The Singing Celebrant

For weddings, as soon as you set your wedding date and decide on your venue, I would recommend booking me to give you the best chance of availability. I often book wedding ceremonies up to 18 months in advance, but you can also book me much closer to the day if I happen to have availability, but not less than one calendar month before the wedding date as there is a legal requirement to register your intent to get married with your chosen celebrant at least one month before the wedding date.For all other events, you are welcome to book me at any stage leading up to your event but for the best chance at availability, the sooner the better.

Upon booking with me (or any celebrant), you and your partner will need to complete a Notice of Intent to Marry form which I can send you, which must be filled in and witnessed between 1 month and 18 months of the wedding date.I will then send you my wedding ceremony checklist to fill in so that I can custom-create and write your personalized bespoke wedding ceremony based on your unique story.Then very close to the ceremony (within the week of the wedding), you and your partner will need to sign a Declaration of No Legal Impediment which I will witness and provide to you.And finally, you will need to sign the official and commemorative Certificates of Marriage on your wedding day.I will then lodge all the paperwork with the Department of Births Deaths and Marriages, and your marriage will soon be legally registered after that.

Yes, I certainly can! In many cases, you may not have a wedding/venue coordinator or friend who can play the music for you.  For a reasonable additional fee, I can play your music selections via iPad and my professional Bluetooth PA system, including background music as your guests arrive, your entrance (processional), signing, and exit (recessional) songs so you don’t even have to think about the music and can enjoy yourself.

The price depends on the services you are interested in; whether you require celebrant services, ceremony music, reception music, corporate or private event entertainment.  Also, the location of your event and the number of hours you would like entertainment will also vary the pricing.  The more detail you can give me with regards to the above when you enquire, the more I can give you a great value quote that will fulfill your specific needs and preferences on the day.

Absolutely. I will send you a music form to complete and return to me upon booking and confirmation for any of your preferred song requests. I am happy to play requests to personalize your day, as music is such an individual thing.

Yes absolutely! I can learn a song to customize your wedding or event and make the service more personal to you.  Ideally let me know the song at least a couple of months in advance, and I will confirm that I (and/or my band) can do that particular song for you.

That depends on your preference. If you as the client are happy with requests, I am happy to take your guests’ requests. Under most circumstances, requests are great, but it’s also important to remember to allow enough leeway for me to also read the crowd on the night.Live music requests are also possible. If it’s a song we know, we will happily play it. If we don’t, we will endeavor to play something similar or from a similar genre or style.

Yes, this is a possibility, and in most circumstances I can accommodate this unless there are venue restrictions such as noise/licensing curfews. An additional fee will apply to extend past the booked time frame with payment required at the start of the extended time.

Yes, I provide a professional Bose PA suitable for up to 200 guests. Some larger weddings may require a larger PA/setup in which case, additional PA may need to be hired at the client’s expense. DJ/effects lighting for the dance area is included with every DJ package.Live music packages include basic stage lighting for the performance area, but additional lighting may be required depending on your venue/requirements, also to be hired at the client’s expense.For celebrant bookings, I provide a high-quality battery-powered Bose PA and wireless mic suitable for both indoor and outdoor ceremonies. Please communicate with me regarding your specific event details including the venue and number of guests you are expecting to ensure my included PA and lighting will suit your requirements.

In Australia, you cannot get married without a celebrant.  You must be married by an authorised marriage celebrant to be legally married in Australia.There are four types of authorised marriage celebrants in Australia:Commonwealth-registered civil marriage celebrantsCommonwealth-registered religious marriage celebrantsMinisters of religion who are from a recognised denominationState and territory officersAndrea is a commonwealth-registered civil marriage celebrant.

