WEDDING CEREMONY RESOURCES
Thank you for choosing me as your celebrant. I look forward to collaborating with you both to create a ceremony that is uniquely yours.
The steps we need to take are provided below. I will be guiding you through each step and have outlined them here to give you an overview of what happens.
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The documents supplied are your reference and I will have all of the required documents printed in your Client Folder for our meeting together.
Next Steps
Step 1
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Face-to-face
meeting
At our first meeting we will sign the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) along with the Service Agreement. I will need to sight identification that provides evidence of your date of birth and place of birth. This could include your birth certificate and licence (for photo ID) or your passport.
In your Client Folder that I will give you, there are with some documents that I am required to by law to provide to you such as the Happy Before and After government pamphlet, the Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants, and information about Relationship Education.
Once we have covered the legal requirements, we will talk about the process and the kind ceremony you want on both a practical and emotional level. Part of our conversation will be about you as a couple and your story. This gives me the opportunity to get to know a part of your journey for inclusion in the ceremony.
Step 2
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Draft the
Ceremony
Step 2
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Draft the Ceremony
Following our initial meeting, a draft bespoke ceremony is written and emailed to you for review. You are then able to look over the ceremony and make any changes you like.
At this point it’s time to consider your readings, music and wedding vows. I encourage you both to write your own vows and if you need, I can provide a few pointers as to how to write them. I strongly suggest that you do not show each other prior to the ceremony and send to me separately for inclusion in the final ceremony. I will have a copy of your vows on a card ready for you to read from on the day of your ceremony.
Step 3
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Finalise the Ceremony
Once I have received feedback from you, I will make any suggested changes to the ceremony and the selected readings and music will be included.
The final version will then be emailed to you without your vows as these will be included in the printed ceremony booklet I provide for you on the day.
Step 4
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Ceremony Rehearsal
It is ideal that a rehearsal in some form is held. It provides a great opportunity to review the venue and think about any practicalities prior to the ceremony. If a rehearsal cannot be arranged, we will find other ways around it to make sure everyone knows what they are meant to be doing.
At this point in time we will sign the Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage. This is another legal requirement that must be completed as close to the ceremony as possible. In the event the rehearsal is not held, we will make other arrangements to get it signed prior to the ceremony.
Step 5
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Your
Ceremony
On the day of the ceremony, I will arrive at the venue at least an hour prior to so I can do any required set up and be around to provide support.
Following the ceremony, you will be provided with a Marriage Certificate to keep as a momentum of the occasion. I also provide a copy of your ceremony in an A5 booklet.
Step 6
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Register your Marriage
Following your ceremony, I will lodge the required paperwork to Births, Deaths and Marriage Office (BDM). This is the final step in legalising your marriage.
Once it has been registered with the BDM you are able to apply for the Official Marriage Certificate that is used for all legal purposes or I can arrange this to occur at the time of registering your marriage. The BDM charges for this service and I can provide you with costings.