wedding_vows – Dr Affie Adagio

Wedding to remember

I have often said that when a couple gets married that event needs to be a wedding to remember because it becomes a part of a lifetime memory. It doesn’t have to be a big wedding if the couple doesn’t want it to be and neither does it have to be expensive. Nevertheless there are circumstances where it is so moving to make it as traditional as possible. Here I give and example of how a wedding can be made just that.

Joe contacted me from overseas and
asked me to conduct his wedding
so after the formal arrangements
they also wanted to hire a gown and suit
and to have a photographer present
as well as a bouquet of flowers
for the bride
they were going to be here for a few days
then off to a fun honeymoon and back home
where they would have a reception
they came from a country where legal weddings
are not possible for various reasons
and in this way they will have the wedding and
the celebration making it a
wedding to remember their whole life

Wedding rings, photo by Dhiego Andrade, Pirapora, Brazil

Magic of fantasy

Weddings come about at the moment when lovers reach a peak in the love they have for each other and want to celebrate that feeling. It’s the magic of fantasy that results in being with the one you love and planning the celebration of a lifetime which when done efficiently remains a beautiful memory. It is important when planning this event that your every consideration is given to how you will feel when you remember the occasion later, so avoid arguments and holding grudges. Then when you look back on that memorable day it will maintain the magic of fantasy.

Valerie and Robert wanted their marriage ceremony
to be something as special as the feeling they
have for each other
so they chose a lovely park which had
several different gardens where
performances took place
Japanese musicians in one garden
children reading poetry in another
whilst a choir sang in a third
finally I conducted the official ceremony
in the last garden as the guests held
small burning candles
it was indeed the magic of fantasy

Magic lamp, photo by Asif Akbar, Mumbai, India, www.commonsenseindia.com

Simple but sentimental ceremony

Getting married is important and there are those who want a simple but sentimental ceremony for their special day. The basic requirements need to be observed which are: who would you like to have present; where do you want this to take place; what are you going to wear; are you having a meal afterwards; and most importantly have you taken care of making an appointment with a celebrant to prepare a Notice of Intended Marriage at least 1 month and 1 day before the event – see the wedding ceremony checklist on this site.

Jessica and Harry are getting married soon
so they brought their papers for me to sight
and we spent a short time discussing what
sort of celebration they envisaged
it was to be at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair
with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House
in the background as they stood underneath
a huge Oak tree – a popular choice
I could see the excitement in their eyes
perhaps the lack of stress added to it being
a simple but sentimental ceremony

Wedding-ring 5, photo by Miroslav Sári?ka, Prievidza, Slovakia, http://ms-webdesign.sk

Botanic Gardens weddings

Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair in the Royal Botanic Gardens is a popular choice for weddings. Such beauty and romance magically touches a wedding. A picture to see under the huge trees with the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background, on glistening harbour waters. A sight to remember, as can be seen in the photo in the celebrant section on this site.Other bridal parties have their ceremonies elsewhere and go there to have the wedding photos in the beautiful surroundings with its ambiance.

they met on a business trip to her country
and it was like being zapped by a bolt of lightening
for many years they lived happily together, then one day
they decided it was time to celebrate their happiness
when they saw the wedding photo with the
Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge
they were convinced that this was the ideal spot
a Botanic Gardens wedding meant romantic memories
both for the wedding party and for those living overseas
who could not travel to Sydney for the celebration

Wedding ceremony

On your special day, you choose the wedding ceremony according to your taste. A romantic ceremony in a park, on a beach, at a reception house, in your backyard, even at the Opera House on the steps. Another exciting part of having a celebrant formalise your marriage is that you choose whether it is a long script or one that is short and sweet. This choice enables you to create the ceremony that has meaning for both of you. Check the celebrant category on this site and get some ideas about what to choose.

the bride and groom wore black
and so did the guests
the marriage took place on the
wharf at the Opera House
they chose the short version
the sun was shining and a cool breeze
gently ruffled everyone’s clothes
then in the middle of the romantic ceremony
helicopters buzzed above, in formation
their mates on the FX team had organised that
and everyone waved at the sky
a day to remember that was

