Danielle Barker Celebrant

Your wedding day is an incredibly special, once in a lifetime moment. You want it to be perfect. It is my wish to make your day unique and special. As your Marriage Celebrant, I will ensure you experience a totally personalised, meaningful and heartfelt ceremony. I am committed to complementing your special day with a professional, stylish service, whether traditional or informal, at a location of your choice.

I LOVE my job – working closely with couples, like you, designing your Wedding Ceremony. As your wedding celebrant, you can be assured of the best possible professional, fun, stress free and confidential service that I can provide. I will assist you in designing your Ceremony to reflect your true personalities, feelings and thoughts – a Ceremony with heart and soul! I will ensure that your Wedding Day will be special and stay in your memories forever.

I will set aside as much time as you need – included in my fees, to discuss and listen to your wishes and ideas and I encourage you to have as much input as your desire. For the past 10 years I have been a Senior English teacher, so pride myself on writing totally tailored ceremonies, so no two ceremonies are the same. I will attend to all legal paperwork at my home office, provide unlimited correspondence via phone and email, officiate your marriage, attend a rehearsal (within the Gold Coast region, travel fees may apply to areas outside of the Gold Coast) if you require, and provide you with a copy of your ceremony, along with a commemorative marriage certificate. I am also able to supply a PA system, ensuring every word is heard by your guests, and a table for the signing of your marriage certificate and marriage register.

Please contact me if you would like to have a chat regarding my wedding packages and prices, and to also see if I am the right celebrant for you.

1. Notice of Intended Marriage Form 13 (NOIM)
   Before you can be married you will need to complete a Notice of Intended Marriage Form 13 (NOIM) no later than 1 month and 1 day prior to your Wedding. This can be lodged 18 months in advance.
2. Statutory Declarations
   This will state there are no legal impediments to your marriage; you are over 18; you are not marrying your Cousin and haven’t married someone else since your Celebrant saw you last! This should be signed 1 week prior to the ceremony or at the rehearsal.
3. Documentation on the Day
   On your wedding day and as part of your Ceremony, we will sign the Marriage Register, the BDM Marriage Certificate and the Marriage Certificate which you will take home with you. The other documents will be sent to Births, Deaths & Marriages in your state for processing. You will receive an email confirming your marriage has been successfully registered and is all legal and binding.
4. Your ceremony must include 2 witnesses over the age of 18 years.
5. If previously married,

   original evidence of divorce or death of a previous spouse will need to be presented. If a document is not in English, an official translation, in addition to the original, is required. An interpreter is required if either of you or your witnesses do not understand English.

6. Should you require an interpreter
   for your wedding ceremony or witnesses, you can search for a local-area interpreter via the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) Ltd

The documents I will need to sight at our first appointment are:

• Your original Birth Certificate (obtainable from Births Deaths and Marriages in the state where you were born) or Passport;
• Proof of identity, i.e. Australian passport, overseas passport, driver’s license;
• If either of you have been married previously, I will need your B.D.M issued Marriage Certificate, and a Federal Magistrates Court Certificate of Divorce (obtainable from the Family Court in the state where you were divorced);
• If either of you have been widowed, I will need a copy of the Death Certificate of your deceased spouse;
• Any documents provided in a foreign language must be translated into English and a Translation Certificate supplied.

There is no one single ceremony structure. Some legally required parts of the ceremony need to occur in a certain order, but you have many options for the non-legal aspects.

I am able to provide you with a few different options for Introductions, Readings, Poems, Blessings and Rituals, to help you choose and create your perfect ceremony.

Ceremonies normally take approximately 30 minutes to complete, including the signing of the register and certificates.

Whatever style of wedding you desire, I will help make your day a wonderful, special time, so that you will look back on this day in years to come and truly appreciate that it was indeed a Magical Moment!

The Ceremony must include:

Monitum
Legal element from the Marriage Act – spoken by the Celebrant.

Vows
Marriage commitment – repeated after the celebrant – no need to memorise.

