Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Marriage Celebrant Andrea Wolfgramm, CMC.

Andrea is based in Brunswick, a northern suburb of Melbourne.

To learn more about Andrea, visit her profile on Celebrants Online.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Marriage Celebrant, Dee (Deanne) Hamson, CMC.

Dee lives in beautiful Alexandra Headland on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. A Marriage Celebrant for more than 8 years, Dee takes great delight in performing ceremonies in a range of locations and locales - on the beach, river side, in the park, in the intimacy of your own home, be it on the Sunshine Coast or further afield.

In addition to Weddings, Dee also celebrates Renewal of Vow Ceremonies, Commitment Ceremonies, Naming Ceremonies & Pet Memorial Ceremonies.

To learn more about Dee, visit her profile on Celebrants Online.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Marriage Celebrant, Anthony (Tony) Haining, CMC.

Anthony is a long-time resident of Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs, having been involved in the life of the Olinda and Dandenong Ranges communities for many years.

He is possessed of a powerful voice and an embracing physical presence. Anthony is a dedicated celebrant who takes a great deal of pride in the service he offers to marrying couples.

To learn more about Anthony, visit his profile on Celebrants Online.

Celebrity wedding gatecrashers

So, if a celebrity was going to 'gatecrash' YOUR wedding, who do you hope / dream it would be?

• Brad Pitt?
• Usain Bolt?
• Taylor Swift?
• Justin Bieber & Selena Gomez?
• Campbell Newman?
• Robert Pattinson & Katy Perry?
• Noel Gallagher?
• Queen Elizabeth?
• Jeremy Clarkson?
• John Travolta?

All of these celebrities, and many more I'm sure, have made the news at various times for 'gatecrashing' a wedding.

So, who would I choose? Ah now, there's a secret!

If your ideal celebrity gatecrasher isn't a secret, why not share it in a comment?

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Marriage Celebrant, Wendy Burns, CMC.

Wendy is a Perth celebrant, living in Mt Pleasant. She is a highly experienced celebrant and has been performing weddings and other ceremonies for the past 18 years.

Wendy is happy to travel to be of service, covering the metropolitan and wider Perth area.

To learn more about Wendy, view her profile on Celebrants Online.

Bride & Groom : Making an entrance

Recently on the email forum of the Civil Celebrants Graduate Association, Monash (CCGA) there was an email about an upcoming wedding where the bride and groom planned to walk in together. This then sparked a conversation among members of other ways in which marrying couples had entered the marriage space - together, with one or other parent, with children, etc. Lots of interesting variations on a theme were thrown up. However, none was so interesting as this - Zip Wire Wedding: Couple Fly Into Ceremony!

What do you think? Have you participated in or experienced a novel wedding entrance? If so, feel free to make a comment and share your thoughts.

Personally, I'd feel a bit dishevelled arriving via flying fox. The heart would certainly be pumping and I guess you'd be revved up and ready to go ... but will what follows live up to the thrill of the entrance?

Lauren and Ben's entrance seems to be in keeping with them as a couple, though; Ben proposed on a hike after they'd reached the top of a mountain!

Lauren Bushar & Ben Youngkin - Ben's proposal on top of Max Patch

Former US President official witness at same-sex wedding

Former U.S. President, George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, were official witnesses at the recent wedding of friends, Bonnie Clement and Helen Thorgalsen.

On Sept. 21, Clement and Thorgalsen, partners for 12 years, were married in front of family and friends in a small private ceremony in Maine. George Bush Snr., together with Mrs Bush (presumably), signed the official marriage licence papers.

Maine is one of only 13 U.S states in which gay marriage is legal. For a same-sex marriage to be legal in Maine, the couple must marry within 90 days of obtaining a marriage licence from a local Government office. The ceremony must be witnessed by two people in addition to the officiant. The licence is then signed by the couple, the officiant and the witnesses and returned to the town clerk within 7 days of the ceremony.

Thorgalsen posted to her Facebook page a photograph of Mr Bush Snr. signing the licence.

