wedding ceremony tips Archives

January 7, 2025 by Glenda Ashleigh

Wedding Ceremony Keepsakes – keep them safe!

Wedding Keepsakes

Wedding keepsakes are those items and documents that make your ceremony unique and special. These precious items include your wedding keepsakes and favours, and the Presentation Marriage Certificate. Those something old, something blue, something borrowed items, perhaps a handkerchief, a brooch, or necklace that you carry or wear for the ceremony are very special keepsakes. Further, these keepsakes are irreplaceable. Also, how do you explain their loss if you borrow these items?

Unique Wedding Keepsakes

I take the time and care to design unique wedding keepsakes for your ceremony.

Wedding Ceremony Keepsakes

Your ceremony script is presented as a scroll inside a cover. A hand-made decorated sleeve secures the scroll.
Your personal wedding vow booklets and the scroll reflect your chosen colours of your wedding theme, or your favourite colours.
As a special touch, I give you a keepsake to wish you ‘good-luck’ for your married life.

When can Keepsakes go Missing?

At the end of the ceremony everyone is excited. Everyone congratulates the happy couple or gathers for photographs, and this is the critical time when keepsake items are often misplaced or overlooked. The Presentation Marriage Certificate and your keepsakes are treasured items that are easily lost in the excitement of the day. The Presentation Marriage Certificate is not replaceable, however if it is mislaid or damaged, you will need to apply to the Registry for advice.

You can avoid the stress and worry of locating misplaced items if you prepare well. After all, you want to enjoy those wonderful moments of your wedding and make beautiful memories of your special day.

Appoint a Wedding Ceremony Keepsakes and Documents Official

Here is a great wedding ceremony tip! Appoint a reliable person as the wedding ceremony keepsakes and documents official on your wedding day. This is an essential part of successful wedding planning! Your wedding ceremony keepsakes and documents official is someone you trust to follow your instructions exactly!

Wedding Ceremony Keepsakes and Documents Official

Following is a basic checklist of instructions to give to your appointed Documents Official.

Identify yourself as the appointed ‘wedding ceremony keepsakes and documents official’ to the Celebrant before the wedding ceremony.
Be available and receive the ceremony keepsakes and documents immediately after the wedding ceremony.
Check the contents of the envelope containing the wedding ceremony keepsakes and documents with the Celebrant.
Take charge of the envelope containing the ceremony keepsakes and documents, and
Follow instructions immediately for safe storage. (specify exactly how, when and where.)

I meet your Wedding Ceremony Documents Official before the ceremony and check the instructions carefully. Following the signing of the marriage documents, I hand over all keepsakes and the Presentation Marriage Certificate securely and safely to your appointed Wedding Ceremony Documents Official. You relax and celebrate the special moments of your wedding day with family and friends, confident that your precious items are safe.

Official Marriage Documents

Do you want to know more about Australian official marriage documents? Do you know that the Presentation Marriage Certificate is not the official marriage certificate? Although it is a legal document, it is however, not a personal identification document (ID)? Personal identification documents show your date of birth and this information is not shown on the Presentation Marriage Certificate.

The Official Marriage Certificate shows your date of birth and is a personal identification document (ID). You purchase a certified copy of the official marriage certificate from the Marriage Registry in the Australian state or territory of your marriage. This certified copy is a personal identification document and serves to verify your changed legal status as a married person. Check out the Australian government page for the most up-to-date and accurate information about Australian marriage documents.

November 16, 2023 by Glenda Ashleigh

Wedding Tips

Wedding Planning Tips that Make a Difference

Use great wedding planning tips to make a difference! As a professional Registered Marriage Celebrant, I am often asked about wedding hints and tips for ceremonies. Every ceremony is different, however the following tips apply to all wedding ceremonies.

Goodluck Horseshoe

We often overlook the really important areas of planning a wedding. Some areas are so commonplace that we take them for granted and we hope that they will ‘look after themselves’. We hope that we will have ‘good luck’ and that everything will go smoothly. Brides often carry wedding charms or keepsakes such as a horseshoe to assure good luck on the day. These are fun, however they do not guarantee that good luck will follow.

