You Had Me at I Do

20 +

OVERVIEW

Lesley will add a touch of sunshine and joy to your wedding day, ensuring you feel your most confident and comfortable. She brings several impressive skills to the table, including excellent attention to detail, comprehensive legal knowledge, and vow writing assistance. Whether you're after something short and sweet or large and out-of-the-box, Lesley can accommodate. This day is all about you, so she strives to facilitate for whatever style you desire. 

 

What you'll love about working with You Had Me At I Do for your Wollongong, South Coast wedding:

  • Calming, sincere personality. Lesley boasts a beautiful warm, positive disposition that will undoubtedly put you at ease from the get-go. She knows how to keep an audience engaged, ensuring everyone has a memorable experience. 
  • Lovingly-designed packages. Lesley is happy to tailor-design a package to suit your individual needs. She does, however, offer a lovingly-crafted package, including the preparation and lodgement of legal documentation, ceremony script writing assistance, supplier liaising, a rehearsal, quality PA equipment, and more! 

 

Highlights of working with You Had Me At I Do Wollongong, South Coast: 

  • Positive, sincere marriage celebrant 
  • Calming, supportive presence 
  • Heartfelt, authentic ceremonies 
  • Vow writing assistance 
  • Quality PA equipment 
  • Lovingly-crafted packages — bespoke options available 
  • Ex-lawyer and social worker experience 

About

I am a civil marriage celebrant who recently left my full-time work as a social worker to focus on my celebrancy work. I have been married for 30 years and believe the key to inspire happiness, joy and enduring love in a relationship requires mutual respect, commitment, emotional availability and hopefully.......a sense of humour. I love helping couples to design their ceremony to be a unique reflection of them, both as individuals and also as a married couple.

Lesley Wilson

Business Owner

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Location

Service Area Wollongong / South Coast

Wollongong / South Coast
Wollongong / South Coast

FAQ

The short answer is "No".  Under Commonwealth law, a marriage cannot be solemnised unless the civil celebrant or minister has received a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) signed by at least one of the parties to the intended marriage, no less than one calendar month prior to the date proposed for the marriage (and not more than 18 months in advance).  

Marriage of a person under 18 years of age requires an order of a judge or magistrate in order to be valid.  However, the law of the Commonwealth of Australia also provides that under no circumstance can two persons who are both under the age of 18 years marry each other.  

It is always adviseable to check with the local municipal council and/or management body (Eg: NSW Parks and Wildlife) to find out whether permission needs to be sought to hold wedding ceremonies at outdoor venues such as parks or reserves.  Some councils will require a fee to be paid to cover costs of liability insurance in the unlikely event of an accident.  There are certain parks and reserves that are able to be used free of charge.  There are some parks and reserves in multiple locations that are "free of charge" for weddings and elopements.  Google "free elopment locations in [the area you wish to get married in]".

Your Official Certificate of Marriage and Commemorative Marraige Certificate which is signed after the ceremony, must be signed by the Bride and Groom and each of their signatures witnessed by a person of their choice, provided they are over the age of 18.  The celebrant must also sign these documents.

The Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) which is completed, signed and submitted to the celebrant no less than one calendar month da prior to the ceremony can be witnessed by an Authorised Marriage Celebrant or other authorised person as specified on NOIM.

Your Declaration of No Legal Impediment which is to be signed just prior to the ceremony, is to be signed by the bride, groom and your celebrant.

I have a Mipro Wireless PA system which is battery powered and bluetooth capability.  Whilst I can play music through my PA system, for the sake of a seamless transition between operating music for arrival, signing etc and the celebrant orating, I strongly suggest that the bride and groom allocate the job of music for the ceremony to a trusted guest and provide their own bluetooth speaker.   I can provide a bluetooth Sonos speaker for this purpose if required but it is preferable to use a bluetooth speaker that is already paired to the device providing the music.

Yes, I have my own portable signing table and chairs for the bride and groom to use when signing marriage documents.

Yes, I can provide MC services.  The cost would be additional and determined by size of wedding, location and timing.


