Choosing your wedding site

As celebrants we are adventurers, as we are often asked to perform weddings in unusual as well as the more usual places. Just to give you some ideas if you are thinking of a site for your ceremony, we will list some thoughts for you to consider here.

In Australia, lots of couples opt for the great outdoors. Here are some options. We will also mention the good points and the drawbacks of these sites. Bear in mind that if you are choosing outdoors for your wedding to have a wet weather plan as well. 

  1. Beach :- Beaches are very romantic in theory. A beach can be a beautiful place to take wonderful photos. There are some drawbacks however. You should check out easy access. If there are great amounts of steps, or great heights or depths to scale to get to the beach, this can be a problem. Bear in mind your guests and their mobility. It is sometimes harder for older people to access the beach. Also the beach can be very windy and the breakers are always much noisier when you are trying to hear a ceremony. Sometimes your celebrant may not be too keen to take their expensive P.A down on a beach to have sand blown into the workings and be wrecked. It is a public place and even with your permit from local council it does not stop uninvited guests barging in on your special moment. If you have your heart set on a beach you can choose a green area before the beach where you can still see the ocean, but where it is not so noisy. If clients dream is to have a beach wedding, we will of course gladly perform their ceremony for them.
  • Mountain:- Of course it’s the scenery and lofty heights that people want when choosing a mountain as their venue. There are some beautiful spots at lookouts which really lend themselves to a ceremony site. Ask us if you’d like some ideas of lovely spots where we have performed weddings. Things to remember when choosing a site – access is always important.  If you decide to venture into the rainforest for example, again think of your guests and their mobility. Also remember bug spray.
  • Parks and Gardens, Public:-  There are few drawbacks to parks and gardens. Usually you have to have a permit which you get by contacting your local council. You will be given a time frame and some gardens restrict the sites available to a few. Fortunately these sites are usually the better ones.  Botanic gardens especially are guaranteed to be beautiful. Things to remember are access and parking. 
  • Home gardens and backyards:- There are a lot of pluses to having your wedding in your own garden, or a friend or relatives place.  It is a private place, no rigid start and finish times for your reception, you may feel more comfortable there and you can prepare your own garden many months in advance. There is a potential to be married in an undercover area, deck or pergola if there is rainy weather. It will not be already booked out and basically you have carte blanche with your plans.
  • Boats:- Yes, you can be married on a boat, and we have married couples on the open waters before. It is legal as long as you are in Australian waters. Things to remember, it is not totally smooth on the water and you may rock from side to side depending on the water and weather that day. Not a good idea if you suffer from motion sickness. Some guests may be unable to attend an away wedding. You have to organise to get your celebrant back on land afterwards. I had a very fast motorboat ride back from the boat after one wedding. Very exciting. 
  • Planes:- You can be married on a plane over Australian land, it is totally legal.  You would have to organise with the airline involved and get their permission to do so, they usually like the advertising and marketing potential of a wedding on their airline. You could also hire a light plane or helicopter if you wanted a more intimate affair.  You must remember that you need two extra people there as witnesses.
  • Hot Air Balloons:- Again there is a number limit for a hot air balloon, it is both an exciting and scenic way to be married if you’re brave enough. A wonderful story to tell the younger generations. Sometimes hot air balloons are cancelled due to inclement weather, so you would have to be free to be married on a later date in that case and so would your celebrant. 
  • Chapel:- there are so many beautiful non religious chapels available for civil ceremonies these days.  If your dream involves walking down a traditional aisle and an indoor location, then this may be the wedding site for you. There are so many to choose from and we at Cherish Ceremonies can certainly point you in the right direction of beautiful chapels that we have officiated at. 

Cherish Ceremonies – We Believe in Love!

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Tips for a Simple Budget Wedding

So you’re getting Married, and you’re considering keeping it very simple.

There is of course nothing wrong with the big traditional wedding with all of the trimmings, but if that’s not your bag, read on.

At Cherish Ceremonies we are often asked our advice on how to make a wedding as simple and as stress free as possible.

The biggest thing to remember is that this is YOUR wedding. Firstly, chat with your partner about what is important to you as a couple. Make a list of what you both want and then come to some decisions. Then the challenge is to remain firm about your decisions. Sometimes when well meaning friends or relatives get too involved they may sway you into thinking that you HAVE to have certain traditions at your wedding.  Guess what – they are wrong.  You get to have whatever you want, not what Aunty Flo thinks is a good idea. If Aunty Flo is bankrolling the whole shebang, then you may give her a small say, within reason HA HA. Only divulge what you have to about your plans to people who are either helping or their opinion matters to you. 

