Karli and Jon were married in September 2015 (yep, they have already celebrated their one year anniversary!) on the beautiful grounds of Joondalup Resort surrounded by their family and friends.

Doing the sound check before the ceremony, it became painfully obvious that the PA system that had been provided for music wasn't working properly, and Karli's sister was looking distraught - she was horrified that she might "ruin the wedding" by playing crackling music. It was rough. Fortunately my brand new (as it was at the time) portable PA system saved the day when we discovered it had bluetooth connectivity! Phew! These are the things that can happen before guests arrive!!

Unaware of any musical dramas, these guys did getting married like champs - they were relaxed and calm, with a focus on the fact they were marrying the one they loved. True partners and best friends, they vowed to always encourage each other and stand by their sides, to never take their love for granted, to not keep score (even if they're winning), to listen, grow, and love each other unconditionally.

It is always such a pleasure to marry couples like Karli and Jon - a true team that focuses on the importance of marrying their best friend, rather than getting caught up in the mayhem that often surrounds weddings. In the end, the key focus of your big day should be your marriage, rather than your wedding. The wedding day passes, memorialised in photographs, but the marriage keeps on going.

Congratulations to Karli and Jon - wishing you both may more years of wedded bliss!

Photos by Pace Photography.

Jessica and Josh's wedding is a particularly special one that will always be incredibly important to me, as it was my very first wedding, and indeed the wedding that prompted me to get registered as a celebrant!
 
Jess and Josh's story goes way back to when they were teenagers living on opposite sides of the world - Jess in England and Josh in Australia. They met by chance when Jess visited friends in Australia, and despite Jess returning to England, their summer love story never ended. 
 
After a long engagement, Jess and Josh realised that their wedding date was creeping near so they had better book things in. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for them, they soon realised that the small number of celebrants in the South West region in which they were getting married were fully booked! 

A colleague of mine in my day job as a lawyer, Jess knew that I was doing a course in marriage celebrancy (and taking my sweet time about it) and asked if I would be registered by the date of their wedding - they needed a celebrant! With that carrot in front of my nose, I quickly finished my course and became a registered celebrant, with time to spare!
 
Jessica and Josh were married at Windows Estate Winery in Yallingup, with an intimate group of their closest friends and family. Set by the lake surrounded by a privacy screen of eucalyptus trees, Jess and Josh exchanged simple vows making the ceremony short but sweet.

​I was invited to enjoy a  glass of bubbly in the dappled sunlight afterwards with the couple and their nearest and dearest, before they headed to their reception area, a gorgeous marquee set with long tables under the supervision of Gem Events Management.
 
Jess and Josh have now been happily married for a year and a half and now have a beautiful baby daughter, Elodie.
 
I wish them a long, happy and healthy life together!

Thank you La Lumiere Photo for the fabulous shots!

Leanne is the first bride I've had that has now been in two of my weddings - she was also the Maid of Honour for her best friend, whose wedding was the first I ever did. Thankfully I must have done an alright job, because Leanne and Fred booked me for their wedding.
 
In the lead up to their wedding, Leanne and Fred must have had a touch of the nerves. Not because they had any doubts about marrying each other - but because their celebrant (me) was laid up in hospital having undergone a lovely bout of Salmonella Poisoning! Thankfully I was discharged from hospital two days before their wedding, meaning I had a day to rest up before heading down south to do their rehearsal the next day. Despite what was no doubt an extremely nervy situation for Leanne and Fred, they handled it like absolute champions, never conveying to me any stress. Of course like any good celebrant I have my back up options that I can call on in an emergency, but thankfully it didn't come to that.
 
Leanne and Fred chose the beautiful Arimia Estate Winery in Yallingup for their ceremony and reception, getting married on a perfect Summer's day surrounded by their family and friends. Although a simple ceremony was on the cards for these lovebirds, we included a minute of silence (rather than a reading) to extend the timing slightly, where family and friends wrote short notes to the couple on their happy day. These notes were collected into a jar and were taken home by Leanne and Fred as sweet reminders of their day to read through later.
 
After the ceremony, I left the bridal party and guests to celebrations, and left my PA system to the mercy of the reception - the hired PA system didn't show up/was lost in a back room, and the hire company had closed up shop for Christmas! Thankfully I always take my portable PA system with me, even when I'm told its not needed, so it was able to be used for speeches and music for the reception.
 
Congratulations again to Leanne and Fred, and all the best for the future - and for the welcoming of bubs next year!

​Photos by the talented Kirsty Russell Photography