Classic Coastal Ceremonies

My Celebrant life involves not only sharing a couples joy in Marriage , it also includes helping those who have lost someone dear to them through ill health, an accident, old age or misadventure.    Unfortunately death brings with it many strong emotions, such as sadness, anger, sometimes guilt, loneliness, etc. As a funeral Celebrant I have chosen to help walk grieving people through this very difficult period, taking the time to understand there personal situation and heartache; and to offer them compassion in there time of need.    I do this so I understand there loss and to ensure we honour their loved ones life with dignity and respect whilst also making sure I have enough information to celebrate their life; who they were, why they are loved and what they achieved.   Through our discussions, there will be tears, and yes there will be laughter as funny stories are recalled. This is a conversation that helps those left behind to grieve and reflect.   Q. Can you choose your own funeral Celebrant?   A. Yes you can.   All you need to do is contact me direct on 0415 335341 or just advise your funeral director that you would like to use my services and they will arrange this for you.  

Traditionally, most Brides choose for their Father to walk them down the aisle and to formally give them away, and if your Father has in fact been a major influence in your life, then that’s the way it should be. It is one of the most special and rewarding moments in a Father’s life.

 But there is no legal requirement for this to be so.

 Due to your own personal circumstances you may wish to have another special person perform this role of walking you down the aisle; Your Mother, Step Father, Brother or Sister, Son or Daughter .

There is also a moment within your ceremony where the Celebrant performs what’s called ‘The asking’ the moment where I would ask ‘Who brings the Bride (By name) to be married to Groom (By name), this can be the same person who walked you down the aisle or in fact you may wish for both yours and your fiancee’s (soon to be husbands) parents to give their combined consent to your marriage.

You may simply be a more mature Bride or a young lady who has already made her way in the world and feel that there is no need to seek anyone’s blessing. The choice is yours.

 Written by

Kenneth Livingstone - Celebrant Classic Coastal Ceremonies www.classiccoastalceremonies.com.au

Your wedding day is such a beautiful occasion where the Bride’s Mother’s involvement can sometimes be restricted to helping with the pre wedding organisation, helping to choose your wedding gown, seat placement and of course her own special dress for your wedding day. The Groom’s Mother can sometimes miss out on a lot of the pre wedding organisation aside from choosing her own special dress, therefore leaving her feeling a little isolated. 

The following suggestions may enable you to involve your Mother’s in the following ways. 

They can be asked to; 

·        Read a special poem or religious prayer.

·        Precede your Bridal Walk with a beautiful candle lighting ceremony.

·        They may be involved in a special remembrance.

·        Have them bring forward your wedding rings.

·        You may choose to have them sign as your witnesses to your marriage. 

The above involvement is a beautiful way to make these two special people in your lives, feel truly special.

Signing Pen

As we all know; photography provides us with many beautiful memories but it is also your attention to detail that makes the photography amazing. Like your beautiful wedding gown, the Bridal Party’s outfits, the gorgeous flowers you hold and the table and chair covering at your reception. These are the accessories that you along with your family and friends will admire when you are married, and looking back upon this special day through the eyes of a camera lense.

A small but very special feature of your wedding day is when you are signing the marriage register and your marriage certificate. Your photographer in most cases is looking for that magic shot as you both sign the documents with your pen in hand. The pen is important so make sure your attention is in the detail.

I am happy to say that I can provide you with a choice of three pens that may suit your taste.

A beautiful white feathered pen on a brass chaise lounge base

Or

A stunning white Swarovski crystal pen on a white stand.

Or

Another copper coloured Swarovski crystal pen on a brass chaise lounge base.

Or

Should these not be to your taste, you may prefer to use a pen of your own that holds special significance.

  Happy Signing

Sunshine ablaze, I spent this afternoon down on the beautiful Brisbane Waters with one of my Bride's to be enjoying a rehearsal. We had a relaxed chat where we discussed expectations, the flow, ran through the bridal walk with the girls in the bridal party and answered questions from my Bride, her girls and the Brides Father. I will have the opportunity to give the boys a run through before the ceremony.

Exciting times ahead for Kobea and Jeff

As the Bride and Groom you need to ask yourselves some very important questions. 

·         Are you nervous about what you need to do on your Wedding Day?

·         Is your Bridal Party nervous about what’s expected of them?

·         Do you need to give consideration to Page Boys and Flower Girls?

·         Is your music long enough to walk you and your Bridesmaids down the aisle?

·        Is the chosen parent who is giving you away, nervous about what’s expected of them? 

