SOPHIE + BEN - Summer wedding in the vineyard

Sophie and Ben celebrated their marriage on a warm, but not too hot, February day.  They chose Harcourt Valley Vineyard to create a fun, party atmosphere where the outdoor spaces speak for themselves, don’t require much in the way of decorating and are simply perfect for a Summer wedding. 

Before Sophie arrived with her dad, guests were enjoying some live tunes from Tom Harrington on guitar and vocals. (Hot tip: live music before and during your ceremony is a game changer to set a celebratory mood).  Sophie and her dad walked through a hushed and excited crowd while Tom played, ‘I’m With You’.  During that aisle walk, Sophie and Ben only had eyes for each other and on reaching the end, even snuck in a pre-ceremony kiss!

I told some relationship stories, including how they met; a supreme effort by Sophie’s big sister, ‘Matchmaker Lucy’, who kept inviting them both around for dinner every week until they finally realised they were perfect for each other! 

Beautiful, personal vows were exchanged, rings were slipped on fingers and some surprise crowd participation brought the ceremony to a joyful, inclusive close.  As Sophie and Ben recessed back down the aisle, showered with good wishes and rose petals, everyone was feeling the love vibe and were more than ready  to party and dance the night away under the stars.  This wedding ceremony really was a ‘party starter!’

Thank you, gorgeous Sophie and Ben, for inviting me into this most precious of days and for sharing your love story with me – it was such a privilege!

And from Sophie:

Sue was absolutely amazing. As soon as we found Sue we knew she was the one to marry us. Sue is very professional and is very kind-hearted and loving. Her sense of humour is great, and we couldn’t recommend her highly enough. Sue also made sure I was OK before I walked down the aisle and gave me a cuddle. It honestly made me feel calm and reassured me that everything would be OK and I would have nothing to worry about. Thanks again so much Sue, we absolutely loved having you a part of our wedding.

Celebrant: Sue Begg

Photographer: Sarah-Jane VR Photography

Venue: Harcourt Valley Vineyards

Sophie’s gown: Bendigo Bridal Collections

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Sheike

Ben’s apparel: Connor

Caterer: Northern Star Catering

Flowers: Styled By Laura Jane

Cake: Amanda’s Cake Emporium

Hair & Make-up Artist: Demi Ryan

Stationery/Signage: Sarah-Jane VR Photography

Hire Items: Light Me Up Letter Hire

Musician: Tom Harrington

MICHELLE + JASON: Casual, Classy Winery Wedding

I was excited when Jason and Michelle booked me for their wedding at Harcourt Valley Winery, as this was to be my first time officiating at a wedding there.  The winery is nestled amongst ancient redgums (big tick for shade for a Summer wedding!) in a beautiful valley, with distant views of Mt Alexander.  It’s an unsurpassed venue for a fun filled, laid back wedding and with Jason and Michelle’s creative flair, they turned it into a fabulous party vibe. 

There were bubbles on arrival, and a grazing table and food van for relaxed eating.  Michelle made the wedding cake and between them they whipped up a delectable selection for the dessert bar! 

We began the ceremony with a cheers proposed by a good friend, then a mild bridal party roast, followed by a light-hearted love story about how these two first chatted when Michelle was just back from overseas and Jason was still in Europe, soon to be returning. Both were dreaming of their next adventure.  Little did they know that the greatest adventure of falling in love was just around the corner!

After some quick vows and ring exchange, I pronounced them married and they immediately recessed back down the aisle through the rose petals to “Can’t Stop This Feeling”.  We all signed the documents a bit later.  Jason and Michelle were able to bask in the moment being announced as Mr and Mrs and to enjoy the congratulations with their guests.  The guests were happy as they didn’t need to watch us sign documents either!

After my work was done, I packed up and drove away to the sound of a live band on the verandah as the party vibe was ramping up.  Jason and Michelle, thank you for inviting me into your lives and to share in your unique wedding celebrations.   It is a day I will always remember!

Celebrant: Sue Begg

Photographer: Jess White Photography

Venue: Harcourt Valley Winery

Flowers: Libertine Florist

Hair: Honeyeater

MUA: Blush by Georgie

Catering: Pasta Face & The Vine and the Farmer

Cake: Michelle!

