Ceremonies

At Your Perfect Day, I specialize in providing individually crafted ceremonies to celebrate the following significant life events:

Marriages
Affirmation and / or Renewals of Wedding Vows
Naming Ceremonies
Commitments
Life Transition Events such as Blessings, New Beginnings, Welcomes and Farewells

There are many different types of events that people decide to celebrate with their friends and family ....... and within these celebrations there are many types of special rituals that you might like to include in your ceremony.

While your celebrant can offer a number of suggestions, you are also encouraged to suggest any relevant or special touch that you would like to include. It might only be an idea, but your celebrant will be happy to discuss how this might be designed to fit into and flow with your ceremony.

Each ceremony is as unique as you are, and tailored to every situation and specific life event. As a personal memento, I provide a beautifully printed and bound copy of your ceremony for you to keep as a reminder of your special day.

I use professional, high quality portable PA systems which ensure everyone present at the ceremony will hear every word with crystal clarity.

A separate handheld microphone is also available for use by special friends or family members contributing to the ceremony using poems, readings, blessings or toasts.

As a professional celebrant, Robyn is committed to ongoing professional skills development. I provide an Evaluation Form to all our clients to complete following every ceremony and I analyse the feedback carefully with a view to continual performance improvement.

It is our commitment in all my dealings to exceed the minimum standards detailed in the Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants (Regulation 37L - Attorney General's Dept). Furthermore, I offer a satisfaction guarantee policy which provides for a full refund of the fees should I fail to meet these standards.

I promise to recognize the social, cultural and legal significance of marriage and the marriage ceremony in the Australian community, and value the importance of strong and respectful family relationships.

Marriages

Let the love of our union shine sunrise to sunrise
Growing ever brighter day by day from the time we wed

You are deeply in love, and have decided to get married. So many choices, so many considerations and decisions to be made. Whether you decide to celebrate in the grandest style, or you opt for an intimate ceremony with only your nearest and dearest present as witnesses - Your Perfect Day marriage celebrant Robyn Mills can assist you develop the ceremony of your dreams.

There are many excellent civil marriage celebrants operating in the Tweed Shire and Gold Coast hinterland areas. You may wish to meet with me (and some other celebrants) before making your final decision. I am happy to talk with you about your ceremony and the legal aspects of getting married. Phone me for a no-obligation chat and I will be happy to help you.

Once you have made your final choice of a celebrant - you will need to meet with them and complete a Notice of Intention to Marry (NOIM). As a celebrant I maintain copies of this form, or you can download it on-line from the Attorney General's Dept.
At this meeting, you will need to take along your official Birth Certificate (or a certified copy). Evidence of date of birth is required in every case, without exception. If you have been married before, you will also need to take along documentary evidence of the formal dissolution (Decree Absolute) of your previous (most recent) marriage.

If you were born overseas, you will require your birth certificate and additional evidence of identity such as your passport may also be required. Your celebrant will assist you in determining what documentation is required, in some cases you may be required to produce a Statutory Declaration confirming your identity and date of birth.

You must be of marriageable age (at least 18 years old), not too closely related and not a party within a previously undissolved valid marriage to be legally married in Australia. There is provision in special cases that allow the marriage of persons aged 16 years and over subject to the successful issue of a Court Order authorizing that the marriage may proceed.

The NOIM must be received by your celebrant a minimum one month and one day before the ceremony, and no earlier than 18months prior to the ceremony.

It is usual practice upon the lodgment of tne NOIM that a deposit is paid to the celebrant, with the balance of the negotiated fee for performing the wedding payable prior to the date of the ceremony. At Your Perfect Day, I will provide a written quote detailing the fees payable, which you will find competitive within industry standards for a high quality service.

(Please note, if comparing fees offered by celebrants - remember that significantly cheaper quotes often indicate an inferior service. Be careful, is this what you really want for your most special day?)

Within our standard fee, you may expect:

Minimum 2 personal meetings to complete the NOIM and gain primary information to develop your individualized ceremony
Loan of "How to create your own Inspiring Wedding Ceremony" book by Wendy Haynes and other quality resources which will assist you choose style of ceremony, vows, readings etc
Unlimited support with celebrant via telephone
Provision of draft ceremony for your review and feedback
Provision of final copy of ceremony, subject to your acceptance of draft version
Attendance at Ceremony Rehearsal at agreed location
No additional travel cost reimbursements for up to 100kms travel incurred
Provision of professional standard PA system
Attendance at ceremony with arrival time a minimum 30 minutes prior to scheduled time of ceremony
A beautiful spiral bound copy of your ceremony as a personal keepsake

I am happy to provide contact details of couples I have previously married who will be more than happy to provide a phone reference affirming the quality of the services I offer.

