Four helpful hints for outdoor ceremonies this summer

With several outdoor weddings on my books, I thought it may be a good time to offer a few tips if you are planning an outdoor wedding ceremony this summer.  During January/February, temperatures are set to rise and clever brides and grooms provide “extras” to make their guests comfortable when sitting or standing in the open and exposed to the summer sun.  Remember that many guests arrive 30-45 minutes before a wedding ceremony is due to begin.  Traditionally, brides are “fashionably late” which means that your guests may be exposed to full sun for up to an hour.   Below are 4 helpful hints you may wish to consider and discuss with your wedding co-ordinator:

1.  Make small bottles or glasses of cold water available in ice-filled tubs for guests when they arrive.
2.  Place Sunblock (spray and/or cream) in the ceremonial area and in the ladies and gent’s restrooms for your guests to use. 
3. Country Australia always prompts “The Great Aussie Salute”.  Often, brides and grooms forget to wear insect repellent and are forced to swat flies from their face during their ceremony.  Make containers available for your guests, and remember to carry a container for the bridal party.It’s a great pity that wearing formal hats has become unfashionable. Why not start a trend – place a reminder on your wedding invitations for your guests to wear a hat for sun protection.
4.  If you find hats unsuitable, why not provide a parasol for each of the ladies. They are reasonably priced and available from most variety shops.

The joy of a marquee

Last Friday proved very popular for weddings, the date being the 11/11/11.  Numerically, this is a fortuitous number and the brides who chose to marry on this day were certainly blessed with the weather.  It was an honour to conduct Krystie and Michael’s outdoor wedding ceremony in the peace and tranquillity of Hawkstowe Park. The remoteness of the Park proved no barrier for  me in conducting an exquisite wedding ceremony under a white marquee with  chairs which were provided for the 100+ guests who attended the wedding. The marquee offered protection from the sun and proved to be ideal for outdoor wedding ceremonies as it was without walls so everyone could enjoy the views  and magnificent scenery within the Park.  I work with an Operator whose name is Patrick, and we provided sound amplification and music for the bridal party processional, the signing and the bridal party recessional, all without the need for power, it was a truly magical day for the bride, groom and their guests.

The following day I conducted Kate and Jon’s wedding ceremony at the stunning Bell City Event Centre.  There too, the bride and groom opted for a marquee.  This was provided by Bell City in the form of a decorative marquee for the poolside ceremony and the lush gardens provided a magnificent back-drop to their fabulous wedding ceremony.

                                                                                                               

                                                                               

A wonderful bespoke ceremony at Fergusson Winery, Yarra Glen

Although Saturday’s weather was a little grey, the Yarra Valley turned on it's Spring magnificance.  The wisteria at Fergusson Winery was in full bloom and tiny new leaf buds were visible on the vines.  Cream tinted Banksia Roses spilled over the car-park arbour forming a guard of honour to welcome the 120+ guests who gathered for the Wedding which was about to take place in the Barrel Room. In consultation with the bride and groom, I created a bespoke ceremony that reflected the bride and groom’s cultural and spiritual beliefs.  How fortunate we are to live in a time and place where cultural and spiritual diversity is valued and celebrated and the result was incredible as guests and bridal party members participated in readings and blessings, culminating in the lighthearted highlight of the ceremony – the breaking of the glass.  

After the bride and groom sipped wine from the same glass, the groom placed it in a cloth bag and crushed the glass with his right foot.  All the guests responded with a resounding MAZEL-TOV! These rituals are cherished components of wedding ceremonies in the Jewish tradition and there is an old saying that this is the “last time that the groom gets to put his foot down”.  The bridal colours were co-ordinated throughout the wedding in cream and lavender and the staff at Fergusson’s set up  the Reception room in the same exquisite colouring. 

My thanks go to the staff at Fergusson Winery, John the Photographer at Port Melbourne Photography, Mandy and Yuriy, the bridal party and guests for giving me the opportunity to participate in their fabulous day.

A Beautiful Farewell

“.........along with the sunshine, there’s got to be a little rain sometimes.......”  these are meaningful words to a song that was popular some years ago.  Most of what I do is joyous and celebratory but last week, I  had the sad task of conducting a Memorial for a young man, Gareth.  He had been ill for a number of years and his life was taken by multiple sclerosis.  He had passed away earlier this year and at that time, family and friends were overwhelmed with emotion, unable to cope with organizing and attending a funeral.  It was Gareth’s wish for cremation so he was privately cremated in March of this year and two weeks ago family and friends were invited to attend the memorial service which was held in a private garden.   He was remembered with love, joy, humour, many tears, beautiful poems and readings and his family could now face the reality of his passing.  I felt honoured to conduct his memorial and after scattering Gareth’s ashes over native shrubs, everyone scattered multi-coloured rose petals over the place where his ashes lay.  “........Goodnight sweet prince and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.  Bear him, like a soldier, to the stage for he was likely, had he been put on, to have prov’d most royally.....” (William Shakespeare from ‘Hamlet’)

