Testimonials

from Amanda & Howard

Dear Janice,
thank you so much for creating & resenting our beautiful ceremony. 
Warmest regards

from Paula & Hsuan

… thank you so much for your time on our Wedding day and
your beautiful service.  We enjoyed it thoroughly and so did
all our family and friends.  We had it recorded and I cannot stop
smiling every time I watch - particularly as I keep grinning and laughing so much! 
Thank you again!

from Leah & Sandy

...thank you very much for all your help
to calm my nerves and make our wedding beautiful ...   

from Brad & Belinda

Hi Janice
…  a quick note to say thank you for such a wonderful ceremony
at our wedding. We have had many wonderful comments about
our ceremony and this is thanks to you. We hope that you had as
much enjoyment from the day as we did. We will certainly
recommend you to our friends.
 
Once again thank you for a beautiful ceremony, the hard work
behind the scene and for ensuring our day was such a success.

from Michael & Janet

...we both think you did a wonderful job and are so pleased
we chose you as our celebrant ...

from Nicky & Steve

...thank you for being our marriage celebrant. You were
absolutely perfect and truly added to our day to make it the most
special experience.  

from Pam & Mark

... The ceremony was just perfect. The feedback we receivedfrom
our gusets is that it was heartfelt and just perfect. Pam and I have
been to a few wedding and we feel that ours was the best ever!
Thanks Janice.

from Steve & Tina

...A beautiful ceremony that we will remember & treasure forever.
Thank you for your assistance and support in creating a ceremony
that was both personal and appropriate to our individual situation.  

from John & Deb

... We had so much fun, every wedding should be casual &
comfortable like ours! We would highly recommend you  to any
couple who would like their wedding day to be memorable.
Janice, you are organised, thorough, helpful and very
professional and integral part of a special day.

from Liza & Brad

... We were more than happy with the service you provided in both 
the lead up to, and on our wedding day. All of our guests
commented on our fantastic choice of celebrant!  

from Kendy & Darren

... Thank you Janice for providing such a warm and friendly service.
You helped make our day as perfect and as special as we had hoped.

from Kate & Matthew

...Thank you Janice! The ceremony was perfect and we appreciate
the way you conducted and managed the proceedings. Thanks for
letting us do it "our way."  

from Gareth & Inge

Hi Janice, Thank you so much for everything! Our ceremony was
absolutely perfect! Everyone said you were the best celebrant they'd
ever seen! You were professional, kind, nice and made us feel
completely comfortable. Thank you for making our ceremony
truly memorable!

from Damian & Denise

Janice, you are a fantastic celebrant - you gave us great ideas on
which to build our ceremony, you spoke well and looked great. We
would highly recommend you to everyone.

from Paul & Vanessa

A fantastic ceremony, exactly what we wanted - Janice you are a warm,
reassuring and eloquent celebrant and you put everyone at ease.

from Karina & Matthew

Janice, you were very professional and made us feel so
comfortable. It was really good having you with us throughout our
journey. Thank you so much for your caring, happy and thoughtful
assistance.

from Georgina & Michael

… just wanted to thank you so much for marrying us. Everything was
perfect and you couldn’t have done more for us.
 

Name Changes and Certificates

Short answer to the question "does a bride have to change her name" – is "NO" IT IS A CHOICE FOR A BRIDE TO CHANGE HER NAME AND THERE IS NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO DO SO. However, most brides do, and the explanation below is to assist you in that process.

A Marriage comes under a Federal (Commonwealth ) Act of Parliament . The wedding legalities and documents are the same no matter which state or Territory of Australia you live, or are married in.

Some couples never request a Registered Marriage Certificate although I do recommend that you do so. If the bride wants to change her name on her Drivers Licence or Passport (and usually Bank Accounts) she needs a Registered Marriage Certificate to do this .

However, the State Parliaments have control of keeping the Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages and can have some slight differences the way the Registered Marriage Certificate is supplied if one is requested.

Let me outline this aspect of your Queensland wedding.

At the end of your ceremony, after your celebrant has declared you to be husband & wife, the certificates are signed.

I ask my couples to sign my register first (this is a legal requirement on the part of the celebrant to keep a Register of all marriages she has performed). I then ask that the newly married husband & wife – in turn – sign the Certificate of Marriage and then the Presentation Certificate. The signatures are all witnessed by the same two people (over the age of 18 years) chosen to be the official witnesses who of course, add their signatures.

The Presentation Certificate – which is a legal document and carries an individual registered number on the back, and is often written in a calligraphies font, is usually handed to the bride & groom as the celebrant introduces them as ‘husband & wife’ although this (the handing over and introduction)is not actually a legal requirement.

After the wedding the celebrant completes her paperwork and the Certificate of Marriage is then sent by the celebrant along with the Notice of Intended Marriage (the very first form you completed with your celebrant) to the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages in Brisbane, where the marriage is registered.

Your celebrant will most probably discussed with you if you require a registered copy of your Certificate of Marriage and may even have provided the form for you to complete. This is the easiest way for you to obtain your registered copy as the celebrant sends your request form to BDM with the other paperwork and you then receive a registered copy in the mail approximately 20 working days later. (This time can vary greatly depending on the time of year and the number of weddings being performed).

If you decide not to complete the Request Form to receive a registered copy of your Certificate of Marriage then you can make your request at a later date. You will however need to provide 100 points of identification to prove you are a person who is entitled to obtain the certificate. So, although a bride can call herself ‘Mrs’ immediately after her wedding for a bride to change her name with Government departments and institutions like banks or building societies and credit unions, you will need to provide the registered copy of your Certificate of Marriage.

So, to summarise, if the Bride or Groom do not want a Registered Certificate of Marriage then they do not have to do anything. But if you do require a registered Certificate of Marriage, as there are significant differences in this procedure from State to State in Australia, check with your celebrant, minister or Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages in the state in which you will be married.