Some suggestions for simplifying your wedding plans:-

  • Choose a date, a Celebrant and a venue. These are the big things out of the way. Phew!
  • If you want to make it really simple, get married and get someone to throw you a party. 
  • Lists and timelines are your friend. 
  • Get stuff out of the way asap then cruise into your big day.

Ceremony

Tell your Celebrant what type of ceremony you are dreaming of – romantic, short, long, lighthearted, serious, traditional, themed? At Cherish Ceremonies we have so many different options for you to choose from, from original, to a ceremony that you can mix and match your favourite parts from our extensive collection of weddings and vows and readings. You can be as hands on or hands off as you like, you can just tell us a little about your love story and then just leave it to us, we email you our ideas and then you give us your input. Easy! We’ve performed all types of weddings, from the traditional to the outrageous. But that’s probably information for another blog…… 

Wedding Party

The simplest way to have a wedding is to do without the attendants. That way you only have to concern yourself with what you and your partner are wearing. 

If you simply can’t do it without your best friends, another alternative is to just have them as your witnesses for the signing of the certificates. Another way of including special people is to have them as a ceremony reader or a greeter or in some other important role.

Clothing

Can be anything that makes you feel special and comfortable. 

You may already have a suitable item in your wardrobe, if so go right ahead and wear it. 

Bear in mind that specific wedding clothes are sometimes never worn again, so consider vintage, second hand, or hire. Men, it is marvellous how you can dress up a nice pair of black dress pants with a long sleeved shirt and tie. Women, any dress that makes you feel special can be the one. 

Ceremony and Reception Site

If you’re on a budget or just want it to be simple, parks, gardens, your backyard or that of a good friend or relative can be the way to go. These can be a setting for a far more intimate gathering, and there are no restrictions or closing times, so the revelry can go on as long as you like. Do bear in mind wet or very hot weather and have a plan for that. 

A close relative is planning a wedding next year and is having it outdoors. She has purchased a small marquee which is quite inexpensive these days if you shop around online, and she will sell it after the wedding.  A patio or undercover area are of course just as good. A community hall could also be a great choice. We’ve married people on clifftops, near waterfalls, at lookouts, in rose gardens, in parks, beside rivers and lakes, the beauty of nature is endless. 

It’s really not all about impressing your guests, it’s about your day being a happy and memorable one for you. Most people have probably attended many weddings in their time and can appreciate that ‘one size does not fit all’. They will enjoy a wedding that is authentically you. It is not even necessary to have guests – the only legal requirement for attendance is to have two witnesses present at your ceremony. Maybe this is how you see it too. Very simple, very budget conscious. A lot of people like having the support of special people on their big day, if so…..

Beware the guest blowout

This is where suddenly you feel you have to invite all and sundry to your wedding so as not to offend people. A good idea is to put them through the 10 year filter.  Are these people very important to you now and do you think they will still be playing a role in your life in 10 years time? Within reason there should be no one at your wedding that you don’t know and/or that you don’t like very much. No distant relatives, no one that you don’t have regular contact with, no one that is not a positive influence in your life, no one that isn’t supportive of your union 100 percent, no one that will remotely cause trouble on your special day. And no, you don’t have to invite your Boss your co-workers or anyone that is not a true friend, although sometimes they are!

Decorations

Pinterest is a great place to look for ideas for decorating your space.  There are all kinds of do it yourself ways of beautifying your wedding to suit all different tastes on Pinterest.  If you are not already on Pinterest, do yourself a favour and do so now. 

Maybe if you’ve chosen a beautiful outdoor area and you can just leave it to nature to be spectacular.

Also think of the skill sets of like minded friends or relatives who have an eye for décor and ask them to be part of your planning and decorating committee. If there is no one creative enough, then there are plenty of wedding decorators who will hire their beautiful wares, bring them to your site, set them up and then take them away at a very low cost. Very simple indeed.

Flowers

Flowers may be your thing and you may want to spend a lot of money on them at a florist.  If not check out the flower markets for a much cheaper option.  It is easy to make them look pretty tied together with some ribbon or twine.  Another idea is a group bouquet, where guests are asked to bring a flower each and someone special ties them all together for you.

