Answers To The Most Common Questions I am Asked To Help You Prepare For Your Wedding!
What If I am Not Australian?
No problem! As long as you hold a passport and drivers licence of any country are over 18and are able to give the required minimum of 30 days’ notice to your celebrant and can both understand the documentation and the ceremony, you may marry in Australia. Of course, you must not be married to anyone else even in another country. If you have been married you will need to present a divorce or Death certificate of your previous spouse to prove this.
I am Australian, Which ID Documents Do I Need?
If one or both of you are Australian a passport
or (birth certificate as well as your driver’s licences) is all the identification required. All original documents. Of course, you must not be married to anyone else even in another country if you have been married you will need to present a divorce or Death certificate of your previous spouse to prove this.
I Can’t Find Our Divorce Certificate/s!!
I hear this frequently! Even though passports and Driver’s Licences are usually quickly found within ones’ possessions, divorce orders of previous marriages, for one reason or another, are often harder to locate! “Lost in a house move, such a long time ago, didn’t think I’d ever need it, I threw it on the bonfire, never thought I’d find love again!” are just a selection of the reasons I hear as to why a divorce order cannot be found.
Don’t panic, you should be able to easily retrieve it
using this link if you were married in Australia. Go the category that fits your circumstances and about 2 weeks I believe is the standard time for a replacement to be issued.
How Can I keep My Wedding Budget Reasonable?
© Choose a month that is
outside
the typical
Sunshine Coast Wedding season of March, April, September October
© Choose a Monday to Thursday or a Winter date
© Stay away from school holidays when hoteltransport prices are usually at their highest and the privacy you are seekingon the beach will just not be a reality
© Think carefully if you really
need
any of these: Wedding favours, gifts to each other, ceremony programs, parasols, baskets for shoes, ‘Save the Dates’ bubbles to blow, celebratory newspapers, personalised drink coasters, matching luggage tags, photobooths, wedding artists, wedding piñata, kid’s activities, RSVP cards with the invitations, lolly tables, wishing wells. These are all not truly necessary.
© Have your wedding and reception all in one venue to save on transport
© Style the area yourselves with the help of willing friends
© Friends and family LOVE to be given a job, let them help out with decorating or making the invites
© Have a simpler and shorter style ceremony rather than a longer bespoke one, most celebrants will help you to personalise it with your own vows and readings
© A roving style buffet will usually be more cost effective than a sit-down dinner
© Hiring a luxury holiday home where you can have your ceremony, reception, and honeymoon all in one spot. Hire in caterers to make a lovely evening for you. This is easier and ticks so many boxes as far as a
wet weather option and somewhere beautiful for you stay even for a honeymoon longafter the day is over and the guests have departed
© Source a pre-loved wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses form the many options on the Facebook bride groups
Read how bride Kirstie planned her amazing Sunshine Coast Wedding, which I had the pleasure of officiating, for a fabulously low budget
What Time of Day Should We Marry?
The golden hour of light is considered to be the hour beforesunset which is perfect for photography. Assuming your ceremony will last somewhere between 15 and 25 minutes,plan what you are doing
afterwards
and then work back to setthe time, with your help of photographer and celebrant.
Sunrise weddings are divine although it means an early startif you are having hair and make-up and some suppliers may charge more for toglamorise you at 3am!
According to, professional wedding photographer,
ZAHN , the ‘golden hour’ can be witnessed twice during the day; the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset –but "most golden hour shoots finish about 20 or 30 minutes after sunset" During these times the sun is at its lowest point in the sky, producing a soft, diffused light which is far more flattering than the harsh early afternoon sun that many wedding photographers are used to shooting in. The imagery created during the golden hour can only be described as magical.
What You Need to Do
- Choose a mid-afternoon ceremony, followed by formal family photos and official wedding party photos. After your reception dinner has been served, your photographer can whisk you away before speeches for some romantic and quiet ‘golden hour’ photos, or;
- Choose a late afternoon or early evening ceremony, followed by formal family photos and have your entire official wedding party photos taken during ‘golden hour.’ This warm and soft light will stream in through open windows as you are announced into your reception area.
In both cases, perfect timing is critical as there's only a small window to capture this beautiful golden light at sunset. You'll have an hour before sunset & approximately 20minutes after to capture these photos. You'll need to communicate your desire for a golden hour shoot, so your photographer knows to research the sunset scheduled on your wedding day.
Adapted from an article by Marie Richards and Lydia Martin.
Explore our amazing celebrant/photography options here!
How Do I Apply for Our OfficialMarriage Certificate? (The one I will need to change my name)
As your Sunshine Coast Celebrantwhen you marry in Noosa or on the Sunshine Coast, I will always assist you toobtain/apply for your official marriage certificate and I ask you to hand methe completed application form usually at the rehearsal or before, for which Isupply an easy link. I then mail your application with all your otherdocuments and hey presto, in your mailbox in approximately 2-4 weeks dependingon the workload at the BDM at the time, you will receive your certificate.
You can then commence the processof changing your name and I will give you hints on how to do this as well. Itis a little like changing address and I always advise you to take your timedoing it as each agency has its own procedure.
Hints right here!
Do I Need a Council Permit?
Any ceremony on public land which generally includes all parks and beaches require a Noosa or Sunshine Coast Council permit which can be easily applied for and purchased via a link. The permit does not entitle sole usage of the area but it does guarantee that another EVENT will not be simultaneously taking place and with your permit your location stylist or celebrant, whoever arrives at the location first can kindly advise members of the public who may be picnicking/sunbathing in the spot, that a wedding will be underway shortly.
Permit links can be found on this page
Forests and National Parks have their own departments from whom apermit should be purchased e.g. Noosa National Parks Hells’ Gates, Devil’s Kitchen.
