This is a great reading for a ceremony - not too long but with a lot of heartfelt sentiment!

Blessing For A Marriage, by James Dillet Freeman

May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance and understanding. May you always need one another - not so much to fill up your emptiness to to help you know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete. The valley does not make the mountain less, but more. And the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you. May you need one another but not out of weakness. May you want each other but not out of lack. May you entice one another, but not compel one another. May you embrace one another but not encircle one another. May you succeed in all important ways with one another and not fail in the little graces,. May you look for things to praise, often say I love you and take no notice of small faults. If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have the good sense to take the first step back. May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - not more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities. May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another.

The venue is usually the first thing to be booked on the wedding day and it is of critical importance, especially if you are having the ceremony, canapes and reception all in one place. Here are a few very important questions to ask your venue before booking the date.

Pricing - Most venues will have a hireage cost and then another cost for the menu and another cost for the bar. The bar spend is dependant on a lot of factors so explain what you are planning to do or your estimated budget and see if this lines up with the average spend. Be sure to check that all pricing includes GST - this is 15% which can have a huge impact on your budget if not allowed for. Also ask the venue if there are any other costs that you should know about.

Contract - Before you confirm the date or make the deposit, ask for a copy of the venues contract to look over, you should not have to commit to a date before checking this out. This will let you know any deposit requirements, cancellation policies, sound restrictions and much more.

Closing time - It is really important to know when closing time is and also as above if there are any sound restrictions, there is no point booking a band at great expense if the venue must be quiet by 9pm.

Seasonal Changes

IF you are visiting the venue at a different time of year than when you plan to marry, ask your venue what the grounds are like at that time of year and ask to see some photos if possible.

Wet Weather Options

We all want the sun to shine on the big day but it is important to hope for the best and plan for the worst. Make sure you talk to your venue about how wet weather might affect your setup and which alternate spaces are available.

Services - Most venues form strong relationships with local suppliers so they can be a great resource. Make sure to ask your venue which other local suppliers and services they can recommend.

Rehearsal, Setup and Packdown

Make sure you find out what time you can have your ceremony rehearsal, as well as finding out what time you can pack in and when everything needs to be picked up by so you know you have enough time to get everything setup just the way you’d like.

Most of all pay attention to the way your vendor treats you, do they seem genuinely interested in your plans? If you find the venue’s reception lukewarm I highly suggest you look elsewhere - if they aren’t looking after you before you book the service isn’t likely to improve once you have.

Good Luck! I hope these tips help you book your dream wedding venue!

Most brides put a lot of effort into how they are going to look on their wedding day. With all your nearest and dearest attending and with a photographer hired, looking your best is very important. There are many elements in putting together your bridal look. Once you've chosen your dress and shoes, had your hair and makeup trial and chosen your wedding day jewelry you will have a fairly good idea of how your whole look is going to come together.

After years of being a wedding planner I am always amazed to see how my brides transform on their wedding day. It isn't the shoes or the dress, or the hair and makeup that cause this complete transformation but another more intangible quality - Joy. The joy that is within reflects out adding an extra sparkle to the eyes and a special radiance to the brides countenance. It is a kind of radiance that makes you look twice and has nothing to do with your size or your complexion. Joy makes the most beautiful bride. That is a guarantee.

One of the biggest privileges in being a celebrant is being part of the happiest day in someones life. The emotion on the day is like nothing else. So whatever happens, make sure you enjoy every second of your day. Let the joy of the day overwhelm you, you won't regret it.

A ring warming ceremony is a fantastic opportunity to involve your guests in the wedding ceremony. With this ritual the rings are placed in a special box or dish and passed around the guests during the ceremony. Every guest has the opportunity to hold the rings and make a wish for the happy couple sending their love and best wishes for the future.

This is usually included towards the beginning of the ceremony so the rings have the chance to make their way through the guests. The best man can then retrieve the rings from the when we come to the giving and receiving of rings. The wording I use is something like this -

Today the bride and groom will exchange rings as a symbol of their love. As we start the ceremony please warm these rings by passing them down the row. As you hold them in your hands, pause for a moment, and make your wishes for the couple and for their future together before you pass them on. These rings will not only be a gift from one to another but will be given with the love, support and wisdom of their family and friends.

This simple ceremony is perfect for couples who want to keep the ceremony short and simple but want the opportunity to include their guests in the ceremony. It certainly brings an extra level of emotion to the day and it is one of my favorite symbolic elements to include in a ceremony. you can also get creative with how you present your rings for passing around, place them in a special box or dish or simply tie them together with a simple piece of ribbon.

Images - http://withtheseringshandmade.com/

I find planning the timeline of the wedding day is one of the most common things that couples ask me about. They have an idea of what time they might like to have the ceremony, eat dinner or start the dancing, but they don’t know how much time other parts of the day will take. So I have prepared a wedding day guideline which gives a good overview of the day’s activities and timing. This is a standard timeline, you may be doing things differently but it is a great starting point for planning timing on the day.

