Jacqua Celebrant

I like to question why we do certain things as a society. Is there a better way of doing it? Why follow traditions? Perfect example: a wedding ceremony is anything but one-size fits all! So often couples do what they’ve seen before or on TV/movies. I’m not saying I’m against ‘em. But let’s tweak a few or heck, let’s turn a traditional ceremony upside down! I’m BIG on finding out what has meaning to you, not just for your wedding but in your life. These are the all-important ingredients that make your ceremony personal AF! Have you ever wondered...why brides walk up the aisle with their dads? How about walking with your mum, both mum + dad, sibling, best friend, grandparent or all by yourself (my fav!)? Why not walk up the aisle together, after a first look? Or not walk up the aisle at all. Who says the wedding party has females one side + males on the other? Who says you need to stand on a certain side? And guests need to sit/stand a certain side? Who says you need to say ‘I Do’? Say ‘Heck Yes’ or let’s not do the I Do’s… These only just scratch the ‘tradition’ surface…there’s a tonne of ‘em. I do love all the detail + if you do too, together let’s create something that is every inch YOU. But look no pressure, if you want LITTLE EFFORT I’ll do this part for you. Around saying a few legal words, we can do whatever we bloody well want! So let’s do what FEELS right. Whoop! That’s why I do what I do. I’ve gotloads of ideasso just shoot me a message if you're keen to know more.

Theprocess is pretty simple. I’ll organise everything for you :) Firstly we need to get your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form completed + your signatures witnessed. I’ll also need to sight some IDs, when you lodge it to me. Passports are best (valid or expired); otherwise Birth Certificate + Drivers Licence are great too. If you’ve been married before, we’ll need to include these details and I’ll need to sight your divorce papers. Your NOIM must be lodged to me at least one month before your wedding. I always say let’s get it done as soon as we can. If you’re applying for a partner visa within Australia, I’ll write up a Letter of Support to include in your application. There’s a few other legal documents that I’ll produce along the way. A Declaration of No Legal Impediment, which I’ll bring with me to our rehearsal or the day to sign before we start the ceremony. Two Certificates of Marriage that we sign with your two witnesses at the end of your ceremony. Once the ceremony is done + you’re off celebrating I register your marriage with the Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages.

Ummmm, let’s just say travel is my middle name. It’s a big part of being celebrant + one of the many reasons why I became one. Travel is my bones + my blood. I’ll happily travel to the quaintest, wildest + most spectacular places to get you two married!

Most of my ceremonies are around 30 minutes, give or take. If you’d like yours short, I’d recommend nothing less than 15 minutes otherwise you’ll seriously blink + miss it. If you’re after lots of elements to your ceremony like readers + a ritual, it could be around 40-45 minutes.

Yes yes yes! Please have a Plan B ceremony location if your Plan A is outdoors. On the off chance, there’s crappy weather on your day, it means you won’t be stressing + everyone will thank you for it. Mostly no-one is having fun getting drenched. Also consider the vendors involved who have expensive equipment that could get damaged. Let’s do it in the comfort of the indoors, please :)

When it comes to ceremony music, there’s three options: If you have the means, I highly recommend having live music. The muso’s are professional + working alongside me, you’ll get the best ambiance + experience. The alternative is to have a playlist of songs. There’s three key songs, we’ll need. One for the beginning, one of the signing of the certificates + one to finish off the ceremony. The music can played through my PA system. Just arrange the music + download it on a phone + we’ll bluetooth the device to my system. I’ll help your nominated music person to set up the music, just before the ceremony starts, we’ll do a sound check and a quick run-through of the cues. It’s crucial to choose a competent person for the job. If you have any DJ or tech friends, you’re sorted! Someone who’s savvy with tech + music. Someone who’s attentive + listens out for the cues.

90% of the time, I only do one ceremony. I’ll only take on two weddings if there’s a big time gap between each + both weddings are in the same region.

Saying your vows is a big deal. If you’re nervous, there’s ways to put you right at ease. At a minimum, you’ll need to say the legal line - it goes like this: I call on the persons here present to witness that I, [full name] take you, [full name] to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/partner in marriage/spouse. You can leave it at that…or can you add some personal vows. There’s no strict rule on length or what you say. I’ve got samples + a guide to writing vows that’ll help get you started. In terms of length I say 200 words (including the legal line) is a good rough guide. There’s two other nice ways of approaching your personal vows, if you really don’t enjoy speaking out in public: You can share your personal vows privately with each other later in the day. In the ceremony I’ll just announce to guests that’s what you’re decided. Or you can say silent vows. I'll announce to guests that you’ve chosen to say your vows to each other without the mic. After this, I’ll get to say your legal vows on the mic so guests can hear that critical part.

I’m a big fan of a rehearsal and it’s included in my package fee, if we meet somewhere in my locality. Scrap the thought of a formal dress rehearsal at the venue. It’s more a casual catch up in the lead up week. We meet at the beach, in a park, a cafe/bar, or meet via Zoom. It’s the perfect opportunity to us to reconnect at this crucial stage, to run through final details + key elements of your ceremony. Once we’ve visually gone through it, you’ll feel ready + so much more relaxed about the big moment. To be honest, it helps both of us - your ceremony will just flow!!

Firstly,get in touch. By email or my web contact form is best, or you can pick up the phone. I’ll check my availability for your date. If I’m free I’ll see when we can schedule in a 30 minute Zoom chat. It’ll give us the chance to meet, talk about your plans, the process + brainstorm ideas. If you wanna go ahead, I send through an email with everything we need to do from now til your wedding. Ultimately to secure me, arrange the booking fee + send through my ceremony agreement signed. This guarantees we’re locked in!

Absolutely!! I’ve worked with many incredibly talented people + insanely gorgeous venues + hidden gems. I’ve compiled a nerdy spreadsheet of all my favourites, so please go ahead + ask. I’ll send you my top picks to match your style and location. Oh + if I’m not available on your wedding day, I have the best celebrant recommendations. I always check their availability first + if they’re free I’ll send you their details to check ‘em out.