Congratulations, you’re getting married!! Where do you start with planning?

This is one of the most common questions I get asked. And it's a really good one..... After all, it's not something most people have a chance to do often in their lives, so you probably won't have a lot of experience to fall back on! You'll find an explanation of the legal process and lots of ideas to help on my Wedding info page.
 
​What ever style you choose for your wedding, there are a couple of tasks you need to get sorted first, so that everything else goes smoothly.

Here are the 3 things I recommend you put top of your list-

​1. Secure your venue.
Where do you want to have your ceremony, where do you want to have your reception party, are both spaces available for the date you want?

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2. ​Choose your celebrant.
A civil marriage ceremony allows you lots of choice and  control over the style and feel for your ceremony. Before you choose your celebrant think about what you want for your ceremony.  When you have confidence in your celebrant and you know that your celebrant understands what you want, you can be sure they will help set the “tone” right from the beginning of your special day, by using the words you choose and creating the feel you want.

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​3. Book your photographer.
There is a huge range of talented photographers with varying budgets and unique styles.
​Finding the photographer that you want, on the date you want can be tricky so don’t leave it til the last minute.

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Once you have these 3 things locked in, you can relax :) You know where you’re going, you know you’ll be legally married and you know you’ll have amazing photos recording your special day. Now you can focus on all the other fun stuff- the dress, hair styles, flowers, the suits, the catering, invitations, all those details that make your day special. You might find some help from these wonderful CQ Wedding and Event Vendors listed on my website.

How soon you make your bookings really depends on the date, the day of the week and the time of day you have chosen for your ceremony. If you want to book a celebrant for a peak time of year such as April, May, August, September or October and you want them available on a Saturday afternoon (or even a Friday afternoon) then book early, even 12 months in advance.

You must give your celebrant at least one month’s notice of your intention to marry. This is done by lodging a Notice of Intended Marriage, a document which your celebrant can provide. Your Notice of Intended Marriage will remain valid for 18 months, so you can plan ahead! I am often booked for wedding ceremonies more than 12 months ahead.
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Questions? Give me a call anytime on 0419 394844​

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​Cheers
​Leanne​