Wedding Expo at Immerse in the Yarra Valley on 14 August 2011

The Wedding Expo  was a huge success.  The garden was immaculate with daffodils blooming in brilliant sunshine and the wonderful staff at Immerse strolled amongst the attendees with bubbly and finger food throughout the afternoon.  Exhibitors included photographers, coutures, florists, hire car companies, jewellers, DJ’s and more.  This gave the  attendees  the opportunity to ask detailed and finer questions from the wide range of providers who exhibited at this event.  I was fortunate in having been asked to present a “mini” lecture detailing the requirements for a beautiful wedding ceremony and my presentation was very well received.  The high point of the afternoon was a Wedding Auction.  Immerse auctioned a wedding reception package and one lucky couple successfully won the bid for a fraction of the ‘per head’ cost.  Immerse is scheduling another Expo for February next year so if you are planning your wedding for next year, mark it in your diary.

Cheers,
Liz Spinner

Immerse in the Yarra Valley - Wedding Expo on 14th August 2011

Immerse in the Yarra Valley -  Wedding Expo 14^th August 2011

As we come through the middle of winter, thoughts of Spring and Marriage fills the air.  If you are making wedding preparations, take a day out in the magnificent Yarra Valley and visit the Immerse Wedding Expo, scheduled for the 14^th August 2011. Perhaps have morning tea or lunch and a short distance away you will arrive at Immerse which is located on the outskirts of Yarra Glen amongst rolling hills and grapevines.  If you are looking for a romantic venue, Immerse may be just the place you are looking for.  Their wedding facilities are superb and they are able to offer everything at the one location including a manicured garden ceremonial location with views of the vines, a chapel, Reception with amazing food, wine and service, indulgent dayspa treatments and wedding night accommodation. 

I will be exhibiting at the Expo so please do come and say 'Hi'.  Mention this blog and I will offer you a super special deal.

Check the Immerse website at immerse.com.au.

Hope to see you there.

Cheers,

Liz Spinner

Cousin Weddings and who can mary who

This may seem odd to most people but in Australia cousins of any degree, including first cousins can marry each other as long as they are adult men and women.   An uncle may marry his niece and an aunt may marry her nephew.  These unions are permissible under The Marriage Act 1961 and are commonplace all over the world.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are indeed cousins and would like to get married.  I would love to be part of your wedding day!

When couples plan their wedding ceremony, there are a number of questions on the official declaration called a Notice of Intended Marriage. One question is : Are you in a prohibited relationship ?  A prohibited relationship is a relationship where the partners have the same ancestor (that is, parent or grandparent), - descendant (child or grandchild) -  brother or sister (whether whole-blood or half-blood) - The prohibited relationships include any traced through an adopted child and the adoptive parents. Adoption, for the purposes of marriage, includes an adoption that has been cancelled, annulled, discharged or ceased to be  effective.

What goes into celebrant planning and preparation for your special day ?

Ever wondered what goes into the preparation and time taken to create a unique wedding ceremony for you for your special day ?

As a professional and committed Celebrant, I carefully explain what personal documentation must be submitted by you, what ceremony components are necessary to ensure the validity of your ceremony,  and lastly, preparation and lodgement of all marriage certificates and legal documentation.

Your wedding ceremony is the vehicle that proclaims your new status as husband and wife and you instantly become each other’s next of kin.  Remember, marriage is a legal state and entering your matrimonial status has laws that apply, with legal consequences.  As a professional celebrant, I ensure your wedding ceremony includes all the requirements set out by the Attorney General’s Department,  and the office of Births, Deaths and Marriages.  It is also my duty to ensure that your ceremony components comply with the Marriage Act 1961 because failing to do so may render your wedding ceremony invalid.

Unfortunately, not all celebrants are compliant and I urge you to choose your celebrant very carefully. 

When you decide to engage me as your celebrant, we set up an appointment to cover all the legals, including  your preferences and  ceremony ideas, and what you envisage your ceremony to be.  A deposit is paid and you will leave our meeting with a CD which is in effect a library of resources.  After you have had time to browse the resources, we set up another consultation which is for “Planning your Ceremony” and I gather information from you so I can draft a ceremony.   At this meeting we discuss the “choreography” of the Processional, the Recessional including attendants and participants and after completing the draft,  I email or post it to you for review and discussion.  From this discussion, I prepare the blueprint and we rehearse the ceremony a week or so before the wedding date.  Before the rehearsal, I prepare two official marriage certificates, a Section 14 Declaration and a Commemorative marriage Certificate.  If your ceremony is outdoors, a second set of documents may be required if your contingency venue is different to the planned outdoor venue, should the weather be inclement.

At the rehearsal, the ceremony  and choreography is streamlined and Marriage Certificates are reviewed and Section 14 Statutory Declarations are signed and I witness them for you.

It is no surprise to learn that my preparation time, travel and conducting your ceremony, post-wedding documentation and marriage registration for most wedding ceremonies takes approximately 10 to 15 hours.