Getting married

Nowadays people have happy relationships without getting married. However, quite often such happy people make a decision to get married because they feel it would enhance their relationship. This can be a smooth uncomplicated process to organise if they work together and if they have similar tastes. The bride usually knows what sort of rings will please her, after all she will be wearing that jewellery every day of her life. So it is wise to have her be a part of the shopping exercise for both her engagement and wedding rings.

they came to me so I would conduct their wedding
my role was fairly simple once we completed the
legal Notice of Intended Marriage form
they needed help with organising the ceremony
as celebrants are not permitted to be wedding planners
the best I could do was give them examples of weddings
which I had experienced previously and this meant
that they had many choices to make from other
peoples ideas and experiences

Pure Gold, photo by Sanja Gjenero, Zagreb, Croatia, getting married

Notice of Intended Marriage

It is important to remember that when you plan to get married, you need to make a Notice of Intended Marriage application which is witnessed by your Marriage Celebrant (or an authorised official) no later than 1 month and 1 day before the intended marriage date. The celebrant will also need to view your birth certificates and divorce documents (if applicable). If you’re born overseas, a passport and statutory declaration can be accepted if you don’t have a birth certificate. There is no chance that the celebrant can shorten the period to less than the 1 month and 1 day which is required by law. However, the celebrant can write a letter explaining your circumstances which you both could take to your local court for approval of shortening of time. This approval is not easily gained, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Both parties need to be applying before the minimum required time, so be prepared.

she phoned me 2 weeks before New Year’s Eve
and asked me to conduct their wedding at midnight
what’s more she wanted it to be a surprise for him
she assured me that he always wanted them to marry
and all their friends could confirm it, if necessary
I refused saying that it was outside the minimum time
and that both parties needed to sign the
Notice of Intended Marriage before that period
she was angry about my response but
celebrants have no choice in this matter

Devil woman

How often have we heard “the devil made me do it”? In actual fact we make choices and sometimes we regret these choices and find it necessary to blame others in order to save face. This is especially the case when the consequences are not wanted. No one can make us feel anything we don’t want to – we allow them to make us feel in a certain way.

he had cheated before but convinced his wife that
it wouldn’t happen again and she believed him
then one day he disappeared with his best friend’s wife
she suffered for two weeks not knowing where he was
then he came back and professed his love for her
insisting that he did not love the other woman
but that she had thrown herself at him and
eventually he weakened and gave into her spell
the devil woman made him do it
that was the line that convinced his wife
it was impossible for them to
have a happy life together so she ended it
to this day he cries over being dumped by her
and his friends actually feel sorry for him!

Pets at your wedding

Pets are part of the family in many cases. So at one of the most important ceremonies of your life it can be vital to have your pet present. When you have a civil marriage ceremony that is possible. You not only choose the type of ceremony you will have, the place it will take place but also having your pet with you as part of that special day with the people you love most.

they had been living together for several years
and now it was time to celebrate their union
with a wedding ceremony which included
family, close friends and their pet who
was like family to them
it was such a rich day because
they could have their celebration
exactly how they wanted and
in their favourite park
with their loved ones sharing it
especially with their loved pet

Marriage dog, photo by Michael Ruck, Bonn Germany

Syron bush wedding

Choosing the place to celebrate a marriage is possible when you have a celebrant flexible enough to go wherever you want. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve conducted weddings in the most interesting places – in Sydney on land, on a beach, on the harbour and out in the country, in the bush. The place needs to have meaning for the marriage to be memorable for you. It need not be difficult nor expensive for the location of choice. Then again, sometimes, it does involve a bit of organising and expense, depending on your needs.

SBS showed the Syron bush wedding
which took place at Wilcannia
where originally Elaine Kitchener and Gordon Syron
had discovered their love and where they had
their bush wedding in November 2004
they flew me to Broken Hill and
after a 2 hour drive I joined them
and finally planned their ceremony
which took place on the banks of the Darling River
where the bride carried a bouquet of
Australian wild flowers and they
exchanged their vows that were
based on his Aboriginal culture
and her Jewish custom of
the groom stomping on a glass
wrapped in a hanky on the ground
the weather was perfect
and nature’s playground
was breathtaking