Helen & Luke.

Helen and Luke were married in this past November, just next to the wonderful wedding tree, in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, always a great venue! These two were fabulous to work with, genuinely lovely people who adore one another, and they had such a funny story to share about the night of the wedding proposal, which just made their audience laugh out loud. I love moments like that, sharing a story of love, a story of two people who deserve one another and the best that life can offer them. These two are perfect. Luckily, they had perfect weather on their day, because the day before saw us rained out, unable to do a proper rehearsal. Their wedding was styled by the fabulous girls Lily & Lace, and their photographer was Tara from TLC Photography, one of my faves. Congratulations Helen and Luke: I just loved your wedding day xx

“Blessing For A Marriage” -- James Dillet Freeman

May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding. May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you. May you need one another, but not out of weakness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you entice one another, but not compel one another. May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another. May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces. May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults. If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back. May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities. May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.

Elise & Paul.

Another day, another magnificent wedding, another two dear friends who asked me to be their celebrant, and I was just so honoured to be the one they chose. And of course I shed a wee tear, as two people who so deserve the joy that they give each other, married on a gorgeous Ballarat day in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, with Maddy from M&A Photography there to record their day, and RD Special Moments completing their wedding styling. I wasn't the only one who had a tear: the bride and groom were delightfully teary as they spoke their vows to one another: written by them personally and hidden from the other, until the big reveal on the day. And it was perfection. Dearest Elise and Paul, much love, always xx

"The most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one’s relationship has growing depth, beauty and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing; it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident, and the most wonderful of all things in life."

-- Sir Hugh Walpole

Aimee & Terry

What do you do when your brother-from-another-mother asks you to be the lucky celebrant to marry him to your sister-from-another-mister? You GRAB that opportunity with both hands and promise yourself that you will not cry during the ceremony. And I think I mostly did that, except for a small tear at the beginning and at the end of their ceremony, without looking at either of them too much during the ceremony itself, just to be sure. What a blessed day, surrounded by their closest family and friends, at the amazing venue The Cosmopolitan Hotel, in Trentham. Their photographer was Jess, from Brown Paper Parcel Photography, who took these amazing photos. Thanks both for having me there, to be the one to marry you. I love you both xx

"Maybe" - Author Unknown

Maybe we are supposed to meet the wrong people before we meet the right one so when they finally arrive we are truly grateful for the gift we have been given. Maybe its true that we don't know what we have lost until we lose it but it is also true that we don't know what we're missing until it arrives.

Maybe the happiest of people don't have the best of everything, but make the best of everything that comes their way. Maybe the best kind of love is the kind where you sit on the sofa together, not saying a word, and walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you ever had.

Maybe once in a lifetime you find someone who not only touches your heart but also your soul, someone who loves you for who you are and not what you could be. Maybe the art of true love is not about finding the perfect person, but about seeing an imperfect person perfectly.

And also, when you met, you both had no idea how each of your lives was about to be changed, but then, how could you have known? A love like yours happens once in a lifetime. You are a miracle to each other. The one who was everything you had ever dreamed of. The one you thought existed only in your imagination.

And when you came into each other’s lives, you realised that what you had always thought was happiness, couldn’t compare to the joy of the love you brought together. Together, you are part of everything you think and do and feel.

And by each other’s side, you believe that anything is possible. Today is your chance to give thanks for the miracle of you. You are and always will be, the love of each other’s lives.

Taryn & Mark

Imagine this. I meet a bride and groom AGES ago, and they have a gorgeous baby boy. And then, they get married and that baby boy no longer seems like a baby, and you meet the rest of the friends and family and you work out why this couple is so cool. And they make you giggle, and just appreciate how marvellous life is. Well, this is Taryn and Mark to me. Funny, irreverant, sweet, calm, patient and determined to have the wedding day and ceremony that they truly want. Plus, they give me a really cool guy who is is charge of their music, and he is just great, just like their photographers, D&M Moments Photography, who took these amazing pics. Thank you Taryn and Mark, I had the best time with you all xx

“I Promise You All Of My Love, Now and Forever” - Michelle Thomas.

I promise to give you all my love for now and forever, to keep your love close to my heart so that we will never grow apart. I promise to confide in you if I feel insecure. I promise not to doubt your judgements or actions, without first listening to the feelings in your heart.

I promise to support you in everything you try to accomplish, because your goals have become our goals to achieve together, side by side. I promise to look back on the good and bad times with a smile, to learn by each mistake and know that, with every step of success, we will make it if we just try.

I promise to offer you all the happiness I am capable of giving you, to see that the future is ours to make the best of. I promise to set time aside to be best friends, to dream dreams and make them reality, and just to say "I love you". I promise never to take you for granted because you are the love of my life.”

Michelle & Darren

Who knew? Who knew that at our first meeting that these two wonderful people would become such dear family friends, who sit in my kitchen and make us all laugh and laugh. This is one of the best bits about being a celebrant: meeting truly great people, some of whom become solid friends. 

Michelle and Darren planned a fabulous wedding weekend, which we all participated in. They chose the wonderful venue of Sovereign Hill, which was the perfect backdrop for all their photos. They were married in the Victoria Theatre, and then their photos were taken all over the park. It was a brilliant decision on their part, because, as photographers themselves (D & M Moments Photography) they have an eye for detail! Congrats Michelle and Darren, you pulled off a great wedding event, and thanks for having me there xx

Jodie & Ben

This wedding was very dear to me. I adore Jodie and Ben, not just because they are truly nice people, but also for the fact that Jodie made me a bracelet to wear on their special day, just like hers and those of the bridesmaids. She also made her stunning bouquet. Another really cool thing for the day was that I used to work with Jodie's brother, and I got to spend some time catching up with him. Their three children also featured in their wedding, which made the entire event a true family celebration, and I could just feel the love in the air. Their photographer was Amy, from "Never Forgotten Images": check out her page, you can see more images of Jodie and Ben there.

Congratulations on your wedding day, Jodie and Ben, you two are gorgeous xx

“Love”: Roy Croft

I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am
 when I am with you. I love you, not only for what
 you have made of yourself, but for what
 you are making of me. I love you
 for the part of me
 that you bring out.

I love you 
for putting your hand 
into my heaped-up heart
 and passing over
 all the foolish, weak things
 that you can't help, dimly seeing there, and for drawing out
 into the light all the beautiful belongings 
that no one else had looked
 quite far enough to find.

I love you because you
 are helping me to make
 of the lumber of my life
 not a tavern
 but a temple. Out of the works
 of my every day 
not a reproach
 but a song. I love you 
because you have done more than any creed
 could have done
 to make me good, and more than any fate
 could have done
 to make me happy. You have done it
 without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You have done it
 by being yourself.