Creating the "right" wedding
ceremony is a time-consuming undertaking. It needs careful
planning and energy and it's going to need a celebrant that
you feel comfortable and confident with, who can guide you
through the maze of options available.
 Congratulations!!
You’re in the care of Jan Littlejohn, one of Australia’s
most respected Celebrants.You and your partner have
decided to get married. It's a wonderful decision and your
wedding day should be an occasion you will remember for the
rest of your life.
With a little planning, you will remember it as a day
filled with joy, love and laughter BUT you will also want to
remember a wedding ceremony which was yours, that reflected
your own values, feelings and beliefs and not someone
else's. This is what Jan Littlejohn at “Ceremonies
with StyleTM” will help you achieve!
Sounds simple doesn't it?
Think about it for a moment. You're going to have friends
and family come and see you marry the love of your life and
the most important part is that few minutes when everything
goes quiet, you look into each others eyes and declare your
love for each other in front of them all. You hold hands and
make those vows - maybe there's a little moistness around
the eye - and you hear the celebrant declare that you are
husband and wife and ... you're married.
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We can't thank you enough for being
part of our wedding. You performed the most fantastic
ceremony. Every guest commented on your work and said that
it was by far, the best wedding ceremony they had been to.
Thankyou once again for your amazing job and for all the
help you gave us."
Vanessa and Matt |
Marriage is a huge step for anyone. It's the
joining together, physically and emotionally of two
individuals who have different backgrounds and histories,
but whose desire to spend the rest of their lives in each
other's company means it's time to take the next big step.
So, you agree on a date, you agree on a place, you agree on
a time and then you agree on a celebrant. If you have a
religion you'll obviously get married in a church or temple
or maybe a stone circle, but the chances are high you'll be
looking for a civil celebrant.
As part of my service to you. I can provide an
application form for your original certificate from Births
Deaths and Marriages. I will submit the form on your behalf
a the time I lodge your marriage documents. Current fee for
a standard certificate is $42 (incl secure post)
Special Wedding Dates
CHRISTMAS…
NEW YEAR…
EASTER…
SPECIAL DAY 9/9/09…
VALENTINE'S DAY
The Celebrant
The chances are that your celebrant may have quite an
influence on what you say and do during the ceremony. If you
feel completely uninformed about what your options are
before you talked to a celebrant, be that a civil celebrant
or a religious one, you're in the company of hundreds of
other couples facing the dilemma of Getting It Right On the
Day!! Different couples have different and sometimes
definite ideas about what they want on their wedding day,
but some have no views at all and may know what they don't
want rather than what they do.
There are only two elements essential to a legally binding
wedding - Statement of the Marriage Act, the vows or promises you make to one another and
the proclamation by the celebrant that you are now legally
married. All the other elements are optional. You are only
limited by your imagination and that of your celebrant!!!
There are very few items or services you would purchase or
engage sight unseen, even in this e-age, so you have a right
to ask your prospective celebrants to spend some time
explaining their style and approach and, finally, their
costs. There are a number of pricing arrangements, so Jan
will help you understand the options and the exact costs for
all of her services.
In summary then, you and your partner should:
§ Decide what kind of a
wedding ceremony you want - traditional, fun, serious,
informal or formal.
§ Decide what kind of
atmosphere you want.
§ Shop around for a
celebrant who you feel comfortable with and doesn't try to
impose his or her tastes on you.
§ Be prepared to
invest a little time planning what you want to say in your
ceremony to each other and to your guests and what degree of
participation you want from your celebrant.
And most importantly ... relax and enjoy your most special
day!!!!!
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We would like to thank you so much for
making our wedding day so special, even with the rain moving
us inside, your kind words made the ceremony amazing. We
are so happy that you could be part of our wedding day and
you will always be in our hearts.
Paris and Geoff |
Jan can help you with all of the advice and guidance with
many aspects of your marriage ceremony, including:
§ Exactly what the
Celebrant does
§ All legal paperwork
and requirements
§ Readings and Poems
§ Vows
§ Music
§ Being “Given Away”
§ Rings
§ Your arrival
§ Witnesses
§ Weekday or Weekend
weddings
§ Weddings for couples
from Overseas (including Fiancé Visa Assistance)
Please note: Sydney city interviews are now
available
Any questions?
Contact Jan with any questions you may have at
any time.
For a large amount of Free Resources on getting married
please visit the resources section or
click here.
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Thank you for being part of our day
and for making the ceremony so beautiful. Everyone commented
on how touching and genuine they thought the ceremony was.
It was the perfect ceremony for us and you made us feel very
calm and comfortable. You truly do love your job and it
shows.
Fiona and David |
Renewal of Marriage Vows and Re-Affirmation Ceremonies
The years have gone by and you would like your husband or
wife to know that your marriage is so special to you and
take the time to reaffirm the vows you made on your wedding
day.
You can follow the format of your original wedding, or
create a service that suits the life you have had together,
reflecting your family and the future.
