision for the big day. I use this information to draft a ceremony that takes all the elements you provide me, creating a unique and memorable ceremony crafted just for the two of you.
Once you receive your draft ceremony, you can alter it however you wish to make it exactly the way you want it. Then we wait for the big day!
Step 6 – The Big Day!
Here we go! The big day has arrived. I arrive at least 1 hour prior to the scheduled start of the ceremony time. I come and meet the both of you individually to do a check for consent (a legal obligation) as well as get you to sign another piece of paper called the Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage. This is a document stating that there is no reason you cannot get legally married.
After this, we are ready for the big moment. The marriage ceremony, where I walk you through comfortably all the proceedings we crafted together for this ceremony. We do some more signing of the Official Certificate of Marriage. This is signed by the two of you as well as 2 witnesses (over 18 years old). I then submit this, along with he Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage to the department of Births, Deaths and Marriage.
Step 7 – After The Day
I submit all the paperwork and we wait for your marriage to be processed. Once it is processed both you and I will receive a notification it is completed. You will get a notification with an option to order an Official Certificate of Marriage. On the day, you will have received a decorative one, however this is not sufficient to use if you wish to update your name with any banks, Government departments etc. You will need to order the official certificate they offer you. This is not very expensive and is definitely worthwhile having.
That’s it!
Once you have your official certificate you can go about updating your name (if you wish).
I hope this has helped to give you a good idea of how the flow is if you choose to work with me as your celebrant and welcome you to contact me with any questions you might have.
Warmly,
Nik Reeds CMC