Of course you want your wedding ceremony to be breathtaking! After all it is your special day and you expect that your ceremony will flow smoothly and be absolutely delightful.

Important Wedding Areas

Wedding ceremonies must contain the legal requirements, however just meeting the legal requirements for a marriage ceremony does not meet the requirements for an enjoyable ceremony. Here are a few helpful wedding planning tips that I hope will help you to make your ceremony, simply the best!

Choose the people and services for your wedding ceremony very carefully. The success of the occasion depends on the choices you make. How well do people understand each other? How respectful they are of each other’s wishes?

Communicate at all stages of the process – planning, arriving at the venue, entrances, where people are required to stand, what they do during the ceremony and what happens at the close of the ceremony. Don’t fall into the trap of “Oh I though you knew that…” or “Why wasn’t I told…” or “I didn’t know you wanted me to do that…”. Keep everyone in the communication loop, including your guests.

Inform your celebrant of the arrangements. A really good marriage celebrant works with other service providers, eg photographers, event planners, directors and venue staff. They encourage your guests to feel comfortable. Everyone is there to help make this very special occasion a memorable one for all the right reasons. Your celebrant has a big responsibility. They are in charge of the ceremony!

October 9, 2023 by Glenda Ashleigh

Bridal Party Attendants the Best Man

Bridal Party Attendants

The Doll families are eager to help Peg and Pog in planning for the wedding in the Rose Garden. Apparently, it is ‘traditional’ to have attendants in the bridal party! Peg and Pog don’t even know if they want any bridal party attendants at their wedding.

Glenda, Brisbane’s Very Good Celebrant, asks Peg and Pog why they want to have bridal party attendants. Peg and Pog haven’t actually thought about the why, or if they want any, they just think they should!

Checkout the various roles that traditionally, are included in the bridal party.

Peg and Pog learn that the bridal party can consist of just the Bride and Groom! The two witnesses can be guests, and do not need to be in the Bridal Party. Peg and Pog can choose whether or not to have bridal party attendants. Bridal party attendants are optional!

Peg states that she definitely wants flower girls as her bridal party attendants on her wedding day. Pog suggests that his nieces, Pip and Pepper are just right as flower girls.

The Role of the Best Man in the Bridal Party

Best Man

Pog chooses his brother, Milo, to be his ‘Best Man’ at the wedding of Peg and Pog. Milo feels very honoured to be Pog’s ‘Best Man,’ and wants to be the best, ‘Best Man’ he can be!

However, Pog is not too sure about the responsibilities of a ‘Best Man’, so he asks Peg, the blushing bride-to-be, if she knows. Peg says that Milo’s role, as ‘Best Man,’ is to assist Pog, the Groom, get ready for the wedding.

Although Pog thinks this is a great idea, he is still unclear about what exactly the ‘Best Man’ does. Pog asks Glenda, Best Brisbane Celebrant, for help.

Responsibilities of the Role of Best Man

The responsibilities of the role of ‘Best Man’ vary, and depend on what the rest of the bridal party expect. Glenda, Best Brisbane Celebrant, answers the many questions that Peg & Pog ask.

Pog learns that the wedding party is really a team and that he is not on his own on his wedding day! Peg is happy that Pog’s confidence is lifting, and Milo is happy that his role as ‘Best Man’ really means a lot to Pog. Milo tells Pog that he is thrilled about his ‘active’ role in the wedding.

Milo aims to be the best, ‘Best Man’ for Pog. Being ‘Best Man’ comes with very important responsibilities, and Milo wants to do a great job! Pog needs all the help he can get on his wedding day, and he knows that Milo is just the best ‘Best Man’ for a successful day.