According to a 2020-2021 Australian Wedding Industry Report, completed by Easy Weddings, Australia’s most prolific wedding website and directory, the average marriage celebrant cost in Australia is $780. This is a difference of 1% from the previous year, signifying that couples are happy to continue choosing to invest in one of the most important parts of their wedding day.It is important to remember that the cost of a celebrant goes far beyond what they do on the wedding day and each celebrant is different.  Celebrant fees usually include multiple meetings, a custom ceremony script, filing and preparation of the required legal documents, and much, much more.  If the celebrant provides additional services such as playing your wedding music selections through their PA system, or even providing a live music option, couples should expect to pay more for those additional services that really enhance the ceremony and make it personal and memorable.

A wedding celebrant or marriage celebrant conducts wedding ceremonies, vow renewal ceremonies and commitment ceremonies for couples and clients who engage their services.They will meet with you to discuss your needs and expectations and will write and facilitate a ceremony tailored to your requirements which they will perform on your chosen ceremony date.A Civil Marriage Celebrant, as a qualified trained and professional person, is authorised to conduct your marriage ceremony in a manner that meets the legal requirements.  This includes a range of matters such as ensuring that your ceremony contains certain mandatory words; the correct completion of your Notice of Intended Marriage, and all other required marriage documents; and the lodging of these documents with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.A Marriage Celebrant can also personalise your ceremony if requested to do so and will offer options and resources as to what you may like to include in your ceremony.  They will assist you throughout the legal process and requirements to get married.

When choosing a marriage celebrant, look for someone personable, confident, well-spoken, and relaxed; someone who can help you maintain your calm under pressure and support you throughout the process.A good celebrant will be able to communicate well with your guests and set the right ambience and tone for your ceremony.  There are also many hours of behind-the-scenes planning and paperwork involved in the leadup to the ceremony so your chosen celebrant should also be organized, knowledgeable, and detail-oriented.When choosing a marriage celebrant, it may be helpful to start by asking family and friends if they know of a good celebrant who they have seen personally officiate another wedding.  Recommendations from people you trust who have seen a celebrant in action on a wedding day are a great place to start.  Ask for their honest opinions with regards to the celebrant’s personality as well as their behind-the-scenes organisation, planning and communication.Also, whenever possible, meet with your potential celebrant face-to-face before booking, either in person or via Facetime or Zoom to ask them about their services, their process and how they can assist you.  If they put you at ease with their answers and the rapport they build with you, they are likely to be a great choice to be your celebrant.

Yes, I would be happy to MC your wedding J  This is a great add-on service to either mycelebrant servicesand/or a reception music package, as I have already gotten to know you in the leadup to your big day and can quite easily facilitate the MC requirements at your reception as well.Not everyone has a friend or family member who is confident enough to fulfill this role for them. Or sometimes, you may just prefer to not to put any pressure on one of your guests to manage this for you.  I am more than happy to take that pressure off so everyone can relax and enjoy themselves.  I charge a very reasonable additional fee to provide MC services at your reception.

Yes, I do offer wedding celebrant services in Port Douglas. It is one of my favourite locations for wedding ceremonies in Tropical North Queensland and I am happy to drive along that beautiful coastline to get there.  In fact, I am happy to travel interstate and across Australia for weddings all over the country at your request.

A wedding emcee (MC) will act as the bridal couple’s spokesperson for the night as well as be the liaison between the couple, the guests, the venue staff and catering staff, and any other wedding vendors who may be involved in the reception.  They will also ensure that the event runs as close to schedule as possible and make all the required announcements pertaining to any formalities including:Welcoming everyone to the weddingAnnouncing any housekeeping announcements and any house rules of the venueIntroducing the Bridal Party and the Bridal couple into the ReceptionIntroducing the cutting of the cakeIntroducing the SpeechesFacilitating or hosting any games you may want to take placeIntroducing the Father and Daughter/Mother and Son dances (if happening)Announcing and facilitating the Bouquet toss and/or Garter toss (if happening)Introducing the First DanceFacilitating and announcing the farewell/exit of the Bridal coupleA good wedding MC basically takes the pressure off the bridal couple and their guests so that everyone can relax and fully enjoy themselves on the night.