Reviews

5 out of 5.0
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AI Summary Review Summary
This is an AI generated summary of this supplier's rating and feedback.
Planning a wedding with a celebrant like Lesley means working with someone who combines warmth, professionalism, and genuine care. Couples consistently praise her attentive and personalized approach, from the initial pre-wedding meetings to the heartfelt delivery of the ceremony. She excels at creating meaningful, tailored ceremonies that reflect each couple’s unique story, making the experience both special and memorable. Her calm presence and attention to detail help to ease nerves and ensure the process runs smoothly. Many note her ability to listen, offer thoughtful suggestions, and handle all formalities seamlessly, allowing couples to focus on enjoying their day. While her professionalism and organizational skills shine through, her empathetic nature and genuine connection make her a treasured part of their wedding memories. Overall, her clients feel lucky to have chosen her to help craft one of the most important moments of their lives, highlighting her reputation as a highly reliable and heartfelt celebrant in Australia’s wedding scene.

July 2024

Lesley was perfect celebrant for our wedding - her "not about me" approach was exactly what we were looking for. She allowed us to have the moment and facilitated the ceremony proceedings professionally. She offered us many options (even some specifically tailored to our own story that she learnt about from a 1 hour pre-wedding "get to know us" session) of ceremony scripts, which were then able to choose. She walked us carefully through the formalities and necessary paperwork and took care of submitting this on our behalf. Would recommend Lesley to friends and family.

James S.

July 2024

Lesley conducted our Australian wedding to perfection she was personal and professional throughout the whole process! Our day would not have been as special without her! I would not hesitate to recommend her as a celebrant!

Ben C.

July 2024

Choosing Lesley as our wedding celebrant was one of the best decisions we made for our special day. From the moment we met her, we knew she was the perfect fit for us. Lesley's warm and genuine personality made us feel instantly comfortable, and she took the time to get to know us as a couple. Throughout the planning process, Lesley was incredibly organised and attentive to detail. She guided us through the ceremony creation, offering suggestions and listening to our ideas. Her expertise and experience were evident, and she effortlessly tailored the ceremony to reflect our love story. On the day of the wedding, Lesley's presence was truly remarkable. She delivered the ceremony with such grace and eloquence, capturing the essence of our relationship and creating a truly memorable experience for us and our guests. Her words were heartfelt, and she managed to strike the perfect balance of warmth, humour, and sincerity. Lesley's professionalism and dedication were evident from start to finish. She went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of the ceremony was flawless. Her calming presence and reassuring smile helped ease any nerves we had, allowing us to fully enjoy the moment. We cannot recommend Lesley enough as a wedding celebrant. Her passion for her work, her attention to detail, and her ability to connect with couples make her an exceptional choice. Lesley played a significant role in making our wedding day truly magical, and we are forever grateful for her contribution. Thank you, Lesley, for creating a ceremony that will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

Jim

March 2023

Overall, we were absolutely thrilled with the service that our marriage celebrant provided. They were a joy to work with, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. If you're looking for a celebrant who will go above and beyond to make your wedding day truly unforgettable, then look no further!

Ed B.

You Had Me at I Do

Thanks Ed. It was such a pleasure to marry you and Zoe. You guys were my "first" couple that I married after qualifying as a marriage celebrant. You made my job so much easier because of how relaxed and easy going you both were throughout the whole process. Thank you for taking a chance on me.

March 2023

I recently had the pleasure of working with an amazing marriage celebrant for my wedding, and I cannot recommend Lesley highly enough. From start to finish, Lesley went above and beyond to ensure that our ceremony was exactly what we wanted. Firstly, she took the time to get to know us as a couple, and really understood what was important to us in our ceremony. Lesley was patient and attentive, and made sure that all of our questions and concerns were addressed before the big day. On the day of the wedding, Lesley was an absolute rockstar. She was calm, professional, and had a wonderful presence that put us both at ease. She delivered our ceremony flawlessly, and made it truly memorable with her warm and engaging style. One of the things that really stood out to us was how personalised the ceremony felt.

Zoe B.

You Had Me at I Do

Thank you Zoe for such a lovely review. I was thrilled to be chosen as your marriage celebrant. It was obvious to me upon meeting you and Ed, how much you both loved and supported each other. You were both so relaxed, open and welcoming, which made my job so much easier. xx


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