Kylie-Marie Cavanagh

Its your wedding, your day and I'll endevour to do it your way! 

However, there are 4 things that must happen for your marriage to be legal

1. I must introduce myself by full legal name as an authorised celebrant.

2. I must recite the Monitum 

"I am duly authorized by law to solemnize marriages according to law. 

Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, 

I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter.

Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, 

voluntarily entered into for life."

3. Both parties must recite the legal Form of Vows as laid out in the Marriage Act.

"I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, [name], take thee, [Partner's name], 

to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/spouse"

4. On your wedding day, three marriage certificates must be signed by:

 - you and your spouse

 - your authorised marriage celebrant

 - two witnesses, who must be over 18 years old

ANYTHING ELSE CAN BE ADDED/CHANGE TO CREATE THE CEREMONY YOU'VE ENVISIONED!!

According to the Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants, your Marriage Celebrant should arrive at the venue for your ceremony no later than 20 minutes prior to the wedding or a mutually agreed time. This ensures there is sufficient time to test any equipment that is to be used and layout the required paperwork etc. and for setting-up.

Personally, I prefer to arrive 30-45mins prior to your guests arriving to ensure everything is set up and ready for your arrival to the ceremony

Under the Code of Practice for Celebrants, your Celebrant if requested by you, will conduct a rehearsal at a mutually agreed time, date and place. However, please remember that in this case, your Celebrant is entitled to charge an additional fee for this service: 

I will conduct a rehearsal with you and your bridal party at a mutually agreed time, date and place however this will attract an additional fee ($150 plus travel) 

or

I can have a simple run-through of certain aspects of your ceremony with you, as opposed to a rehearsal, at a location chosen by me close to my home office free of charge

When you have a pet, a fur baby, or a four legged best buddy, they become a very important part of your life, so why wouldn't you include them into your life celebrations?

Well, there are a few reasons that you might want to be aware of...

* What happens if your pooch runs off with the rings?

* What happens if your usually well trained llama spits at the guests?

* What happens if nature calls as your horse trots up the aisle?

People with pets understand that things don't always run as smoothly as you sometimes hope they will, then again you could say the same of human children! So here are a few things to consider when including your furry bud in your ceremony.

- Think about your pet's temperament.  How do they react around crowds, children, and loud noises? 

- Make sure you get permission from venues and give professionals such as you celebrant, photographer and musician advance notice. That way everybody can be better prepared.

- Ensure that you have appointed a trustworthy person to do the job of pet-sitting.  You can ask a friend who your pet is familiar and comfortable with or hire a professional dog handler to make sure your dog is safe and hydrated throughout the day.

- If you are somebody who likes to dress your pets up in special outfits, choose the outfit carefully and make sure that your furry friend is not going to be  too hot or uncomfortable wearing it.  

- As with all ceremonies - you should have a Plan B in case of poor weather, so consider having a Plan B for your pet as well.  If your pooch was meant to carry the rings down the aisle and she doesn't feel like it at the appropriate time, then go with the flow and slip the back up plan into action.