The Ceremony may include:

Readings/Poems
Up to 2, this will give your ceremony some balance and help set the mood. (may be read by family member or friend or Celebrant)

The Giving Away
Optional. This is generally done by both or one parent or a family member/ close friend.

The Asking
I will ask you, if you take one another as husband and wife. The answer being “I do” or “I will”.

The Ring Exchange

There may be just one ring – for the bride, this is personal and completely your choice.

Declaration and Kiss

Declaration of marriage.

Rituals and Blessings

There are many gorgeous and meaningful rituals and blessings. They can add a layer of richness and meaning to any ceremony. Here are a few to consider –

• Sand Ceremony
• Candle Ceremony
• Butterfly Release
• Dove Release
• Ring warming
• Hand fasting
• Rose Ceremony
• Celtic Blessing
• Buddhist Blessing

These are just a few of the rituals and blessings. Others are available at your request.

• Council approval may be required for public venues.
• A large umbrella in the Wedding car in case of rain.
• Take things slowly – there is no need to rush, remember to breath and relax and above all else be yourself – you have worked hard to achieve this Special Day – it’s yours to enjoy.
• Bride will sign her maiden name on all documents.
• Have a plan B available in case of bad weather:
  • An alternative venue for holding the Ceremony indoors.
  • 30 – 50 umbrellas available for guests.
  • Hire a large marquis.

14 Unique Touches For Your Wedding

1. Naming Your Tables. Instead of using traditional table numbers, name your tables after a special interest or hobby that you share. Such as…players on your favourite footy team, cities you have visited together, or types of wine.
2. Newlywed Trivia. Create a list of trivia questions about you and your fiancé́ for your guests to answer. This not only lets your guests get to know you as a couple, it breaks the ice as guests answer questions as each table.
3. Bomboniere or Favours That Represents You. Give your guests treats that say something about you or your interests.
4. Share Your Childhood Photos. You can do this in a collage of photos of the two of you growing up, in your signature guest book, or displayed on your gift table.
5. Display Your Parents’ and Grandparents’ Wedding Photos at your ceremony and/or reception on the cake or gift table. This is a romantic and elegant way to share your family history.
6. Love Letters. You can put together a collage or scrapbook of letters you and your fiancé́ sent to each other if you had a long distance relationship.
7. A Special feature – at one recent wedding, Granddad’s orchids featured in the bride’s bouquet and in the floral arrangements at the ceremony and reception. The bride’s brother, bring a bit of an artist, did a beautiful charcoal drawing of orchids and each guest added a thumbprint in the spots for the buds – this became a lasting
8. Personalize Your Vows. Write your own vows and add personal details like, “I promise to bake bikkies with you” or “I vow to watch the NRL Grand Final with you” to let your guests glimpse more of your relationship. This adds a very personal touch to the more formal requirements in the vows.
9. Tell Your Love Story. Have your celebrant share your love story and what you mean to each other with your guests – this always gets ‘oos’ and ‘ahhs’ of approval.
10. Invite Your Guests To Perform. If you have musicians or dancers in the family, ask them to perform at your ceremony or reception. (Just make sure they will still enjoy themselves!)
11. Make Memories With Music. Play your favourite songs and artists during your ceremony and reception, or the songs that your family and friends love. Some fun places to use your favourite tunes include your walk down the aisle, your introduction music, and your parent dances.
12. Ask your guests for music ideas – when you send out invitations ask each guest to nominate 2 songs that they love to dance to and use these to create a compilation play-list (as long as you own the originals) for the dancing.
13. Dedicate a Song. If there is a song that reminds you of one of your loved ones, have your entertainer or MC dedicate it to them. It can be serious, sentimental, or silly.
14. Thank Your Guests. Take a moment around the cake cutting or at the end of the night to thank your guests. You might invite them to the dance floor to form a big circle and dance together to a song like “That’s What Friends Are For” or “Friends In Low Places.”