October 7, 2023 by Glenda Ashleigh

Garden Wedding – Glenda J Ashleigh Celebrant

Garden Wedding with Brisbane’s Best Celebrant

A Garden wedding at home or in a park with Brisbane’s Best Celebrant, Glenda J Ashleigh, is just delightful! The sun is shining, the birds are singing and everything is as it should be – perfect! All is well.

Peg & Pog garden wedding

Parks and gardens in Brisbane, Queensland (fantastic one day, perfect the next!) make great venues for outdoor wedding ceremonies.

Brisbane’s Best Celebrant, Glenda J Ashleigh, conducts the wedding ceremony just the way that Peg and Pog want.

Everyone feels relaxed and happy. They really enjoy the warm and personal ceremony and the charming garden setting. The roses are blooming, the grass feels like carpet, and there is plenty of space for all to see what is happening.

Garden Weddings & Weather

Providing the sun keeps shining, all will be well for the wedding party, service providers, and of course those very important people, the guests. Delightful! But then, who can control the weather?

A few clouds drift over, and then some more… Quick! Here comes the rain, run! Where do people run to? What do they do when they get there? What do you do with soggy people? A bedraggled bridal party does not look good, especially in photographs and videos.

If you consider holding your wedding ceremony in a garden or one of the many delightful parks in and around Brisbane, be prepared with a ‘rainy day’ option. Is there shelter close to the ceremony area? Is the shelter large enough to provide cover for everyone? You might want to tell guests to bring their ‘brollies, or you can provide umbrellas for them.

Be prepared! If you are planning an outdoor or garden wedding park in a park in the Brisbane area, check out the shelter option in your chosen park. Avoid becoming a ‘soggie’ on your wedding day! Delight your guests, they will thank you for your good planning.

June 20, 2023 by Glenda Ashleigh

Brisbane Celebrant Weds Love Ducks

Brisbane Celebrant Weds Ducks in Love

Wow! How time flies! Back in the day this was big news and guess what? It still is! Brisbane and Bayside areas are fantastic places for weddings. The Wynnum-Manly-Lota area is easy to get to from the Brisbane CBD. It is close to the Gateway Motorway, linking the northern and southern areas of Brisbane.

Glenda J Ashleigh, Brisbane Celebrant weds the delightful love ducks in a ‘first’ for Brisbane. Brisbane ducks will never be the same! These ‘luvducks’ will say ‘I do’ in the beautiful Brisbane Bayside suburb of Manly.

Brisbane ducks will gather to witness the Bride & Groom being joined for evermore in duck love.

The wedding pond is a romantic wedding venue where the Bride & Groom first found love. The Bride & Groom will display their love with a large ‘Love’ sign.

Brisbane Celebrant, Glenda Ashleigh is very good at guiding nervous Brides & Grooms (including ducks) through their romantic wedding vows.

There will be much ‘happy flapping’ when the Groom gives the Bride an affectionate peck at the end of the ceremony.

Brisbane’s Beautiful Bayside

Duck family and friends are delighted that the two ‘luvducks’ will be wed in Brisbane’s Beautiful Bayside.

The Wynnum-Manly-Lota area on Moreton Bay has many great venues for wedding ceremonies all year round. This suits ducks just fine as the water is never far away. Lovely sea breezes during summer days allow ducks to relax and enjoy themselves. Winter days by the bay are a duck’s delight with sunshine glinting on the water.

Brisbane Celebrant Glenda Ashleigh

Brisbane Celebrant Glenda Ashleigh is Brisbane’s Really Good Celebrant. People (and ducks) find Glenda friendly and approachable. Glenda is a true professional, reliable and trustworthy. Your ceremony is Glenda’s business and she takes very good care of it.

What does Glenda do very well? She really listens to Brides & Grooms. Your wishes come first! You can be confident that Glenda will help you plan the ceremony that best suits you.

Contact Glenda

Contact Glenda by mobile, or if you prefer, text for a callback to chat about your ceremony wishes, needs and wants. Glenda will answer your questions clearly and honestly.

You are welcome to arrange a meeting with Glenda, obligation-free to discuss your ceremony.