Ceremonies With Bronwyn

I'm happy to travel anywhere in South East Queensland and the north coast of New South Wales. I service an area from Noosa to Byron Bay and west to Toowoomba and don't charge for travel in this area. I will travel further if necessary, although there will be a small charge to cover my time  and fuel.

There are lots of ways to include your children in the ceremony. How about:

• Making a vow to the children after you make your marriage vows to each other
• Having young children as flower girls, page boys or ringbearers; older children could be junior bridesmaids or junior groomsmen; adult children can be in your bridal party and can be your witnesses on your big day
• Signing a family certificate or adding everyone's thumbprint to a family tree
• Adding an element to your cerremony that includes your children such as a sand ceremony or a tree planting ceremony
• Giving your children a special gift as a memento of your wedding day

Ask me about some other ways of making your wedding day special for your whole family.

I love animals and I'm happy to include your furbabies in your wedding. Of course, this will depend on the type of pet you have (probably you shouldn't walk your alligator down the aisle), whether your venue is pet friendly and whether your pet will cope with being at your wedding. If your pet is friendly and won't get too stressed, appoint a minder for each of your pets on the day, have a supply of pet food and water on hand and arrange for someone to take you pet home or to a safe and quiet spot after the ceremony and photographs.

I have had lots of fabulous weddings with dogs and horses as part of the bridal party, and I'm willing to work with other animals too.

First the really good news - I'm incredibly lucky with the weather. I once had a "streak" of 149 weddings in a row where we were able to go ahead in the planned location without having to move indoors because of rain.

But if it does rain and you're getting married at a venue - relax! Even though an outdoor wedding is fabulous, venues always have a Plan B location in case the weather is bad. There's always a spare room, a covered courtyard, a wide verandah or similar and the staff at your venue will be experts in transforming this spot into a gorgeous ceremony area in double quick time.

If you're not getting married at a venue, make sure you have an alternative location organised in case it rains. Beach weddings are beautiful, but noone wants to spend their big day cold, damp and miserable in the company of grumpy, wet guests. If you have to change location, make sure you notify all your guests early enough for them to arrive at the new location in plenty of time. 

It's really important to notify your celebrant as soon as you can, because if you change location, your marriage certificates have to be reprinted with the new address for the ceremony. Remember, your celebrant needs time to change the paperwork, drive to your alternative location and be set up and ready before your guests start to arrive.

In Australia, we don't need marriage licenses. The Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) is the first piece of legal paperwork that must be completed before your marriage. It must be handed to your celebrant a minimum of one month before your wedding. 

I always carry copies of the NOIM with me, and I will help you complete it when we meet, but you can download it from the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department website if you wish. You and your partner complete your details on Page 3 of the NOIM and sign on Page 4 in the presence of an authorised witness. As a celebrant, I can witness your signatures, but for couples organising their wedding from interstate or overseas, there are another of other people (lawyers, doctors, police officers, JPs, etc.) able to witness your signatures.

Your celebrant will complete the rest of the NOIM, but you will need to provide ID (a passport is ideal, but you can also use an original birth certificate with a piece of photo ID such as a drivers license). If either you or your partner has been married before, you will also need to show your celebrant divorce papers or a death cetrificate for the previous spouse.