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Wendy Adams - Civil Marriage Celebrant
If you are planning to marry at St Cuthbert's your ceremony should be conducted by the celebrant of your choice. Whilst I will be delighted to offer my services, you should also talk to other people and look at the Yellow Pages to see what other celebrants you might consider. I also have a list of religious celebrants who are willing to conduct your ceremony at St Cuthbert's - please contact me if you would like a copy.
In any case, to avoid disappointment or last minute hassles, I encourage you to choose your celebrant and your ceremony sooner rather than later.
You will enjoy the lead up to your wedding day much more if you make all the arrangements in plenty of time.
Let me introduce
myself. My name is Wendy Adams. I am a civil marriage celebrant
with over seventeen years' experience during which I have conducted more than
three thousand ceremonies.
I will be delighted to meet you, without obligation, to discuss your ceremony.
I will show you many options for each step of the ceremony and numerous readings to choose from. You are, of course, free to use other words and/or readings from your own resources. Perhaps the words on a card one of you has sent to the other.
You may prefer to go away from that first interview to think about whether you are comfortable with me and that's fine. If however, you decide you want to proceed with me as your celebrant, you can go on to choose your ceremony straight away or you can decide to come back at a later time.
What forms do we need?
I will provide all the forms you need; a Notice of Intended Marriage Form, a Marriage Ceremony Information Form and a form of mine called "Organising Your Marriage Ceremony Step-by-step".
How much Notice of Intended Marriage must we give?
Except in vary rare circumstances, the law requires you to give one calendar month's notice (one month and one day) of your intention to marry by completing a Notice of Intended Marriage form and lodging it, before that time, with the celebrant of your choice.
How much will it cost?
Currently a ceremony
at St. Cuthbert's is $450.00 plus the cost
of the Chapel
I am available for ceremonies at other venues starting at $470.00
including the first 20Km (10Km each direction).
Fees for longer distances are available on request.
All fees include a personalised copy of your ceremony and a beautiful calligraphy marriage certificate.
Available 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. Wednesday to Monday (Not Tuesday).
If asked please leave a message on the answering machine for
a prompt reply!
What do we do next?
If you have not already done so, please telephone to see if I am available at the time on the day you wish to be married.
If I am, we will make a first appointment and I will send you the necessary forms.
It will save time if you complete those forms before you come to see me. If you decide not to proceed with me as your celebrant we will put them in the bin and no hard
feelings!
As most people are only available for appointments in the evenings, weekday evenings are usually booked weeks ahead, please telephone as soon as possible to make your first, obligation free, appointment.
How many appointments are there?
Once you have decided you want me as your celebrant there are usually three appointments.
At the first appointment:
I will invite you to choose the actual words and readings to be used in the ceremony, usually from the many options for each step of the ceremony and the numerous readings I provide. I believe if you choose all the words that will be used we will achieve a ceremony that is different from anyone else's and just right for you. Except for those sections of the ceremony where the terminology is governed by the Marriage Act (1961), you are free to create your ceremony from your own resources. We also deal with the legal requirements at the first appointment.
The legal requirements and the list of what you should bring to the first appointment are explained in the information I will send you prior to that appointment.
At the second appointment:
You will check the ceremony I will have prepared from your choices. I will make any changes you might want and give you a personalised copy of your ceremony to keep. You will also check the marriage certificates I will have prepared; that is the calligraphy marriage certificate I will present to you on the day and the more detailed marriage certificate that I will send to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages after your marriage.
At the third appointment:
You will both sign a Declaration that you are free to marry. It must, by law, be signed in the seven days prior to the wedding. This last appointment also provides an opportunity to make any late changes to the ceremony, answer any questions you may have and
and conduct a mini-rehearsal - usually of the Giving Away/Bringing, the Asking, Vows and Ring Ceremony.
I ask that you bring your wedding ring(s) to that appointment so that I can show you how to put them on in a way that can be captured by the cameras!
What Now?
Having read my advice above I urge you contact me by telephone or use the Enquiry Form at the earliest possible
opportunity. |