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it sounds like you should have a rehearsal to put your mind at rest and remove those nerves you hold or the rehearsal may simply be what you expect to do as part of your whole wedding experience. 

You may be a really chilled out couple who feel confident that your Celebrant is experienced enough to put your minds at ease or you might not be overly phased should something not go exactly to plan. 

When giving consideration to a rehearsal, be sure to check with your Celebrant if the fee quoted includes a rehearsal or that they have quoted an additional rehearsal fee up front. 

From my experience I feel the rehearsal is most beneficial for all involved but having said that I have also performed ceremonies where a rehearsal didn’t take place and all went well. 

The final decision is yours..

Written by Kenneth Livingstone - Celebrant Classic Coastal Ceremonies www.classiccoastalceremonies.com.au

What Music Should You Choose? 

Your music should be a reflection of you as a couple and the sentiments a particular song holds dear to you or the way an instrumental touches your heart. So ask yourselves are you a traditional couple or would you say you are contemporary? 

The Processional is what’s generally known as the Bridal Walk. The Bridal Walk in most instances is one song or instrumental for you (the Bride) and your Bridesmaids to make your way down to the ceremony site but for the longer entrances I have also seen the Bridesmaids walk down to one song or instrumental to then have it faded out and transitioned to another song specifically for the bride. 

Here are just a few popular selections for you to consider. 

Traditional                                                    Contemporary 

Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major                            You and Me by Lifehouse

Mendelssohn’s Wedding March                             Marry Me by Train

Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)           Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - Handel            Marry You by Bruno Mars

         A Thousand Years by The Piano Guys              Your Song by Elton John 

I suggest you choose two pieces of music to play as backing music, for when you are signing the marriage register and your certificate of marriage. 

Here are just a few popular selections for you to consider. 

                                             I Got You by Joe Jackson

                                  From This Moment by Shania Twain

                             How Long Will I Love You by Ellie Goulding

                                         Heaven by Boyce Avenue

                                    First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes

                                        You and I by Michael Buble

                                 Love is in the Air by John Paul Young 

And you also need to choose a final piece of music called the Recessional. This is usually an upbeat piece of music or song that reflects the joyous occasion when your marriage is publicly declared to your family and friends for the first time, when you are formally announced in the eyes of the law as Mr & Mrs. …………. 

Here are just a few popular selections for you to consider. 

                                              Count On Me by Bruno Mars

                                                 I’m Yours by Jason Mraz

                                                   This Old Love by Lior

                                                  Heaven by DJ Sammy

                                    Happy Together by Vitamin String Quartet

                     Sign, Sealed and Delivered by Stevie Wonder 

This is a really wonderful time as you think about your Wedding Day and how your music choices can help set the mood for your ceremony. I am sure as you work through this process you may even shed a few happy tears evoked by the sentiments contained in some of these beautiful songs and instrumentals. 

Written by Kenneth Livingstone - Celebrant Classic Coastal Ceremonies

PA System

It is important to ask if your Celebrant has a PA (Personal Acoustic) system.

If they do, you need to also ask what power it is.This is crucially important especially if you are marrying in a noisy location, on a beach, near a water fountain etc., 

Did you know the No 1 complaint couples receive from their guests after a marriage ceremony is that ‘they couldn't hear what was being said’. How disappointing, your guests have made the effort and travelled in some cases many miles to share this very special moment with you, so it is imperative they hear all of what is being said.Therefore you need to give consideration as to the location of your marriage ceremony, how many guests you are inviting and be confident that the Celebrants sound system will sufficiently handle the surroundings.Sound systems and there power output are measured by watts, 50 watts, 100 watts etc.

Be sure to ask what sound system your Celebrant has.

One of the biggest gambles a Bride and Groom can take is to not have a backup ceremony location on standby in case it rains.As your Celebrant I will always try to perform your ceremony at your primary location but for those of us who live on the coast, we know the weather is not always full of sunshine, in fact it does rain quite regularly. I have performed ceremonies where the Groom optimistically says; it’s not going to rain and in most cases that’s true but it is very naïve to think it never does and that it never will rain because that’s not correct.Your primary concern should be you ‘The Bride & Groom’ and of course your guests because you don’t want to end up like a pair of drowned rats on your wedding day but for each of the service providers you have booked, Videographer, Photographer, Musicians etc. they have quite expensive gear on them; camera’s and musical instruments whilst in my case I have a PA system to consider.I truly hope the sun will shine on your Wedding Day, but it’s always best to be prepared.