Cars or special transportation

Should the Bride/Groom, Bride/Bride, Groom/Groom feel the need to come in a special car, firstly try and think of friends who might have a luxurious or fun one that they might like to drive you to your ceremony in. Or maybe you’d like to hire a Harley Davidson. 

If arriving in a special vehicle is not your style, ditch the idea and save some money on car, horse and carriage or bike hire.

Catering

Self cater or having a small business cater for your guests

Providing your own beer, wine, soft drink and water is the most budget friendly way.

You can then buy it when it is on sale or cheaper than normal. 

Hire a waiter or ask a friend to serve. Alternatively provide a large drinks fridge and bar and allow guests to self serve. 

If no gifts are required it is quite acceptable to:-

  • Go to a restaurant and have everyone pay for their own meal if it is a small occasion
  • Have everyone bring a plate and share a meal
  • Have guests bring a picnic lunch or dinner, spread out rugs and eat on the grass
  • Hire a food truck to come to your site and provide meals. Pizza, Mexican, Burger, Greek and Turkish food trucks are just some that are available. This can be quite casual and enjoyable and budget friendly.
  • Have a BBQ at a park or home. 

If gifts are accepted then there is usually some kind of meal provided. 

Photographer

We always suggest that people invest in a good photographer for obvious reasons. 

Music

Technology has made music a much easier thing to manage these days. Start making a suitable play list of fave tunes on your phone, hook up with your Bluetooth speaker and start playing.

Things to bear in mind – some softer music while you’re eating.

  • Some bangers for dancing.
  • Some chill out music for when the event is winding down.

You can always hire a musician, D.J or band if you wish to spend money from your budget in this area, but again it’s not especially required if want to keep it simple.

Finally

Here at Cherish Ceremonies Celebrants we sincerely hope this list of simple and budget ideas has given you some inspiration for your big day.  

We have heaps more ideas for you if you contact us. Please do, you won’t be disappointed!

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Creating, writing and communicating your wedding vows

Hooray, you’re getting married. Congratulations!

This is a guide to create your own personal wedding vows.

In Australia there is a legal vow line which must be spoken in your vows.

It is:- I call upon the persons here present to witness that I (two names) take you (two names) to be my lawfully wedded wife/husband/spouse.

We usually advise couples to say the legal vow line first up and then continue with their more heartfelt pledges to one another.

Apart from the legal line, you may commit to your partner with your own words, or words which have been provided by your celebrant. Here at Cherish Ceremonies, we have a wealth of material which you may use to create your vows. Sometimes, couples find that what they would like to say to their fiancée has already been written or they mix and match words from vows that we provide. This method is quite acceptable and can be personalised quite easily.

If you choose to write your own vows, bear in mind that the vows are primarily a promise to your partner of your continued love.

Questions you could ask yourself might be:-

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1.Why is it important that you take your relationship to the next level of marriage?

2. What do you value about your partnership?

3. What drew you together and what shared values do you think will keep you together?

4. Words like love, commitment, teamwork, respect, communication, may be important to you as a couple.

5. Don’t forget you may want to mention the fun and happiness that enriches your relationship.

6. Remember the aspects you have in common and the things that make you individuals that you respect in your partner.

7. It is fine to make a joke as long as it is not disparaging to your loved one in any way. 

Speaking your vows

You’ve gone to the trouble of writing something personal for your partner. Now it’s important to deliver these lines to the best of your ability.

At Cherish Ceremonies we offer two methods to perform your vows.

If they are more than a few lines long, we advise you not to repeat after us.  This can be laborious and boring if you want your pledges to sound great.

We can hand you our book, landscape style with your vows printed for you.  It is a good idea to have the vows finalised a while before the wedding, so you can practice them and be very familiar with them on your big day.

You definitely do not need to learn them by heart.  It can be the most emotional part of your ceremony, so having those words printed in front of you can be a lifesaver on your wedding day.  Remember it is fine to take your time with your special words and to show some emotion. Your friends and family will appreciate your love for one another, and probably join in if you have some tears to shed.

Your celebrant or members of your bridal party will have some tissues on hand!

Don’t be embarrassed, your love for one another will move mountains and inspire your friends and family.

Remember, your Celebrant has witnessed many marriages, therefore will be on hand to help with your vows should you need an expert opinion.

Love from Cherish Ceremonies

Lynette and Tamzin.

Phone Lynette 07 3807 3025
or
Tamzin 0403 582 667
or email us on: [email protected]