Helen Thorgalsen via Facebook

Marriage in Ireland vs. Marriage in Australia

Interesting statistics in an article in the Irish Independent online giving an overview of marriage in the Republic of Ireland in 2011. I had a look and then thought, "Well, I wonder how Australia compares?" A quick search popped up relevant Australian Bureau of Statistics information for 2011.

Ireland

Population in 2011: 4,600,000 (approx.)
Marriages in 2011: 19,855

That's 4.3 out of every 1000 Irish folk married in 2011.

Median age at marriage in 2011: Male = 34.6 yrs / Female = 32.5 yrs
Percentage of marriages performed by a Civil Celebrant: 29%

Australia

Population in 2011: 22,400,000 (approx.)
Marriages in 2011: 121,752

That's 5.3 out of every 1000 Australian folk married in 2011.

Median age at marriage in 2011: Male = 31.4 yrs / Female = 29.3 yrs
Percentage of marriages performed by a Civil Celebrant: 70.1%


Given that Ireland is a predominantly Catholic country, it's perhaps not surprising that Civil Ceremonies account for such a small percentage of ceremonies performed.It's also interesting to note that these figures for Ireland show the marriage rate as falling, being at its lowest rate since 1998. Of course this, together with the fact that there were 536 same-sex civil partnerships registered in Ireland in 2011, is being used by a pro-marriage group - the Iona Institute - to bemoan the state of marriage and claim that the decline is evidence of a 'collapse in marriage'!

In Australia, the marriage rate to 2011 was actually increasing. The slight increase over 2010 figures maintained the general rise seen since 2001, from 104,000 marriages to the 2011 figure of 121,752!


Image: Green harp flag of Ireland -  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

A warm Celebrants Online welcome to Susanne Middlewood and Kerry McMahon.

Hailing from the beautiful NSW South Coast / Illawarra region, Susanne Middlewood, CMC is an experienced Marriage Celebrant. Offering ceremonies for all occasions, Susanne will be delighted to assist you in creating a unique, tailored ceremony - just right for you.


For further information about Susanne and the services she offers, visit her Celebrants Online profile.

Kerry McMahon, CMC is a Melbourne Marriage Celebrant. Based in the southern suburb of Mount Martha, Kerry performs ceremonies across the Mornington Peninsula region.

Stunning locations and venues are available across the Mornington Peninsula. Kerry is happy to assist with her knowledge of the region. She will assist you in creating your perfect ceremony

To find out more about Kerry, visit her Celebrants Online profile today.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Celebrants Online is pleased to welcome Katharine Gronow.

Katharine Gronow, CMC is a Melbourne marriage celebrant, living in the Western suburb of Altona. A celebrant since late 2011, Katharine is focussed on providing an affordable service to couples seeking the services of a qualified Celebrant.

To view Katharine's profile, visit her Celebrants Online page.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

A warm Celebrants Online welcome to Yvonne Byrne and Carla Davern.

Yvonne Byrne, CMC is a Sydney marriage celebrant, living in the Southern suburb of Menai. She has spent many years in the wedding business, helping couples decorate and set up their celebrations.

Living in the Sutherland Shire, Yvonne is happy to travel throughout metropolitan Sydney & the Illawarra.

To view Yvonne's profile, visit her Celebrants Online page.








Carla Davern, CMC is another Sydney marriage celebrant, based in the northern suburb of Hornsby Heights. A career in professional entertainment means Carla has great skills in speaking & presenting.

She is dedicated to hepling couples create ceremonies that are fun and personal. Wherever you live in Sydney, Carla is happy to be of service.

To find out more about Carla, visit her Celebrants Online profile today.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

A big Celebrants Online welcome to Nola Walter and Jenne Perlstein.

Nola Walter, CMC is based in Perth, WA. She's just joined Celebrants Online and has posted images of ceremonies she has conducted on her Celebrants Online Photo Gallery page.

To view Nola's photos and contact her via phone or email, visit her Celebrants Online Photo Gallery page.

