Congratulations on your Engagement.

 

1) The first step is choosing your celebrant, meeting with him/her and filling out the Notice of Intended Marriage along with the Confirmation/Booking Form. This needs to be done no sooner than one month and one day prior to your marriage.

 

You will need to bring along to this first meeting 1) your Birth Certificates or Passports and 2) photo ID. If you have been married previously you will also need to bring along proof of how that marriage was terminated. The Notice Of Intended Marriage is then signed in front of your celebrant who then witness’s your signature.

 

At this stage you will be given a folder containing various information including sample ceremonies, vows, readings etc along with some information from the Attorney General re Relationships.

 

2) The second step in the process is to choose your ceremony. I am here to assist you in any way to have the ceremony of your choice. After all it is your ceremony. However there are a couple of things that have to be included to be legal and that includes the Monitum which I am legally required to read out, the inclusion of the legal vow which precede your chosen personal vows and I must include your full names at least once during the ceremony. After you have submitted your ceremony to me, I shall include the legal requirements and shall then ask you to proof read the ceremony for your final approval. The Ceremony should be chosen and finalized at least one month before your wedding day. This allows for any changes or inclusion’s but no further changes can be made in the two weeks prior to your wedding day. A fee will incur if there are changes made to the ceremony content in the final two weeks.

 

3) The third step in the process is the signing of a Statuary Declaration stating that neither of you are married, married each other since filling out the Notice of Intended Marriage, are of marriageable age and there are no other legal impediments to prevent you being married. This Statuary Declaration is done as close to the time of your wedding and I provide the Declaration and witness your signatures. This can be done at the Rehearsal.

 

4) The fourth step is the Rehearsal and ideally should be held where you are going to be married. Arrangements to have all the wedding party present is a good idea. The ceremony itself is not read out as the rehearsal is mainly about who stands where, the timing, the procession of the wedding party etc. A rehearsal ensures that everybody knows what they will be doing on the day and assists in the smooth running on your special day.

 

5) The fifth and final step is the wedding ceremony on the day. I arrive at least 20 to 30 minutes prior to the arranged time to set up, ensure groom and groomsmen are in their places when the bride arrives and when the bridal party is in their place and the bride is ready the ceremony shall begin. At the Signing stage of the ceremony you will be asked to sign three documents and your witness shall be asked to also sign the same documents. The bride will sign with her maiden name.

 

 

 

At the end of the ceremony whilst you both are mingling with your guests, I shall quietly pack up and make my departure as my role is now complete. Finally I shall finish completing all the legal forms and post same to the Victorian Births Deaths and Marriages.

 

My fee for all of the above is $400 to $490 and is inclusive in that it covers travel, phone calls, P.A. system, postage, unlimited contact to assist with your ceremony if needed, a rehearsal and of course my presence on the day to perform your ceremony My fee also includes doing all the legal paperwork including the Notice of Intended Marriage form, the Statuary Declaration, the couples Marriage Certificate and the Wedding Registrar and sending all required paperwork to Births, Deaths and Marriages in a timely way.

 

I hope this demystifies and answers any questions you may have had about the process of getting married but if it doesn’t, please don’t hesitate to ask me as I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

 

I however do ask for a $50 non refundable deposit to secure your booking with the remainder of monies to be paid four weeks before the ceremony.

 

 

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me either my Email or by telephoning 0403407633 or 51274348 to make an appointment or just to discuss any questions you may have.

 

 

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

 

 

Bev Knowles

 

 

On Saturday the 21sr March, 2020, I was honoured to officiate at the wedding of Mandy and Jason.

The Wedding was held at the Heyfield Apex Park with beautiful roses as the backdrop. Approximately 40 family and friends attended with some guests travelling from interstate. The weather was perfect and the rain stayed away.

Mandy looked beautiful in her ivory lace gown with pearls in her hair. Mandys mum, Gail, escorted her to bless the marriage and present Mandy to Jason.

The bridesmaids and flower girls were family and looked gorgeous in their dusky pink gowns with the little flower girls dressed in pink tulle.

Jason looked good also and all the boys wore dark suits and really looked the part.

The wedding was followed by a reception at the 3858 restaurant.

All in all, the atmosphere on the day was welcoming and friendly to the point I felt like one of the family. A really great day.

Congratulations  Jason and Mandy.

For the past few months I have been asking couples to complete a Client Feedback Form. I ask couples to rate all aspects of my performance and skills and to give me some feedback
To date have received some very positive feedback.

I thought that I would share some of the comments that I have received:

“Dear Bev, I would just like to take the time to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
You made R….. Naming day just so special, you went out of your way to help me make the reading for my mum a success.
Your ‘music man’ played my chosen song at the perfect volume and multiple times so everybody got the chance to hear it.
Your cooperation with the photos, the table set up, just all in all. Your help on and before the day I am forever thankful.
I will be most definitely recommending you to anybody needing a celebrant.
So…honestly, I truly thank you so very much!!!
Regards
Deneil……….”

“Bev, thank you SO MUCH for all your help. I went into this with no idea what I wanted and scared I was going to have a celebrant that was ‘fake’!! You are so beautiful and genuine, and I felt your whole heart was put into the ceremony. Thank you. D.V.D…..”

“Dear Bev, Thankyou very much for officiating our wedding ceremony. We are extremely grateful to you for making everything run so smoothly and without a hitch. We couldn’t have asked for anything more. You made the whole process extremely easy and trouble free. Our guests have commented on how perfect the ceremony was for us as a couple and the part you played in helping us achieve that. We came to you on a recommendation and we would most certainly recommend you for anyone looking for a celebrant.
Many thanks, Kylie & David………”

“Bev is a very nice person. And we are glad that we found her, we could not imagine a better Celebrant. Walter E & E”

“Very easy, fast responses, very very happy! Tegan & James”

“Friendly, comfortable service. Jodi D….”

“Very friendly and extremely helpful, easy to communicate with and very accommodating to our needs and performed the way we wanted our ceremony. Highly recommended celebrant. Thanks Bev. Gibbo & Libbie…..”

Its little wonder that I love doing what I am doing as I get to meet with so many lovely persons and get to share their happiness in some way.

 

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