Dessert Bar: Michelle and Jason!  Flavour and Heart

Music: Ash French & Josh Dearaugo

Invitations: Atelier Creative

Signage: Michelle & Jason!

HOW TO CHOOSE A MARRIAGE CELEBRANT

It doesn’t really matter what celebrant you get to marry you – they all do the same thing, right?  WRONG! This is the thinking that drives couples to choose a celebrant on price alone.  Your celebrant is already one of the cheapest items in your wedding budget and here are some reasons to find the celebrant that you feel a connection with, who can bring your ceremony dreams to life.

Sure, all celebrants know the legalities of marriage and how to sign off on them, but a really good celebrant will add so much to your ceremony and wedding day.  They will get the party started, get the love vibe happening, have your guests laughing and crying and immersed in the moment (and not longingly glancing sideways at the bar!).

Finding a celebrant that’s right for you can be one of the hardest decisions you have to make when planning your wedding.  Celebrants offer an intangible service that can’t be held or seen beforehand, unless you have watched someone in action at another wedding that you loved! You can try on dresses, suits, and shoes.  You can thoroughly research photographers’ and videographers’ portfolios online.  You can visit venues, view cakes and flowers and taste menus, but how do you know what celebrant to choose from the vast array out there?

We’ve all been to weddings where the same old verses and generic words are rolled out.  We sit there politely, hoping there will be something exciting in the wedding vows to engage us! Wedding ceremonies can be so much better than this.

Here are my thoughts about refining the process and finding the right celebrant for you:

1.       Ask around.  Recommendations from family, friends and work colleagues can be good and we all do this, especially in a regional city.  Another source is wedding photographers and videographers who have seen many celebrants in action and know the vibe they bring.  Event managers at venues will often have suggestions about celebrants too, but remember that the final choice is always yours. 

2.       Read reviews.  Reviews can be found in many places – Facebook, Google, websites and wedding directories.  How many reviews are there?  Are there recurring themes in reviews that appeal to you?  Do they seem genuine? Are there photos of the ‘reviewers’?

3.       Stalk social media (but never in a creepy way!).  How someone presents themselves on social media tells you a lot about them.  What do they look like when they are working?  How many couples do they marry? What sort of couples do they mostly work with?  Do they have creative ideas?  Do they offer advice and helpful hints about wedding planning?  What do they say on social media?  Pay attention to this last point, as a good celebrant is a writer and a storyteller.  If you like their writing style, chances are you’ll like how they will write your love story.

4.       Look at their website.  This is also an important tip to let you know about how seriously a celebrant takes their role and whether it is their profession or a weekend hobby.  Do they have a modern, professional website that is pleasing to the eye and contains a useful amount of information?  Or is it obviously a home made freebie with not much information or conversely, way too much irrelevant (and boring) information?  An investment in a decent website usually means that the celebrant has more than a passing interest in doing the occasional wedding for a family member once or twice a year. 

5.       Once you have done the preliminary work and narrowed your list down to two or three, call them up for a chat on the phone.  You may decide here that you don’t want to take it any further or that yes, they are the one! One thing that I know about celebrants is that they are all easy to talk to.  Celebrants love meeting new people so chatting is never awkward. 

6.       A face to face meeting is the next step and it is here that you will know who to choose.  If you have done all of the above, the last step is finding someone you both connect with, who listens to you and takes your ideas on board and who you can trust with your wedding ceremony.  If they connect with you, it is likely they will connect with your family and friends too.  Enjoying hanging out together is also important as you spend quite a lot of time in each other’s company taking care of the legals and planning your ceremony together - ceremony planning should be fun!

7.       I can’t stress enough to book your celebrant early (as soon as you have a date) as good celebrants book out quickly in popular months.  You will always be able to find someone to marry you, but you may miss out on the magic that a great celebrant can bring to your day.  I want your ceremony to be a highlight of your wedding for both you and your guests.  In the back of my mind, I always keep a Maya Angelou quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. 

Good luck with your searching! Sue x

Thanks to Wild Romantic Photography for the main image.