Civil Marriage Ceremonies present an occasion to celebrate your love for one another at any place that has special meaning for you.

More than 50% of all marriages today are conducted by Civil Marriage Celebrants and the reason is the freedom of choice now available to you. My clients have total choice over the whole celebration of their love - the day, the time and the place. I have celebrated weddings from dawn till midnight, and everything in between! If you love the sea, then think about a wedding on a beach or on a boat. In a hot air balloon, a garden, under a rainforest canopy or at your favourite restaurant or function centre. The choice is yours.

It doesn't matter if there you have a tiny gathering or hundreds of guests - this is still a very important occasion for you and deserves to be celebrated in a way that has meaning and significance to you.

The legal procedure required is that a 'Notice of Intended Marriage' must be lodged with your Celebrant between a maximum of 18 months and a minimum of 1 month and 1 day prior to the date of your marriage. I need to see a full birth certificate or certified extract of birth for each of you, as well as evidence of finalisation of a previous marriage if applicable for Australian born people. For those born overseas, you will require your country of birth "Birth Cirtificate" or you valid overseas passport.

Application for NSW/BDM Certified Marriage Certificate
Application form for "Notice of Intended Marriage

It is VERY important that you feel comfortable with anyone who will be playing a role at such an important moment in your life.

Ask your friends about their experiences. Phone some Celebrants who have been recommended to you and see how you feel with that conversation.

Make an appointment to meet and talk over your requirements BEFORE you confirm a booking. It is worth your while to invest some time in making sure you have found the right Celebrant for you.

I provide you with a booklet I have prepared which sets out several suggestions for the wording of each step of your ceremony. The whole celebration takes on much more meaning when it reflects your own personality and style.
To make this happen we work together incorporating personal, family or cultural traditions that are important to you. Anybody can provide 'a wedding ceremony', but YOUR wedding ceremony should be yours alone, and different from all those you have been to.

My initial response to this question of “What time should I get married”, is that you can get married at ANYTIME and ANYWHERE you and your fiancé want. It is your day and you should have your wedding where and when you want it. {Subject to any Council Regulations and Federal/State laws}

Why do some photographers insist that EVERYONE should get married between 3pm and 6.00pm on Saturdays?

Many photographers seem to imply that good wedding photographs can only be taken in 100% daylight, even though eye squinting caused by direct sunlight can make relaxed photographs difficult.

I have had the privilege of performing wedding services from 6.00AM to Midnight in a wide range of locations both indoor / outdoor and on land and sea.

I recommend using a professional photographer who knows how to utilise all types light sources to get the best possible photographic results for both natural light and artificial light sources. Your photographer should know what to do if the light becomes too cold or if it gets too dark.
Use a photographer that is accredited to professional organization like being a member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP).

With these points in mind, don’t be forced into thinking that you must HAVE to have an
afternoon wedding, or a wedding time that suits the photographer. All wedding suppliers should accommodate your wishes and not vice versa. Consider all the options available and a morning or evening/night wedding may just be more suitable for you and your guests.

There are many factors to consider when setting your ceremony time and this includes:
Time of Year {average temperatures}
Daylight Savings
Availability of Ceremony Venue {many have multiple wedding sites}
Availability of Reception Venue {same room used at different times of the day}
Availability of your preferred Celebrant at a particular time of the day.
Preferred time to have meal at the reception {Wedding breakfast, luncheon or dinner}
Budget - (sometimes discounts are offered for morning/lunchtime/evening receptions)
Travel time between wedding ceremony location and your choice of reception venues

For outdoor wedding there some elements that can have a very big impact on YOUR comfort and all your guests.

Australia is known for its hot humid summer days. These humid and hot summer days can also have some very unpleasant side effects. Some of these are:-

Extremely hot sandy beaches and if it’s windy, then blowing hot sand can be very unpleasant. Those with walking difficulties and those of senior years find sand walking very difficult and unpleasant.
High temperatures and high humidity causes perspiration for all ages and is especially evident between midday and sunset.
Flies can be very annoying for both your own comfort and the constant waving away of flies can be very distracting during the service.

