I am flexible with the following, it’s really just a guide, we can shift things around as it suits.
This is the process I like to take with you for Your Deluxe Ceremony Package.
For Your Vow Renewal/Your Commitment Ceremony and Your Naming Ceremony Packages, it’s similar, just without the legal bits! And for Your Legals Only Ceremony Package & Your Elopement/Micro Wedding Ceremony Package we change things up and have a few less steps.
1. Fill out this form - The date & location are good places to start. If this is still unknown, just give me a rough idea so I can let you know my availability around your proposed date.
2. No Obligation Catch Up - I will respond to your contact form within 24 hours, therefore, if you haven’t received something from me, your email has gone into the digital abyss, so please shoot me another email directly at info@yourceremonybynicole.com.au. This is when I will let you know if I’m available for your special day and we can set up an obligation-free catch-up, in person or virtually, to see if I’m your celebrant - the glue to your puzzle, the icing on your cake, the partner in your journey!
3. Your decision - Have a good chat with each other after you’ve met me, be sure about me, this is a big deal and if I’m not for you, there is another fab celebrant out there for you. Then secure your date by signing my client service agreement and paying the non-refundable booking fee (30% of the total cost). Once these steps are complete, the date (and me) is yours!
4. The good stuff - I will send you as much or as little info and ideas as you’d like to help you along your journey – loads of suggestions and just a general step by step through the legal requirements and lots of other tips and tricks to help your ceremony reflect you and just be the best-damned ceremony ever!
5. Let’s get together - I like to do this about 3 months out from your big day (obviously can vary depending on how much time we have), let’s get down to the nitty-gritty planning stuff, we’ll also do some of the pre-ceremony legal bits. By the end of this meeting, we’ll all have a really great idea of what your gorgeous ceremony will look like and all of your questions will be answered. We can discuss ideas for your “story” here, that is if you want it spoken about - this is not compulsory! I will give you a questionnaire to fill out if you choose to go down this route. Today we will fill out the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) together, I will site your legal documents (which I will have explained to you previously) and then this will be lodged. The NOIM must be lodged 1 month before your ceremony date and it is valid for 18 months after you’ve lodged it. After today’s meeting, you will need to make a second payment of 30% of the total cost.
6. 10 Weeks to go - Get that filled-out questionnaire back to me by now. Getting it done can be so fun and doing it by this point will give us enough time to go backwards and forwards as needed to get it perfect for you and have you loving it.
7. Create your perfect ceremony - Now I’ve got all of the details, this is where I will work my magic. I will have already well and truly started on your ceremony, but when I get your questionnaire back, I’ll complete it and I will send it to you both and you will have as much input as you like – it’s YOUR ceremony.
8. Final bits and bobs - your vows are all done and sent to me, final payment is made now, music selections, readings etc all finalised – this is all due 1 month before your ceremony.
9. Rehearsal - preferably in the week leading up (or day before) at a similar time to your ceremony so we can check the light, sun position etc. I love this but I know it doesn’t work for everyone, so this can be something we discuss. If we do a rehearsal though, you will fill out one more bit of legal paperwork & if not, you will fill it out on the day, just prior your ceremony.
10. YOUR CEREMONY/HITCHING DAY! - I will arrive a minimum of 30 mins prior to the ceremony time. I will double-check the set-up, mingle with and help welcome your guests, make sure Nan has the best seat in the house and that Uncle Dave hasn’t gone too hard on the pre-ceremony champers. I’ll check in & chat with any of the wedding party already in attendance in the ceremony space. If applicable, I will greet the wedding party member arriving and just make sure you’re breathing and ready to get this amazing moment in your life underway. After you have had the BEST ceremony, we’ve all laughed, cried and signed on the dotted line, I will give your marriage certificate to a very responsible human (to be agreed upon by all of us) and I will exit the location quietly after I have congratulated you and made sure everything is in order. I won’t rush off but I do like to slip out so that you can continue your spectacular day without any fuss from me.
11. You are Married! -All the relevant paperwork will be sorted and lodged with the appropriate authorities and I will order your official marriage certificate, which will be sent directly to you (this is the one you need to change your name/s).