Hair and Makeup 3.5- 4.5 hours

For most makeup looks and styles it will take about 45mins to an hour for to complete one person’s look. So for the bride and three bridesmaids it should take about 3.5 - 4.5 hours. Make sure you check with your stylists for timing, they know exactly how long it will take to create the look you want.

Getting Dressed 30mins

Don’t forget time for getting everyone dressed and organised.

Photos before leaving for the ceremony 30mins

It take a while to get all of those detail shots and pics with Mum and Dad. Make sure you don’t have to rush this special family time.

Transport Time TBC

Don’t forget time to make it to the venue, if you have hired a nice car with Champagne you won’t want to rush this part!

Pre - Ceremony

The Groom’s party should arrive at least 30 minutes early to greet guests as they arrive. The Bride and bridesmaids should be about 5-10 minutes late, just so no late guests are walking up the aisle after you.

Ceremony 30-40mins(includes greeting guests afterwards)

An average ceremony will last between 20-25 minutes including the ceremony. After this there will be another 10-15 minutes of mingling with guests.

Group Photos 30 mins

These usually take about 30 minutes, start with your biggest group first and work down to the smaller groups this makes it easier to keep everything flowing smoothly.

Transport time (TBC)

Make sure you take this into account if you are going offsite for photos. Remember to count getting there and getting back and any possible traffic.

Portrait Shoot 1-1.5 hours

Your photographer can advise exactly how long your shoot will be, but most shoots are about this long.

Introduction and Arrival at Reception 10-15 mins

This includes the MC’s intro, bridal party entrance and saying grace for the meal (if this is something you wish to do) You can also cut the cake at this time if you photographer will not be staying for the reception.

Dinner 1.5- 2 hours

A buffet dinner will take about 1.5 hours and a set menu will take about 2 hours. A set menu is longer because it features an entree course. This is based on an average size reception of 80-100 guests. If you have more or less guests this can affect how long the dinner will take so check with your venue/caterers.

Speeches 30-45 mins

To work about the timing for speeches calculate how many minutes you are allowing for speeches and how many speakers you have. About six is usual one from the Bride’s parents one from the Groom’s parents, the best man, maid of honour and the Bride and Groom. A good timing for the speeches is after dinner and before dessert.

Dance Party 2-3 hours

Once speeches and dinner are finished you are on to the informal part of the night start with your first dance and make sure the DJ follows up with a good solid dance track that everyone knows to get the floor filler right from the start and enjoy your party!

So now lets see how this might work for a 4pm wedding with a buffet dinner and photos onsite at the venue.

Sample Timeline

9.00 Champagne Breakfast (Optional, my recommended way to start the day)

10.00 Start hair and makeup.

12.00 Don’t forget to eat something. (sandwiches are easy to eat while getting ready.)

2:30 Getting dressed and getting those little detail photos.

3.00 Photos at home with parents and bridesmaids.

3:30 Travel to Ceremony

4.00 Ceremony

4.10 Bride Arrives

4:30 Meet and Greet Guests (Hug Time)

4.45 Group photos

5.15 Portrait Shoot

6.45 MC Intro and Entrance

7.00 Dinner Served

8.00 Speeches

8.30 Dessert

9.00 First Dance and Party

11-1200 Guests start leaving venue.

I hope this helps get the timeline under control!

Having worked on over 300 hundred weddings i can tell you that most wedding day blips can be easily prevented, here are 7 of my top tips for making sure your wedding day runs smoothly.

Have a fall girl (or guy). Choose a friend or family member or hire someone to cover the big day. Make sure they have all your suppliers names, contact numbers, and payments made so they can sort any issues without worrying you.Research your day. Check the tide, sunset time, and usual weather and check for big events that may book out suppliers and accommodation.Book it in. Google calendar is your friend, book your appointments with alerts so you know you won’t forget the dress fitting or cake tasting.Double check your bookings. Don’t leave anything to chance, re-check delivery times, addresses, and order details with all suppliers two weeks out from the wedding.Shop local. That way help will be close at hand if you need it and delicate items like flowers and cakes will look fresh.Meet your photographer, celebrant and venue liaison in person. It is so important to have key people who can put you at ease on the day.Relax and enjoy your day. Everyone is there with love and support for you both. It’s Murphy’s law that something will go wrong, don’t let it get to you, and you will have the best day of your life.

Writing your own vows can be overwhelming, the best place to start is to read lots of different vows. You can find heaps of examples on Pinterest and Google. As a celebrant, I also provide couples with sample vows. You don’t have to start from scratch, borrow your favorite lines and remix them. Or use an inspiring line to get started then write the rest yourself. Think about including these three things in your vows, what you love about your partner, the promises you are making them, and how you see your future together. It’s ok to be funny, a lighthearted line or two adds some laughter and personality, just make sure to end on a heartfelt note. Keep it short and sweet, this will help relieve the nerves and give more weight to your words. If you have other things you would like to be said this can be incorporated into the rest of the ceremony. On the day focus on your partner and make eye contact, don’t forget to breathe and take a moment to feel the love.