Civil Wedding Ceremonies

Marriage is one of the most profound single rites of passage that a person or couple can experience. 

Through the act of the marriage ceremony you leave behind the single life and start a new life. A marriage ceremony is the space in which to make this transition by making a public commitment in front of friends and family. It is an incredibly important and powerful moment that demands a structure that reflects who you are, where you have come from and what your love means to each of you.  It also reflects your dreams, desires, aspirations, hopes and plans for your future life together.

A civil marriage ceremony gives you the freedom to be as creative as you wish.

The Elements of an Australian Legal Marriage Ceremony are outlined below. The only parts of the Marriage Ceremony which are compulsory in Australia and make your marriage lawful are given in bold.

The Basic Elements of a Wedding Ceremony are:

• Welcome and introduction - This is the personal part of the ceremony where we can touch on your history, love story, families and your views on marriage.
• Reading by a close friend or family member
• The giving away (optional) - A time-honoured tradition in which the father of the bride gives his blessing to the marriage
• Celebrant Monitum - Legally required to remind you of the commitment you are making today in relation to laws in Australia
• The Asking (optional) - Do you....take....to be your wife, your lover and your best friend? 
• The Vows - Expressing your lifelong commitment to one another.  Your vows must contain your full names and your intention – “I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, ....., take.....to be my husband” or  “I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, ....., take.....to be my lawful wedded husband/wife”.  (See Blog “Wedding Vows the Australian Way”)
• Ring ceremony - This is the public sign of your commitment to one another
• Declaration of marriage – The celebrant says “I now declare you to be Husband and Wife.”
• The kiss
• Signing of the marriage register with your two witnesses
• Presentation of the bride and groom as a married couple

You may wish to include in your ceremony readings, rituals (eg sand ceremony, candle ceremony, “tying of the knot” etc), symbols, music which together meet your dreams and visions and reflect the love you have for each other.

Of course the web is an excellent source of material but your marriage celebrant should be able to provide you with examples of readings, rituals and symbols as well.
Take the time to prepare your ceremony well as it is the most important part of your wedding day.  Without the ceremony there is no wedding and no marriage.  

Happy Wedding Planning
©Rosemary Logan, February 2013  www.weddingcelebrantgoldcoast.com