Question 1

What marriage celebrants services does More Than Words Ceremonies offer?

Accepted Answer

My name is Michaela Von der Borch. I believe it is important to feel completely comfortable with the people around you on your wedding day, so am happy to meet with you and your fiance,  with no obligation, to discuss what I could do to help make your ceremony special.

Planning your wedding is an exciting time but it can be daunting. Often, couples don't know where to begin in planning their ceremony, and that is where I come in.Whether you want your wedding to be formal or casual, traditional ...

Question 2

What is More Than Words Ceremonies's pricing?

Accepted Answer

Contact More Than Words Ceremonies directly for current pricing information. They offer customized packages based on your specific wedding requirements and can provide a detailed quote after discussing your needs.

Question 3

How much time is needed before the wedding to get everything done?

Accepted Answer

MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

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As soon as you meet the right one for you! There is a legal requirement to lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) with your celebrant no later than ONE MONTH prior to your wedding date, so that is your absolute cut-off point.

But remember that it is the "people" aspect of your day that you will need to feel comfortable with and have some sort of rapport. So it's important to meet with your celebrant before booking and see if you "click".

Question 4

Any advice on writing my vows to my wife-to-be?

Accepted Answer

MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

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Nathan, the beauty about writing your own vows is that there is no right or wrong! Aside from the one line you are legally required by law to say (your celebrant will advise you on this) you can say anything you feel.

So if you aren't the type of person who is usually mushy and romantic - don't feel that you have to be mushy in your vows. If you want to promise that you won't spend all weekend watching the footy, or that you will buy her flowers at least once a month, that's fine!

Generally I advise my couples to make their vows about them as a couple, whether that is sweet and serious or lighthearted and funny - your vows should reflect who you are.

If you are finding it difficult to begin, sit down together and work out your first line, then go from there. Good luck!!

Nathan Leet

Question 5

what was the best wedding youve ever attended and why?

Accepted Answer

MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

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That's a hard question to answer - each wedding is different and they all have their special points. In general, the best weddings I have been to have been the ones where the couple are relaxed and go with the flow, remembering the big picture of why they are there. They have chosen people that they trust and feel comfortable with for their celebrant, photographer, videographer, dj, etc and they just let those people look after them and do their job.

I find if the couple are relaxed, all their family and friends relax and have a great time too. Which means that everyone looks back on the day as a wonderful time, rather than focussing on little details that may have gone wrong.

Let's face it - when it comes to your wedding day, you are never going to please everyone 100%. So don't try! Make sure you choose what works for you as a couple, plan well and then enjoy the day. xx

Question 6

do you think its important to go with a vendor who is same-sex friendly?

Accepted Answer

If that aligns with your beliefs

MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

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I think the most important thing is to find wedding vendors who you feel comfortable with,  as you will be spending lots of time with them in the lead up to and on your big day.  Whether that means them having the same views as you or not, depends on how you feel.

Having said that, if you are a strong believer in marriage equality, then choosing vendors who also support same-sex marriage is a great way of lending support to the cause in a positive way.

Question 7

Changing identification after marriage?

Accepted Answer

Hi I am just wondering if by-law after marriage if you can take his last name and still keep your maiden name on your ID.

MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

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To put it simply, you can call yourself whatever you like after the wedding day - whether it's your maiden name, married name or hyphenated. However, if you need to prove your identity, the name on your ID is what will be used. So if you are calling yourself something different to what is on your ID, there will be confusion.

I have several brides who have chosen to keep their maiden name for some purposes, and their married name for others. So they have just been selective with which ID they have chosen to change their name on. That way, they have some evidence of both names.

There is no time limit for changing your name, so if you stick with your maiden name to begin with you can always change it down the track.

Hope that helps!

Kayla Browning

Question 8

Have you ever made a mistake in a ceremony? Like saying a name wrong or anything?

Accepted Answer

MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

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No, thank goodness! Having said that, we celebrants are all human and even we can get nervous or tongue-tied at times. So it is normal to have a slip-up with a word or phrase occasionally.  However, I do think it's important to make sure names are correct , and I take great pride in working on the pronunciation of names (which are sometimes a challenge). Nobody wants to be called by the wrong name on their wedding day!!

Carla J

Question 9

When I enquire with a celebrant, what should I be asking them>?

Accepted Answer

MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

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Question 10

Can a Celebrant from NZ legally marry you in Australia?
My partner and I live in Australia but I originate from NZ. I want my pastor to officiate our wedding and wanted to know if we can get married over here in Australia if he is our celebrant?

Accepted Answer

Hi "Anon",

The short answer to your question is No, a wedding in Australia must be officiated over by an authorised Australian celebrant (or clergy member). And likewise, Australian celebrants are not able to conduct legal wedding ceremonies outside of Australia. This is because each country has very different requirements around marriage and the process of becoming a registered celebrant.

