Anita Revel, Celebrant

01/05/2024

So thrilled with Cheryl’s capture of her first wedding!

14/04/2024

Kudos to Bluey creators for showing the Celebrant getting out of the “first kiss” shot!! Such an important detail in the ceremony.

04/03/2024

Courtesy PSA: Today, 4 March, is your last day to book your 4 April wedding in a forest in the Margaret River region...

Want a gorgeous micro-wedding at a fraction of the cost? Introducing the… Big Love Wedding Day Margaret River 4 / 4 / 24. This Pop-Up Big Love Wedding Day is designed for couples who want a pop-up …

28/11/2023

oh oh a dream come true -- featured on Polka Dot Wedding

A sweet and intimate winery wedding complete with a mobile white wedding chapel! This is how Shayne and Blake tied the knot in Margaret River style.

14/11/2023

Goofy smiles for days 😅

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08/10/2023

I’m not Greek, but I’m loving this word. MERAKI in Greek means “Doing something with a sense of PRIDE and CARE”.

Usage examples:

1. This handmade gift was made by me with meraki.

2. I made your birthday cake with meraki.

3. I wrote and conducted your marriage ceremony with so much meraki I cried with joy.

Beautiful, bespoke ceremonies are included in my full-service weddings. Get some meraki on your wedding day and make your ceremony one to talk about forever 🥰

25/09/2023

Favourite wedding dress in a movie? - I’ll start. Julia Roberts as Shelbie in Steel Magnolias.

(I may be biased given that I LOVE this movie 😅)

12/09/2023

When Alex and Amanda decided to have their wedding Margaret River, they wanted something small yet spectacular… So, they exchanged vows at the top of the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse in Augusta.

And why not?! With its panoramic 360 degree view of the Indian and Southern Oceans colliding, the area is nothing short of spectacular — in fact, it was included in the world’s “Top 10 Ocean Views” by National Geographic (2014).

The couple’s vows were witnessed by the lighthouse keeper, Paul Sofilas, and my husband, who also became the spontaneous photographer for the occasion.

The couple’s son was also in attendance, but their little puppy had to wait downstairs (outside) for the duration of the ceremony. Poor little thing! ;-P

(But then again, waiting outside did save him from climbing 176 steps to the top! LOL)

Due to the windy conditions at the top of the lighthouse that day, it was unanimously decided to sign the certificates inside, on the topmost landing, upon a 130-year-old benchtop.

It was a bit squeezy, but it added to their unique wedding story.

As mentioned by the article in National Geographic (Top 10 Ocean Views), the lighthouse is worth visiting year round.

In summer, you can enjoy views of endless water; in winter, you feel the full force of the oceans crashing against the cape.

Alex and Amanda booked a personal es**rt by the lighthouse keeper after opening hours. This way, they had the whole place to themselves for their ceremony and for viewing the spectacular sunset on this, their special wedding day.

The first photo was taken yesterday, (2023), when I ran into Paul during a famil with other Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association members. The second, a candid moment post-ceremony at the top of the lighthouse, (2014). A very cool memory 🥰🥰🥰

23/08/2023

TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR CELEBRANT

Frankly speaking, without a Celebrant, you don’t have a wedding. To ensure you can legally wed on the day you want, put your Celebrant at the top of your “to do” list! Here are some tips for choosing the right Celebrant for your big (or little!) day.

AVAILABILITY

Popular Celebrants are booked up to 18 months in advance, so make sure you book your preferred Celebrant early — they will need to know your ceremony location, the date, and the TIME of your ceremony. (Yes, we can do more than one wedding per day, especially in peak seasons.) The earlier you book, the more peace of mind you’ll have that a major element has been checked off your list.

VIBE

The Celebrant is charged with the most important job of all — to legally unite you in marriage. But each and every Celebrant offers a unique “tone and manner” for how they do this. So while Celebrants all have the “same” job, we all do it differently. Decide early on what kind of vibe you’re wanting for your ceremony — Light-hearted or formal? Funny or sentimental (or both?!)? Quick or full of story-telling? Just get-it-done or personalised? Aesthetic and looks has priority over words and feels? Inclusive or conservative? Sooo many choices! Scroll through IG feeds until you find someone who strikes a chord, and you’re off to a good start.

BUDGET

Celebrant fees are based on experience and level of performance. If the Celebrant you approach is out of your budget, try having a conversation to see how you could meet in the middle. Or ask for recommendations for someone more in line with your budget. For example, if you ask for help, they’ll find you a list of Celebrants meeting your criteria.

