Maryanne Sterling ~ Featured Marriage Celebrant

Melbourne Marriage Celebrant ~ Hoppers Crossing Wedding Celebrant

One of my goals in life was that of someday becoming a Civil Marriage Celebrant.

As my children grew up, I found that I had time to myself which allowed me to do the required course.

I love being with people from all walks of life and creating a ceremony that is designed especially for them, one that reflects their personalities. From the traditional service to a specific themed wedding I will work with the couple to ensure that their wedding is every thing they dreamed it would be and as stress free as possible.

I can provide couples with a wide range of ceremonies to suit them and also help them to create their own unique style. Some of the themes and sub ceremonies I have used in weddings have been sand ceremonies, rose, candles, cultural, medieval, releasing of doves, ring warming and the list goes on.

My services also go beyond marriage ceremonies. I also offer Renewal of vows, or Reaffirmation of vows, Commitment ceremonies, Namings and Major birthdays and Anniversaries.

Melanie & Kenan with Maryanne Sterling, CMC & husband

Chelsea & Karl with Maryanne Sterling CMC, & husband, Allan 

Maryanne Sterling, CMC celebrates the wedding of Leayane & Ian

I can honestly say that I do not have a single ceremony that stands out more than the rest. They have all been very enjoyable experiences. I travel to where I am needed even interstate. Weddings can be as simple as in my own garden, in a marquee or as glamorous as a 5 star reception room, each wedding ceremony is just as exciting and memorable.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Celebrants Online welcomes ... Wendy Scott.

Wendy is a Melbourne Marriage Celebrant, servicing Berwick and the outer Eastern suburbs of the city.

Wendy is happy to travel to be of service to marrying couples. View Wendy's profile on Celebrants Online for more information.

What's in a name - hers, his, yours, mine?

You're getting married. So, whose name will it be?

Once upon a time, this question didn't exist. Women automatically, with no thought or concern, adopted their husband's last name as their own. It was expected. It was the norm. Going against this norm would have had you labelled 'different', 'odd', 'feminist' and had the older generation worrying that you were going to be a handful for your new husband!

Today, though, it's a question that all committed couples - gay & straight - need to be upfront about and address. Not talking about this before fully committing to each other is confusion, hurt and disagreement just waiting to happen.

The husband can no longer just assume that the wife will take his name. The wife can't just assume that the husband will understand her desire to retain her own last name. And for same-sex couples the situation can be even more complex; retain individual names, form a double-barrel name (but whose goes first?) or create a totally new last name to support the new union.

Conversation needs to be entered in to; feelings and beliefs made known.

Why should I change? Why should I retain? What do I believe a name says about a person? How do I feel if you don't take my name?

Future children will be impacted by a couple's decision. Family and friends will all have opinions, but, in the end, it's up to the couple to decide ... and to ensure that each truly understands the thinking and feelings that inform their joint decision.

Suzanne Katz - Featured Marriage Celebrant

Melbourne Marriage Celebrant ~ Canterbury Wedding Celebrant

I have been a celebrant for five years and love writing personal scripts, to celebrate the different stories told to me by my brides and grooms.

I'm keen to have every wedding special enough to reflect the people most closely concerned.  I especially love the stories of the proposals and the funny glitches, as they add a personal magic to the scripts

As a garden guide in the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens, I like to weave in an analogy of how a good marriage is like a satisfying garden - full of different colour and foliage, much like all the experiences and traditions couples bring to their relationship and that they are different month to month, year to year and always a work in progress.

In the 3rd photo, my daughter, Georgia Puttock [husband, Tobie is a celebrity chef!] actually turned up as a guest at a wedding for which I was the celebrant!!! A coincidence!

Suzanne Katz, CMC ~ Kim & Stephen's wedding, Botanic Gardens, May 2012

Suzanne Katz, CMC ~ Natasha & Dougal, Parliament House Gardens, Apr. 2012

Tobie & Georgia Puttock with Suzanne Katz, CMC

Suzanne Katz, CMC ~ Sally & Brad's wedding, Lake House Daylesford, Dec. 2011