Michele the Celebrant Canberra. Experienced, flexible, friendly. Simple weddings any size any time. : For your beautifully simple and simply beautiful wedding

Hello, and welcome

Christina has walked along the garden path with her father,
to begin her married life with Steve. I think the feeling captured in
this image is just beautiful.
The Heart Garden 27 December 2017

Because there are no registry office weddings in the ACT, as a Canberra civil marriage celebrant, I specialise in simple ceremonies. I call them beautifully simple and simply beautiful. They're short and fully legal, but they're also moving and sincere, and very memorable.
I provide a registry-office wedding alternative in the private, peaceful surroundings of my beautiful Heart Garden, or at any other venue of your choice.

I've been a celebrant for over a thousand weddings, mostly in Canberra and nearby New South Wales, so I can recommend places that could be just perfect for your big day. (I know, for instance, what is flowering where, and when.)

If you choose to marry in my Heart Garden, there is no extra fee for this. I'm also the Heart Gardener, so I'll put many hours into making the garden look its best for you and your guests. The Heart Garden Weston ACT will be written on your three Certificates of Marriage.

You may marry in my garden on any day. The maximum number of (adult) guests is ten. All children are welcome. If the weather's not human-friendly, your ceremony and signing can take place in my green room, with windows in three walls overlooking the garden.

Michele, handing over a
Certificate of Marriage
at a private Heart
Garden wedding
December 2017

BYO bubbly or other celebration drink and I'll supply the crystal flutes. Maybe bring a favourite music track for your entrance along the garden path.

I will travel to any venue for your wedding, on any day (or night) with any number of guests. If you have about 30 guests or more, I'll bring my high-quality portable PA system.

As a celebrant, I'm experienced, friendly, flexible and efficient. Six civil marriage celebrants have chosen me as celebrant for their own weddings. This is my favourite endorsement of the service I provide.

Preparing for your wedding

I have streamlined the pre-marriage process into one one-hour meeting. This is held at least one month before your wedding day, as required by law. You'll lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage with me at our meeting (not the Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages).

Such a special day for Thao and Kirill
Married in the Heart Garden
3 February 2018

From our meeting, you'll both be confident about exactly how your wedding will go. You'll also choose your wording at our meeting. It will fit on just one A4 page. That certainly is simple, but you'll also have the opportunity to add personal vows. (About 50% of couples choose to do this I've found.)
I usually hold wedding meetings (in Weston) on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Please note here that I only have meetings with couples who book me as their celebrant.

If you wish to marry ASAP, you'll still need to wait the legal month (unless the Registrar grants you a shortening of time in extraordinary circumstances). When you contact me about your wedding, I'll tell you how to lodge your Notice with me straightaway so you can marry in exactly one month's time.

Absolutely everything for your legal marriage is included in my fee of $600. (If your wedding's out of town I'll add a bit extra for travel beyond Canberra's limits.)

As soon as you contact me, I'll email you a Notice of Intended Marriage and three files of information about the pre-marriage process, including the documents you'll need to produce (such as passports or birth certificates). I'll send full details of the service I provide.

When you lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage, I'll sight your required documents. As required by law, I'll explain legal obligations and give you information about getting married in Australia. I'll help you choose your ceremony wording. After your wedding, I'll send your papers to the Registrar.

Your wedding

Your ceremony could be as short as five minutes but with the signing, the photos and mingling with your guests, your wedding will probably last about an hour. It's not unusual for a wedding in my garden to last an hour and a half, maybe two.

Yessa and Rex, joyful newlyweds
Nara Peace Park Canberra
27 January 2o18

In Australia you can't 'just do the paperwork'. You must have a ceremony and that ceremony will have certain compulsory parts, eg your legal names must be announced at some time during the ceremony. You must be informed by your celebrant of the legal nature of marriage in Australia.

You'll actually legally marry during your marriage ceremony when you make vows of marriage to one another. This must be done in the presence of your celebrant and at least two witnesses. Legal name change also takes place with the making of your verbal marriage vows, if that's your choice.

Even though you must call on 'all those here present' to witness your marriage, legally you'll only need two adults to do so. Your witnesses must be 18 or over. They can be family if you wish. If you want to elope or keep your wedding very private, I can help find witnesses for you.

There'll be three certificates of marriage to prove that your marriage has taken place. I'll send one of these certificates to the Registrar for the registration of your marriage and keep one for my records.

You'll take home with you, a personal marriage certificate (in the font of your choice) along with your ceremony, printed on parchment, also in the font of your choice.

Your ceremony will be short and simple, but it will still be memorable and special. All legal requirements will be included but you'll have the opportunity to add your own personal touches to make it unique.

I love brides! And I love the heartfelt

feelings that we share

on their day of days.
Here Lin gives me a
hug of happiness,
after she married Lee
in the Formal Gardens of
Parliament House

I invite you to bring your own personal vows with you to your wedding. Or you may like to just hold hands and ad lib special messages to each other. Perhaps you'll simply want to make vows of marriage.
With your wording I'll give you all the options that are legally allowed by the Attorney-General. For instance, you've probably heard at weddings of friends and family: 'all persons here present' many times over, but you won't be limited to this. You may prefer 'all people here present'. Or you may like to keep it really simple and friendly with 'everybody here' or 'everyone here'.

Let's make contact

I love being a celebrant and I feel privileged to be an integral part of such a significant event, as two people in love begin their married life together.
Please feel free to contact me about your wedding any day, at any time from 9am to 9pm, by phone, text, email or PM on my facebook page - Michele the Celebrant Canberra.
There's an email contact form on this page, or here. We can arrange to Skype if you'd like, especially if you're living overseas when you lodge your Notice.

I'd be delighted to be celebrant for you both on your most special day.

My delivery of your ceremony will be heartfelt and sincere. My voice is clear and well-modulated. If I'm your celebrant, I won't stand between you. I think when you see your wedding photos, you'll be really glad of this. I'll stand to the side, dressed in a way that won't attract attention.

You two will be standing together, at the centre of everything, sharing the time of your life!
And my congratulations to you both.

Sincerely
Michele.