Jenne Perlstein, CMC brings a varied and extensive life experience to her role of Civil Marriage Celebrant. Experienced in the health and education fields, she has breadth of understanding of the power and relevance of ritual to our lives.

Based in Melbourne, Jenne will be able to assist you to develop a totally personal ceremony that speaks deeply and meaningfully to all those involved.

To find out more about Jenne, visit her Celebrants Online profile today.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Celebrants Online is delighted to welcome Pia Webster, Ksana Natalenko and Tom Blackburn.


Pia Webster, CMC is a Marriage Celebrant for Central Victoria. Living midway between Ballarat and Daylesford, Pia is happy to travel to celebrate your ceremony.

Whether it's a Wedding or Naming, Funeral or Commitment, Pia will work with you to prepare a beautiful celebration.

For further information about Pia, and to find a link to her personal website, visit her Celebrants Online profile today.

Ksana Natalenko, CMC is a published author and Civil Marriage Celebrant. She is based in the Wollongong area on NSW's South Coast. For many years involved in the television industry, Ksana is also active in many charitable organisations.

For further information about Ksana, and to find a link to her personal website, visit her Celebrants Online profile today.

Tom Blackburn, CMC is a member of the Association of Civil Marriage Celebrants of Victoria. Tom believes in offering personal support to his clients, assisting them to achieve a relaxed, yet professional, ceremony.

Tom is based in Croydon in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs.

Click here to view Tom's profile on Celebrants Online.

NZ sings while France riots

 

New Zealand sings while France riots ... what is it in the national psyche that makes one nation celebrate the awarding of equal marriage rights to its gay citizens while another nation violently riots? Incompréhensible!

Celebrants & paperwork

An article by Katie Bice published in the Herald-Sun on 16th April 2013 sounds a warning for all Marriage Celebrants and marrying couples. Bice's article was about a Family Court case in which a woman was seeking to have her marriage annulled. Shortly after marrying her husband she'd learned that he was already married. The woman's application was granted.

The warning for Celebrants is to follow through carefully in checking and re-checking paperwork - confirmation of divorce, passport information and other legal documentation presented as evidence that the people to be wed are who they say they are and that they are legally able to be wed. Verbal assurances from either party are just not enough. Celebrants should aim to physically sight any and all required documentation.

The article gives no indication whether action is to be taken against the Celebrant.

Is your Celebrant Commonwealth-registered?

Only Celebrants who are authorised by the Department of the Attorney-General of Australia are legally allowed to celebrate your wedding in Australia.

If your Celebrant is not authorised, your marriage is not legal. It's as simple as that. To check whether your Celebrant is a registered Marriage Celebrant consult the A-G's Register of Marriage Celebrants. This is a list of all Commonwealth-registered Marriage Celebrants who perform civil & religious ceremonies. It doesn't include ministers of religion or state officials who are also permitted to perform civil ceremonies. You can find more information about getting married and choosing your Celebrant here.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Celebrants Online welcomes ...Debra Keating, CMC

Debra lives in Melbourne's beautiful, bushland suburb of Eltham. She is a professionally-trained Marriage Celebrant who also celebrates Commitments, Namings and Renewal of Vows. Debra travels widely and will be delighted to work with you whether you are Melbourne or regionally based.

To learn more about Debra, view her profile on Celebrants Online.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Celebrants Online welcomes ... John Borg, CMC

John is a professionally-trained, full-time Fraser Coast & Sunshine Coast Marriage Celebrant. Based in Hervey Bay, John is happy to travel within the larger Fraser Coast area, from Gympie in the south to Bundaberg in the north and including Maryborough and other western townships.

To learn more about John, view his photo gallery on Celebrants Online.

Celebrants Online welcomes ...

Celebrants Online welcomes ... Peter Jacobson, CMC

Peter is based in Launceston, Tasmania and provides marriage celebrant services across Tassie's north. A popular marriage celebrant, Peter is also able to assist with commitment & partnership ceremonies, namings, renewal of vows & funeral services.

Check out Peter's photo gallery on Celebrants Online