Fathers and daughters, families and friends

Hello, and welcome

In my last blogpost for the year, I usually choose a very special photo. This year it’s an image of my grand-niece Emily who married Matt at the family farm in Green Pigeon (near Kyogle) on September 10 this year. She's standing with stallion, Karnak.

Emily with Karnak

I love this photo because it looks like it came from a fairy tale. Emily and Mat’s wedding was a wonderful country-style celebration, held on a perfect day in a setting that had taken my nephew Damien over a year to prepare. It all came together on the day in a spectacularly successful way.

Here’s to the fathers

One of my most favourite things at weddings is to watch the face of a father as he accompanies his daughter to her wedding. These days, both parents may walk in with the bride, or perhaps another person who is special to the bride. My favourites though are still the fathers, so much so, that when our elder daughter Lucy was being married and she asked if I may like to ‘walk down the aisle’ with her and her Dad in the Rose Gardens at Old Parliament House, I thanked her for the loving thought, but chose to watch the two of them instead.

Here’s a photo of Damien, as he walks in with his Emily. Their photographer Chaddy, has captured exactly the look that I so love to see.

Emily walks along the aisle with her father, Damien
Green Pigeon NSW    10 September 2016

The service I provide

My Simple Service serves a growing need for short simple wedding ceremonies, which I refer to as ‘beautifully simple and simply beautiful’.

Emily and Matt make their vows of marriage
in a simple, heart-felt ceremony

Many couples have always wanted a short simple wedding ceremony. Many others, as I hear these days, have watched friends of theirs as they prepare for a big traditional wedding. Seeing all the stress and drama involved makes their own choice easy. They want their own wedding to be small and simple. That’s where I come in.

There are no Registry Office weddings in the ACT. Many registry-style weddings are held in my garden. It's available on any weekdays, for up to a dozen guests max. You’d be so welcome to hold your small wedding in my tranquil romantic Heart Garden.

Celebrant and Grand Aunt
Michele with Grand Uncle David
at Matt and Emily's wedding.

I’m available as celebrant for simple weddings, of any size, at any time (day or night) on any day (weekday, weekend or public holiday) in any other location you choose.

As from the end of this year, I will no longer offer the full service, in which I help couples craft a totally unique wedding ceremony. My writing career is building up and I want to put more of my time and energy into that. I’m sad to be leaving my full service behind as it’s brought me lots of pleasure and satisfaction over many years.

Another ending

There’s been another ending that I had no hand in. Since I began this blog in 2009, I’ve always had a slideshow of great wedding images. It’s now gone. Google simply dispensed with all slideshows in Blogger blogs a few months ago.

If you’re doing a search from my Search Box, you may find earlier blogposts with references to the slideshow that I used to love adding to, every time I published a new post. In the new year, I plan to find another way to put a slideshow back in. After all these years, I may make a move to Wordpress.
Update: I've just found the archive of my blog album on Google photos. If you love looking at wedding photos (as I do) here's the link. I took most of the photos in my garden.

Weddings in my Heart Garden

Helen and Carson married in
The Heart Garden
on 8 December 2016

My beautiful Heart Garden has hosted twenty-six wonderful weddings this year. I already have several booked for 2017 and every year, the garden just grows lovelier and lovelier.

As always, so much of my celebrant income goes into new plantings and maintenance, keeping the garden well-fed and cared for. The garden responds so generously to all my TLC. I think you’ll feel this when you visit. By the way, it’s often the special feel of the garden that visitors mention to me, along with their kind comments on its beauty.

As I finish blogging for the year, I send you my best wishes for a very happy holiday season, leading into a marvellous 2017 for us all. If 2017 is the year you choose to marry, I’d love to be there for you both, at that most significant and memorable occasion in your life together.

Please visit my enquiry page to send me an email.

Or phone me any day 9am to 9pm on 0406 376 375.

Or send me a text.

Or message me on my Michele the Celebrant facebook page.

We can arrange a Skype meet if you wish.

Amidst lots of fun and laughter, following the wedding of Alicia and Dave at the National Rose Gardens at Old Parliament House on Thursday 29 December, the newlyweds kindly made me a testimonial. I've put together a short story of their wedding, including their testimonial, on YouTube.
(Wasn't their wedding car was fabulous?!)


Thanks Dave and Alicia, for ending 2016 on such a high and happy note!

Sincerely
Michele