There are many months of the year - especially in daylight savings times when ceremonies can be held a bit later in the day - and you can still get fantastic photographic results if you pay attention to a few important rules.

So at anytime of the year - a ceremony can be held.
Some reception venues such as Eschol Park House
(www.escholparkhouse.com.au ), and wedding ceremony locations like The Old St Thomas Chapel www.handprint.net.au/tostc/index.htm can have multiple weddings on the same day. The earlier time slot may have already been booked, so a later ceremony start time may only be available. This is a POSITIVE not a negative issue. It means you can have an evening garden ceremony and go straight into dinner. Professional Limousine hire companies like Macarthur Limousines are available 24hours a day.

Both Eschol Park House and The Old St Thomas Chapel have lighting to enhance evening and after sunset photography.

Some couples may prefer a very late wedding followed by a buffet style meal. This can reduce the dance time but increasing the time for family and social interaction plus reducing the number of hours and therefore reducing the costs.

As a professional full time Celebrant, I CAN and DO perform wedding ceremonies at any time of the day and any day of the week.

Consider twilight or a wedding after the sun has gone down.

Virtually all fashion and beauty shows are held indoors and out of the sun. Good photographers can take quality photographs any time of the day and with any light conditions.
It’s amazing how a few coloured lights can transform any wedding location, whether it is a private backyard, park, beach or a function centre garden.

Call Ray Standen Celebrant on (02) 4625-1655 to discuss your wedding ceremony at a time that best suits you and your fiancé.

Visit the “Gallery” section of this web site and view after sunset weddings.

Your photographer has a very important job to do on your wedding day. Before the ceremony, I always check with the photographer to find out if you have some specific requests. We discuss positioning, light and background. There is only one chance to capture these special moments, and I find that by working WITH your photographer, everyone is happy!

It's the little details that make all the difference! There are so many things that can be taken for granted - but I assume nothing! After all, it is YOUR wedding day, not mine, so it is vital that I understand exactly what you have in mind. I spend time with you checking all the tiny things that matter - many of which you might even have thought about yet! With care and attention, you can 'Live the Dream' of your wonderful wedding ceremony!!

It is SO important that the ceremony be punctual. If the Bride is later than expected, the domino effect takes over - photography might need to be cut short because of changing light conditions, food is past its best, the guests are restless and most important of all - the Groom is getting nervous!

Talk to me at the beginning of your planning and I can show you a couple of tricks to resolve this situation altogether.

Colour is so important - apart from wanting your bridal party to look best they possibly can, remember that colour influences our emotions. Talk to me about setting the mood that you want.

I also ensure that I dress in an appropriate style and colour to complement your wedding party. After all, I am not meant to be noticeable in the photographs - that is the Bride and Groom's privilege.

I can adapt to your preferred style and location - from barefoot on the beach to Black Tie, I am perfectly comfortable.

My professional fee is a total, all-inclusive cost. I ask for a deposit to confirm your booking and hold the space in my diary, with the remainder due during the month prior to your ceremony. This fee covers

• all legal paperwork required including lodging and registration of your marriage at the Registrar General's office.
• your Presentation Certificate to be prepared in calligraphy
• a copy of your ceremony for you as a keepsake. Many of my clients find that there is so much excitement, emotion and fun happening during their Ceremony, that they can't remember what was said!
• a PA system so your guests can hear the ceremony, which is especially important in the outdoors

You are welcome to contact me by Email: rstanden@bigpond.net.au (or phone 4625-1655) with the details of your wedding to obtain an obligation free quote.

Don't let distance worry you when planning a wedding in Australia. Whether you are living out of the country, or somewhere distant from your chosen venue, it is relatively easy to attend to everything. I have many, many clients who have been far away geographically until just before their wedding day, and we can always work together to ensure all details are covered.

Although I never 'push' the services of an individual service provider in the wedding industry, I am very happy to make recommendations of operators whose work I have seen and been impressed by.

After many years in my role as a Civil Celebrant, I have met vast numbers of people associated with weddings in a variety of ways, and can usually make some suggestions when requested.