TYPICAL WEDDING CEREMONY
The format of your wedding is tailored to your wishes. The only compulsory elements are the Monitum, the Legal Vows, and the signing of the legal documents. Here is an example of a typical wedding rundown.
Prelude music: Guests are seated while music is played.
Pre-ceremony announcements: Remind guests about mobile phones, photography and any other special information about the venue’s amenities and requirements.
Processional: The wedding party enters the ceremony venue
Welcome and introduction: The wedding celebrant welcomes everyone and introduces themselves. You may choose to include an “Acknowledgement of Country” at this point.
Giving Away: One or two parents of both or either partner release their ceremonial custody of their children to each other. Alternatively, the celebrant can request a “community of support” from the guests present.
Reading or poem: One or more readings or poems can be read, either by the celebrant, a friend or family member, or the couple themselves.
Address and charge to the couple: The celebrant speaks about the meaning of marriage and offers advice and guidance to the couple.
Monitum: The celebrant must read the Monitum of the marriage to be legally valid.
Exchange of vows: The couple makes legal and personal promises to each other in front of their family and friends.
Exchange of rings: The couple exchanges wedding rings to symbolise their commitment to each other.
Signing of register: The couple, their witnesses, and the celebrant sign the official legal marriage certificates.
Rituals: Some couples choose to add their choice of a ritual at this point in the ceremony
Final blessing and pronouncement: The celebrant offers a final blessing to the couple and officially pronounces them married.
Recessional: The wedding party exits the ceremony venue in the reverse order of the processional, with the newlyweds leading the way.
WHAT’S THE IDEAL CEREMONY LENGTH?
We will work together on what you want to include, but I recommend 25 to 30 minutes as an ideal ceremony length.
WHAT ABOUT MUSIC AND READINGS CHOICES?
When you book your ceremony with me, you will have access to my Marriage Information Kit. The kit contains a range of ideas for your ceremony, including music, readings, poetry, personal vows, and rituals.
HOW SOON CAN WE HAVE OUR WEDDING?
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, you must book your wedding with a marriage celebrant at least one calendar month in advance. This involves filling out a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form with me.
LEGAL VOWS
As a Celebrant, I am required to read the Monitum, which states my legal authority to solemnise the marriage.
As a couple, you will say the legal vows with the following wording.
“I call upon the persons here present, to witness that I (FULL LEGAL NAME OF PARTY 1) take you (FULL LEGAL NAME OF PARTY 2) to be my lawful wedded wife (OR husband/ wife/spouse/partner in marriage.)”
Aside from these requirements and signing the legal documents, the ceremony format is very flexible.