Consider integrating special touches, such as candle-lighting, wine ceremonies or a butterfly wish / release.

Just say, I do - and we'll do all the rest for you!

Special rituals you may consider including:

Wine

There are various ways this can be incorporated into your ceremony but the basis of this ritual is to pour a small amount of sweet and bitter wine into one glass and for the couple to each take a sip. The sweet and bitter wines signify the rich and varied experience that life together will offer and the commitment of a shared love and respect for each other will blend the wines so that your life together may be rich and full.

Sand

Not unlike the wine ritual, the sand ceremony is a meaningful joining of two lives. In this timeless ritual, the couple ceremoniously pours various colours of sand from a container, such as a seashell, into one special container symbolizing their coming togehter as one.

Candle

This ritual usually involves the bride and groom each lighting a single candle from two other lit candles. The two other candles may signify the uniting of both couples' families or it can signify the uniting of children from previous relationships. The choice is entirely yours.

Another meaningful candle ritual that works well with small weddings and naming ceremonies is where each guest stands in a circle and holds a small candle. Then they verbally express their wish happy couple or child and blow out the candle signifying that the wish has been sent into the universe.

Butterfly wish

Similar to the candle ritual above, guests may express their special wish to the couple or for the child in a naming ceremony, and then release their butterfly to carry that wish on wings as it flies along nature's journey.

Pebbles

If your ceremony is to be held at the beach or by a stream or riverbed, you can ask your guests to find a small pebble and make a wish on it for your marriage. The guest are then asked to place those pebbles in a vase, which you will keep to hold their wishes for your marriage. You can also tell them that you will use this vase, with its special pebbles in it, to hold flowers on your anniversaries, which will remind you both of your wedding day and the loving friends and family who shared it with you.

Tree Planting

This ritual is appropriate for any type of ceremony such as a marriage, renewal of vows or naming ceremony. It represents a living example of someone or something and will be a lifetime reminder of that person or event.

Flowers

The presence of flowers in the wedding ceremony symbolizes fertility, new life and neverending love. You can use whatever format you like with flowers. We particularly like lining the pathway that the bride first walks with coloured petals.

Affirmation and / or Renewals of Wedding Vows

If I know what love is, it is because of you
^{Herman Hesse}

Affirmations of your Wedding Vows can be one of the most touching and romantic gestures you can possibly make. Perhaps some significant event such as attaining a special milestone wedding anniversary, separation and subsequent reunion, trauma, sickness or because you are just hopelessly romantic has triggered a desire to renew your vows.

It maybe that you wish to be able to include your family members and special friends in celebrating your marriage when for various reasons (elopement, remoteness, being overseas, religious restrictions or whatever) they were unable to attend your actual ceremony.

Please allow me to facilitate this special event for you, and make this ceremony just as meaningful and special for you as your wedding day!

Naming Ceremonies

We wish you long life and happiness
In a peaceful and loving world

Is there nothing as precious as a child? Welcome your new baby or celebrate the joy of which your child brings into the lives of all that know her. Wish your child the resilience to cope with all that life brings, the ability to see the strength and beauty that lies within him, and the compassion and intent to leave an imprint of love on all they meet.

Let me work with you to develop a memorable naming ceremony that reflects the meaning of their name, integrates all those special aspects of their personality that you so love and illuminates the potential of their being!

Integrate the special symbolism of a butterfly wish, tree planting, candle-lighting ceremony with special words and music, tailored to your wishes and as unique as your child.

Commitments

As a rainbow brings beauty to our lives
So our love brings the promise of joy

Commitment ceremonies are gaining in popularity. Contemporary practice and beliefs sometimes mean that you do not wish or are unable to legally marry your partner.

Robyn can develop a ceremony for you that will include all of the elements that make your love for own another so special and will ensure that this celebration is not in any form diminuitive from any other legal alternative.

Gay and lesbian couples are especially invited to use our services, and we are happy to integrate any symbolism or special requests into celebrating your joyous union!

Life Transition Events such as Blessings, New Beginnings, Welcomes and Farewells.

Experience moments that will forever shine in your minds

Coming of age and special milestone birthdays, starting over in a new life, moving to a new home or location, overcoming a major illness, sea changers, tree changers, retirement and family farewells. Some people even like to celebrate a divorce!

The choice is yours and your celebrant will assist you in designing any milestone celebration you desire. For a very reasonable fee, I will make this day truly memorable for all who attend.

So many reasons to celebrate with family and friends.

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