However, you could have a registered Australian celebrant work together with your pastor. In such instances, the Australian celebrant would take care of all of the legal requirements, including the paperwork, and your pastor could speak more personally about you and your partner.

Hope this helps. Happy Wedding Planning!

Michaela - More Than Words Ceremonies

— MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

Question 11

When should we be booking a celebrant?
How much time is needed before the wedding to get everything done?

Accepted Answer

As soon as you meet the right one for you! There is a legal requirement to lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) with your celebrant no later than ONE MONTH prior to your wedding date, so that is your absolute cut-off point.

But remember that it is the "people" aspect of your day that you will need to feel comfortable with and have some sort of rapport. So it's important to meet with your celebrant before booking and see if you "click".

Also, keep in mind that celebrants (just like photographers, videographers, and DJ's) can only be in one place at a time. So if you get your heart set on one, but they are already booked, there's not much they can do about it. So if you find the celebrant you feel is right for you, don't wait. Book them now and then relax, knowing they will take care of you and all the legal stuff to make sure you actually end up married! After all, that's what it's all about, isn't it? Happy wedding planning!

— MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

Question 12

How many weddings do you book in per day?
Are celebrants usually doing one per day? or two on some days? How is this possible?! haha

Accepted Answer

That is a very good question. I notice that most celebrants here are stating they would only accept one booking per day, which is reasonable. However, I find that I am getting more requests for morning and evening weddings lately, which is fantastic!  So I find that as long as I have several hours between ceremonies (and the locations make it possible) I can accommodate more than one ceremony in a day.

However, I always ensure that all parties are aware of my other commitments, so that we are all on the same page.  I would never book ceremonies back-to-back unless I am confident that there was enough time to get from one to another (even allowing for extreme delays), as I don't feel it's fair to put couples under that sort of pressure on their big day - or myself!

— MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

Question 13

do you think its important to go with a vendor who is same-sex friendly?
If that aligns with your beliefs

Accepted Answer

I think the most important thing is to find wedding vendors who you feel comfortable with,  as you will be spending lots of time with them in the lead up to and on your big day.  Whether that means them having the same views as you or not, depends on how you feel.

Having said that, if you are a strong believer in marriage equality, then choosing vendors who also support same-sex marriage is a great way of lending support to the cause in a positive way.

— MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

Question 14

Changing identification after marriage?
Hi I am just wondering if by-law after marriage if you can take his last name and still keep your maiden name on your ID.

Accepted Answer

To put it simply, you can call yourself whatever you like after the wedding day - whether it's your maiden name, married name or hyphenated. However, if you need to prove your identity, the name on your ID is what will be used. So if you are calling yourself something different to what is on your ID, there will be confusion.

I have several brides who have chosen to keep their maiden name for some purposes, and their married name for others. So they have just been selective with which ID they have chosen to change their name on. That way, they have some evidence of both names.

There is no time limit for changing your name, so if you stick with your maiden name to begin with you can always change it down the track.

Hope that helps!

Kayla Browning

— MORE THAN WORDS CEREMONIES

More Than Words Ceremonies

How much time is needed before the wedding to get everything done?

Any advice on writing my vows to my wife-to-be?

what was the best wedding youve ever attended and why?

do you think its important to go with a vendor who is same-sex friendly?

Changing identification after marriage?

Have you ever made a mistake in a ceremony? Like saying a name wrong or anything?

When I enquire with a celebrant, what should I be asking them>?

Can a Celebrant from NZ legally marry you in Australia? My partner and I live in Australia but I originate from NZ. I want my pastor to officiate our wedding and wanted to know if we can get married over here in Australia if he is our celebrant?

When should we be booking a celebrant? How much time is needed before the wedding to get everything done?

How many weddings do you book in per day? Are celebrants usually doing one per day? or two on some days? How is this possible?! haha

do you think its important to go with a vendor who is same-sex friendly? If that aligns with your beliefs

Changing identification after marriage? Hi I am just wondering if by-law after marriage if you can take his last name and still keep your maiden name on your ID.

More Than Words Ceremonies

How much time is needed before the wedding to get everything done?

Any advice on writing my vows to my wife-to-be?

what was the best wedding youve ever attended and why?

do you think its important to go with a vendor who is same-sex friendly?

Changing identification after marriage?

Have you ever made a mistake in a ceremony? Like saying a name wrong or anything?

When I enquire with a celebrant, what should I be asking them>?

Can a Celebrant from NZ legally marry you in Australia? My partner and I live in Australia but I originate from NZ. I want my pastor to officiate our wedding and wanted to know if we can get married over here in Australia if he is our celebrant?

When should we be booking a celebrant? How much time is needed before the wedding to get everything done?

How many weddings do you book in per day? Are celebrants usually doing one per day? or two on some days? How is this possible?! haha

do you think its important to go with a vendor who is same-sex friendly? If that aligns with your beliefs

Changing identification after marriage? Hi I am just wondering if by-law after marriage if you can take his last name and still keep your maiden name on your ID.