So you’ve made the big decision that you want to spend the rest of your lives with each other – congratulations! When you start planning your big day, what are some of the things you have to think about?
- The Dress
- How many people will be coming
- Who pays for what
- Your budget
- Where you will be married
- Where you’ll hold the reception
- What type of reception you want
- Who to invite
- Where you will go for your honeymoon
- Who you will ask to be the bridesmaids and groomsmen
- What the bridesmaids will wear
- The cake
- The cars
- The flowers
- Whether you will have music during the ceremony as well as at the reception
All these things need to be considered, but have you noticed what’s missing?
WHO is going to perform the ceremony?
If you decide on a civil celebrant you can’t expect to find the right person a month before the wedding. Good celebrants are often booked up to a year in advance, so it’s advisable to contact a few as soon as you have booked your reception to make sure you find someone you can really relate to and who is available on your date.
You should meet at least a couple of people face-to-face to see if you have a rapport with them. An experienced professional celebrant will work closely with you to create a personal, meaningful ceremony that will stay with you long after the flowers have died and the cake is eaten.
Your wedding day isn’t just an excuse for a party. It is the start of your lives together as husband and wife and the words you say to each other are the foundation on which your whole marriage will be built. There is no better way to start the celebrations than to exchange honest deeply-felt promises with each other before those magical words are spoken:
“I now declare you to be husband and wife!”
