Author: sassyweddingcelebrantmelbourne

A warm friendly marriage celebrant, my specialty is assisting couples with the prospective spouse visa process, I also perform funerals, baby namings, commitment ceremonies, (including same sex) and renewal of vows. and still work as a nurse occasionally!

New Year’s Resolutions for the Bereaved

On By sassyweddingcelebrantmelbourneIn ceremony suggestionsLeave a comment

Very thoughtful article.

Chapel Ridge Funeral Home & Cremation Centre

If you lost someone close to you this year – be it a friend, family member, colleague, or classmate – you are probably entering 2018 with a very different mind set. New Year’s Resolutions might seem silly or trivial, and life feels unpredictable.

While it may not work for everyone, some find planning and working towards a goal is a great way to cope with a loss. Here are some suggestions to help you add purpose and meaning to the coming year.

Volunteer

Many find that giving up some free time for a cause that’s important to them is a great way to get outside of one’s comfort zone. If you want to, choose a cause that relates to the person you lost this year. Whether it’s working with a local charity, helping at a school, coaching a sport’s team, or helping out at a community event. It’s a…

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Accepting Notice of Intended Marriage from same sex couples

On By sassyweddingcelebrantmelbourneIn same sex marriageLeave a comment

As Celebrants we have a close link to the Attorney Generals Department.  The following passage was taken from their website:

“The Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 (‘Dean Smith Bill’) was introduced into the Senate on 15 November 2017. The requirements set out in the Marriage Act 1961 remain in place until such time as an Act of Parliament changes them. As such, celebrants are currently not able to accept a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) from same-sex couples.

The date from which same-sex weddings could occur in Australia will depend on the date the Australian law is changed to allow same-sex marriage.  The department will communicate advice to celebrants and the public about changes to the Marriage Act 1961 as soon as possible after the passage of any amendments.”

The above passage was taken from The official AGD site.  As is the current law all couples will need to wait a month after signing the NOIM before they can get married.  Hopefully we will see a lot of same sex marriages early next year!

Don’t hesitate to contact me for an obligation free chat so we can get to know each other and we can meet again to sign the NOIM when the law is changed!

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http://www.annarichards.com.au

0407 300 970

 

 

What does a celebrant do?

On By sassyweddingcelebrantmelbourneIn Wedding CelebrantLeave a comment

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Looks like an easy job, right?  Surely they just rock up talk for 20 minutes and go home!

Let me tell you, I have been a celebrant for 11 years and I still spend a lot of time before every ceremony checking everything and reading through the ceremony again to make sure I am happy.  It is their wedding day, they have planned for months for this moment and what I say and do on the day also has to be perfect, and legal!  There is a lot of behind the scenes preparation.  There will have been meetings to commence legal paperwork and to discuss the content for their unique personal ceremony.  I provide many resources to help with the process and encourage input re writing their own vows, including children in the ceremony, providing information on rituals, symbols, music etc.  I also encourage couples to have a rehearsal at the venue to help calm the nerves.

On the day of the wedding I arrive at least half an hour early to set up my P.A system and legal documents.  I check to make sure everything is perfect, greet guests, calm groom and groomsmen, greet bride and bridal party.  Liaise with wedding coordinator,  organise music, bridal party, flower girls, page boys, ring bearer, readers.

After the marriage ceremony I lodge your marriage documents with the BDM and securely keep all of the necessary legal documents.  I also have to keep my office running, answering emails, phone calls, writing invoices, receipts, bookkeeping, printing, filing, purchasing legal stationery,  websites, social media, advertising.

All celebrants must have completed at least a Certificate IV in Celebrancy before they can apply to the Attorney General to become registered.  The initial registration fee is $600.  They are then required to pay an annual fee of $240 to stay registered. All celebrants are required to attend Ongoing Professional Development or they will lose their registration. They are also required to have professional indemnity insurance.  So, whilst you might only see the Celebrant for 20 minutes whilst the ceremony is happening, please be assured that they have worked very hard before the ceremony even starts.

http://www.annarichards.com.au

Baby Naming

On By sassyweddingcelebrantmelbourneIn ceremony suggestions, Naming CeremoniesLeave a comment

Naming-pic1I conducted a name giving ceremony last week for a three month old baby and thought again, what a lovely celebration for the parents, grandparents, uncles aunties, siblings, cousins and friends.

As more and more people are moving away from religious ceremonies, baby christenings are not performed as much and parents are preferring to have a civil ceremony to name and celebrate the birth of their child.   It is a lovely happy occasion with the appointing of Godparents or guardians and the presentation of certificates.

If this appeals to you don’t hesitate to discuss with me and we can create a personalised ceremony to celebrate the birth of your child.

0407 300 970

tocelebrations@bigpond.com

http://www.annarichards.com.au

 

Perfect weather for weddings!

On By sassyweddingcelebrantmelbourneIn wedding planningLeave a comment

IMG_3123IMG_3132I just spent a week in Noumea.  Our hotel was 50 metres from the beach and we had a balcony overlooking the coast.  Every morning we woke up to a beautiful blue sky and we went out for breakfast in the fresh morning air.  By the time we headed out for our activities for the day it was a gorgeous 25 to 27 degrees and by the evening it was a little cooler to get a good night’s sleep.

Always having weddings on my mind it occurred to me how wonderful it would be if we  could have weather like that for a few months of the year!  It would take away all that stress of having an outside venue and always having to back it up with plan B!

 

 

Spring weddings!

On By sassyweddingcelebrantmelbourneIn wedding planningLeave a comment

The weather is warming up and I am looking forward to the spring wedding season.  I have freshened up my website and have been busy organizing my office to have everything ready for the busy season.  My couples for the Spring season are all very different so every wedding is a challenge which I really enjoy!

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Nathan and Erica’s secret wedding – and then 2 more ceremonies!

On By sassyweddingcelebrantmelbourneIn ceremony suggestions, Personalised wedding ceremoniesLeave a comment

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Nathan and Erica had a very small intimate ceremony in their backyard and very few people knew about it.  He did a wonderful job decorating his backyard in Melbourne and creating a lovely intimate atmosphere for his marriage to Erica.

Erica was from Taiwan so after their legal ceremony in Melbourne they celebrated again in traditional Taiwanese fashion!  There were many frocks involved for the pre wedding party and another frock for the main ceremony.  It was a grand occasion!

See my website for information on small intimate weddings.

http://www.annarichards.com.au

Chris and Kristen’s wedding in the park

On By sassyweddingcelebrantmelbourneIn ceremony suggestions, Personalised wedding ceremoniesLeave a comment

Chris and Kristen wanted a very short simple and casual ceremony with their friends and family in St Kilda Botanical Gardens.  It was a beautiful day and the park had a lovely relaxed atmosphere with many people enjoying the sunshine.  They arranged for me to come at a pre arranged time when the festivities were already in progress.  I performed the ceremony with minimum amount of fuss and the celebrations continued!

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