Some couples may have special needs. Many come to Australia especially to marry, or are moving overseas and require an Apostille or require support documentation for Visa purposes.  I am able to provide advice and assistance to enable you to navigate your way through these requirements.

Wedding venue for animal lovers

Just returned from Perth after conducting a sensational Wedding Vow Reaffirmation Ceremony for Jess and Damian.  The couple celebrated their wedding a little while ago before moving to Oman.  They chose to wed before departing Australia  in a short civil ceremony, but the result of their decision was that the bride and groom were unable to celebrate their wedding with family and friends at that time.  So after returning to Australia earlier this year, they celebrated their Marriage and renewed their Wedding Vows last Friday, followed by a lavish feast.   The venue was Perth Zoo and the day began with an elegant and deeply symbolic Vow Reaffirmation Ceremony in the Japanese Garden with a backdrop of bamboo, exotic and native foliage.  Pre-dinner  drinks and canapés were scheduled “with the Elephants” and in the presence of two magnificent Asian elephants, caterers meandered amongst the guests with delightful tidbits and drinks. 

The antics of the elephants kept the guests enthralled as sunset brought dusk to the animal enclosures.  The guests then moved back to the Function Room within the grounds of the Zoo and were presented with fine food, excellent wine, excellent service and great company.

If you love animals, this may be inspiration for your wedding , you may wish to consider the Melbourne Zoo which offers a similar service – check out their website - www.zoo.org.au/MelbourneZoo

The romance of elopement

I am often requested to conduct elopements.  They are a lot of fun, and very romantic.  There are a multitude of reasons why couples choose to elope and since I can provide you with the venue, documentation and marriage registration, it’s one of the best elopement packages available.  Whatever your reason to elope, I can help you. If you would like to elope in Melbourne, then give me a call.  I can help you make it very easy

Over the years, whilst talking to many couples, here are some reasons for elopement:

♡ Elope because it is romantic and a lot of fun (and it is!)

♡ Elope before an overseas deployment or work transfer -  (Do you need a quick, impromptu wedding because of your circumstances ?) – Then I can help you.

♡ Elope because you never got round to it before. (Many couples have been living together for so long that everyone thought they were married.)  I understand, I’ll be officiating and nobody will know).

♡ Elope due to illness or accident. (Don’t wait. Life is too short).

♡ Elope to avoid the hassle and cost of a traditional wedding.

♡ Elope for  privacy. (You want to keep things just between the two of you), after 31 days,  I can officiate.)

Your Local Celebrant

Welcome to the inagrual posting on my website blog page.  If you are in the planning stages of your wedding, I am sure you will find some helpful information over the next few weeks and months.  I conduct ceremonies throughout the Melbourne metropolitan area and the Yarra Valley and I am fortunate to be based in the leafy suburb of Greensborough.  The Greensborough Main Street shopping precinct has a village atmosphere and you will find  everything you need for  your wedding.    There is oodles of parking, and the unrushed pavements of the main street retailers provide you with a relaxed shopping experience.  Come and browse through specialised wedding suppliers that will give you personalised attention.   For luscious continental, traditional and specialised wedding cakes, visit the award winning Pelligra Bakery, maybe have a coffee and one of their amazing cakes.   Located next door to Pelligra is Tuscan accessories – they specialise in bonbonniere, bridal  jewellery and wedding accessories including a huge range of gifts for the guys. – you can visit their website - www.tuscanydesigns.com.au.  Further along is Spurling Bridal and Formal Wear – they will show you a wide selection of suiting for the groom, groomsmen and page boys together with wedding gowns,  dresses for your bridesmaids and flower-girls – have a look at their website - www.spurling.com.au.   Across the other side of the road you will find Harvey World Travel.  They offer a professional bridal service for your perfect Honeymoon.    Harvey World Travel host a Honeymoon Bridal Registry.  They provide you with everything – find out more at www.greensborough.harveyworld.com.au. Main Street makes it’s way to intersect with Grimshaw Street where you will find cafes and intimate restaurants for coffee and a bite to eat.  Along this stretch you will find Melbourne Bridal and Debutante who carry exquisite wedding gowns and accessories.  They are a “must see” store if you are planning your wedding.  Their website is coming soon - www.melbournebridalanddebutante.com.au. Then of course there is the all important  hair, make-up and personal grooming – these are all available within a few metres of each other, not forgetting Sunsation Tanning Studio for glowing skin on your special day and Total Bliss for personal grooming.  Along the way you may wish to visit one of a number of gift and homeware shops including Matahari for silver jewellery and crystals – perfect for gifts for your attendants - you can go to their website www.matahari.net.au.

It is within a short distance of all these beautiful outlets that I am located – in the heart of Greensborough in Henry Street.  Why not visit the Greensborough shopping precinct - it is a “one-stop” location for your wedding requirements and come and see me for a no-obligation chat about your wedding.

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Check back here regularly for wonderful articles and information about Ceremonies and Celebration.