As your Civil Wedding Celebrant, you will then need to meet me, usually about 10 days before the wedding.

You will then need to sign the ‘Formal Declaration’, stating that you know of no legal reason, as to why you should not be marrying. No marriage ceremony can be performed without this formality being completed . It will also be forwarded, with your other documents & certificates to the Dept of Births, Deaths & Marriages.

What do we bring with us to this meeting?

You will bring the ‘Book of Choices’ I have lent you, together with all the choices you have made regarding the wedding ceremony. There are designated pages for you to fill in with these choices.

Your choice might be:

a complete ceremony, unchanged,

(or) a ceremony with changes you might like such as a choice from the different introductions, ways to be given away, ways of including children - or parents, the selection of a particularly appealing poem, or Bible reading or one of the very beautiful vows that you particularly like - a ring ceremony of your choice – or final words. You might only choose one or two of these.

You might like some of your own personal history. A little bit about you!

After all, your friends & family are intensely interested in you – otherwise they wouldn’t be at your wedding! This makes the wedding come alive to them – and you will enjoy the personal touch.

I will be providing you , in the ‘Book of Choices’ with a few questions about yourselves (to be answered individually) – so that I can know you better. You might want to include one or two of these answers in your ceremony. Remember though, that there are certain sections of the ceremony, which I am required by law, to say during the ceremony, in order for the marriage to be legal. You will find these compulsory words in ‘The Book of Choices.’

If this is an interfaith marriage,

The same goes for a multicultural marriage. There will be some ceremonial aspects which can be incorporated from both cultures, blending the whole - & keeping both families very happy at the same time.

What Else Do We Need To Bring?

Who will you choose as your two witnesses ? They must be 18 years, or older. They can be anyone, not necessarily from the bridal party. Perhaps you would like to include your grandparents, or people dear to your hestart, that you would have liked to have included in the ceremony.

Ask for their agreement first, - then bring their names in full - with super special care in the spelling of these names – including their middle names.

And What Else?

Who would you like to perform your readings or poems?

I can do this for you – but you may wish to include someone else in the ceremony. In that case, choose someone with good diction, ask for their agreement & bring me their names & whether they will also be needing a hard copy of the poem.

Bring the ‘Order of Service’ you have cleverly created.

This is a single page, a program – if you like – which gives a touch of elegance to the wedding, & often becomes a souvenir for your guests, and is perfectly achievable on the home computer, using one of the suitable papers available.

You may have perhaps a picture of yourselves or something else which appeals , on one half of the front side , and/or simply the names of the Bride & Groom This will form the cover, and when opened you can give all the details of your wedding. The date, time & place, the names of all the participants, right down to the ushers, if it is a large wedding, together with the specified poem/s, readings etc

You may choose to end it with a single by-line such as: ‘May our love last forever.’

What else will we be doing?

We will be talking about how the whole ceremony will proceed, & it would be a good idea for you to practice saying your vows with me, so that the phrases will be familiar and comfortable as you make your promises during the Marriage Ceremony. You then complete your payment. At this last meeting your final payment needs to be made, & receipt given, so that we can proceed smoothly on your wedding day.