Something Special for Your Photos
When conducting weddings
on a boat or an Island …..I arrive in a beautiful fishing
trawler…with a wedding ribbon draped across the front of the
boat …..just to give it that extra special touch
Costs
|
Preparation and Presentation of Ceremony |
$400 |
Lodgment
of documents / Booking
Fee
(to secure your desired date and time) |
$300 |
| Onsite
Rehearsal by appointment only |
|
| Simple
budget ceremony for less than 12 guests |
|
Ask about special offer for
weekday
(Monday - Thursday) weddings. |
Fees
can be paid by cash, cheque or direct debit. Water
taxis or parking at Opera House. A surcharge of
$20.00 for inner City travel/parking. Weekend Ceremony (Friday - Sunday)
· Ceremony guide with extensive choice of vows, readings
& music
· Unlimited Consultations
· Stationery costs and legal paperwork
· Telephone, mailing and faxing costs (within Australia)
· Time and travelling on your wedding day (unless exceeds
70km)
· Public Address (PA) & CD player with music of your choice
· Presentation copy of the marriage certificate
· Keepsake copy of your ceremony
· Name change kit
· Will kit
Fiancée Visa Letters & Overseas couples
For couples travelling for a Sydney wedding, I can
arrange all or part of your wedding.
Including the registered copy of your marriage certificate
and the stamp
enabling you to have your marriage registered in your home
country
(not required by Commonwealth counties).
For fiancée (spouse) visas, I can assist in letters in
preparation
for the Embassy application.
To call from outside Australia: Phone: 61 2 9999 1404
Mobile: 61 425 284 330
Ask about the
The Midweek Special (Monday -Thursday) Or
The Simple Budget (12 guests or less)
Celebrant's Fees Explained
I happy to provide that "basic" type of ceremony, some
couples perhaps if they're eloping this maybe all they
are wanting. As you will both be caught up in the
emotion of the day, may not remember much of the details
afterwards, however your guests will.
We can work together to really make the ceremony as
unique and special as you are.
Being a full time professional celebrant Annual expenses
incurred include - running a home office, stationary,
computer/software maintenance, updating my website,
phone and mobile, car, advertising, membership of
Professional Associations, professional indemnity
insurance, compulsory legal paperwork and more
Each year every registered Celebrant is required to
attend Ongoing Professional development lectures
enabling you to keep up-to-date with professional
performance and legal changes. To continually gain as
much knowledge as possible I attend at least one
Celebrant conference along with other OPD training or
extra training I choose to do independently such as
profession voice training and presentation skills.
As a professional celebrant the service I offer couples
includes:
ü Being available to you
between the first booking and the wedding (and afterwards if
need be). There’s no such thing as a silly question. See if
you can beat the record of 89 emails from a Bride!
ü If you live locally, meeting
with you at least twice (if not more) to not only make sure
your legal paperwork is completed properly, but to get an
idea of what you want for your ceremony. If you're from out
of town, we organise phone calls then meet a day or two
before the wedding.
ü Providing you with a
Ceremony tailored specially for you that you’re happy with.
This includes composing your unique personal journey into an
enjoyable ceremony, and takes time to collate and perfect.
ü Getting to know you a little
- be it in person or by phone or email. We can then work
together to co-create a Ceremony that reflects your
personalities, be it after draft 2 or more.
ü Research into special
requirements.
ü A rehearsal with the entire
bridal party the week or day before the wedding (if
requested), by appointment only.
ü Offering an extensive range
of poetry, prose, ideas for those magic ceremony touches,
and music which reflect you.
ü A good quality battery
operated PA system complete with CD player, head microphone
(recommended where there is over 25 guests), and free
standing microphone for readers.
Your music for the processional (entering 2.5MIN), signing
(6 minutes), and recessional (leaving). The music sets the
theme, and its organisation and timing is very important.
Careful selection of my attire to fit in with both your
colour theme and style.
ü Travelling to and from the
wedding venue.
ü Arriving at least 20 minutes
before the Ceremony to ensure chairs, tables flowers etc are
in place, set up the PA in the best position, liaise with
venue staff/musicians, etc.
ü Ensuring all official
paperwork is in order and sent promptly to the appropriate
Registry office.
ü Being covered by
professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
On average I would spend between 7 - 12 hours on each
wedding.
You will also get a celebrant who spends a lot of time
making sure you get everything right.
There are no short cuts to well prepared successful
ceremonies. A non refundable (if you cancel) deposit of $300 is required
within 14 days of lodgement of your Notice of Intent in
order to confirm and secure your desired date and time.
Most of the Celebrants in this area support each other, so
should I be unavailable on your selected day through some
unforseen emergency I'd be happy to try to find you an
alternative Celebrant.
Please contact me to discuss your specific requirements.
 Wedding
Pamphlet This small pamphlet titled "Happily
Ever ... Before and After" is a compulsory handout to all
couples intending to marry within Australia. |