EASE

How easy do you want the paperwork to be? How about the experience of creating your personalised ceremony? Questions to ask your Celebrant include: Do you have a planning kit? What’s included in your fee? (Travel, mic & amp, etc). How many times do we meet before our day? Can you help me write my own vows?

Save this for later and tag any of your engaged friends who need some help. And before you ask, my answers to each of these tips are in the comments 🥰

04/08/2023

Christopher Walkin cracks me up. Since making this meme, “I don’t want to” has been my catch phrase and now my family is sick of going hungry at dinner time. 😝

Seriously though, Regarding emceeing post ceremony… After 15 years, *ceremony* is still my true love. It’s an honour to create families; and this might sound brutal, but I don’t want to dilute that sacred privilege with other tasks. Sorry! (Happy to recommend others who can emcee for you though??)

Signing off, Anita, staying in my lane, staying in my magic 🥰

23/07/2023

Ouch!!

18/07/2023

50 years ago, the first Celebrant was appointed in Australia. I’ve only been a Celebrant 15 of these 50 years, but have witnessed changes sweep through the industry like breaths of fresh air.

I was authorised just days before the Attorney General lifted the cap on the number of Celebrants in Australia (after sitting on the waitlist for two years!) This opened the floodgates to new ideas, creative styles of ceremony, and more choice for couples.

The highlight, for me, being the legalisation same s*x marriage. That it took so long frustrated me (and I’m still seething about the referendum), but being a part of this more inclusive landscape lets me feel we are getting some things right.

Then we had modernisation of our rules during the *cough-cough* time that allows us to witness NOIMs via FaceTime/zoom/etc, that are still in effect today. We are campaigning the Attorney General to make this practice standard. Cross fingers for us and all future couples that we succeed!

And I’m loving seeing so many young Celebrants enter the scene. For every pot there is a lid, and these young ‘uns are filling a niche only they can.

Viva la celebrancy in Australia! May we ever evolve and elevate 🙂

Image via Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants

17/06/2023

Be warned: I’m absolutely going to do this, at my next big wedding 🤭😅

05/05/2023

I was literally discussing this with a bride-to-be this morning, then this meme turns up in my feed.

Is it a topic more common than I realised, or are “ears” getting bigger?

04/05/2023

How gorgeous is this ink? Also, this pose has some serious Klimt vibes going on. Your thoughts??

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29/04/2023

Did not see this one coming 😅

24/04/2023

I’d been following mainly because they are such a joy to live vicariously through. Who doesn’t love hashtag van life, right? Especially such a wholesome family feed such as theirs.

Then, oh wondrous plot twist: I read a post of Bohanna introducing herself, and realised why they felt so familiar… Turns out, I married Bo and Tye almost 10 years ago.

My heart exploded. Here I was following a random couple because I liked their vibe, only to realise, they are my vibe because they are my tribe!

Their wedding ceremony is still so fresh in my memory. It was one of my first ceremonies where rules were broken. The couple had a clear idea of what they wanted their ceremony to look and feel like, and that’s exactly what we went ahead and did.

Their relaxed and grounded approach took me on a new direction in my own work — I realised ceremonies don’t have to be formal or weighty to be valid. They can be stripped of solemn formality, and instead be pure, authentic expression of a couple’s commitment to one another.

They married under a tree by the dam at an old homestead, with hand-made hearts strung up as bunting, and witnessed by only their closest family and friends. The pared back simplicity served to amplify their beautiful selves, and it was stunning.

If authenticity is knowing who you are, and being brave enough to live it, Bo and Tye are the poster-children. They are just sitting on the corner of Awesome and Bomdiggity, absolutely owning it, and I’m totally here for it.

I was humbled to be chosen as their Celebrant, and am grateful to be led back to them via such a weird-yet-wonderful way. It’s proof, that the couples I attract are simply, meant to be part of my world!

Who else is one of my couples, reading this, that I’m not following? Please let me know — I do love hearing about your adventures!

With love,
Anita

29/03/2023

So I was giving a couple directions to this secluded little spot by the river, then remembered I had some footage of it, so quickly made a really cute Reel, and I can’t help but loving this very happy memory!

01/03/2023

Five years ago: I was the Celebrant for my son and his wife. Looking back, I think I was out of body for that ceremony. Let me explain…

Seeing my baby commit his undying devotion to Marta; I had to rise above the heart swell (tidal wave!) of emotion, and perform the ceremony through to completion. I remember wanting to sob (with happiness 😅), at one point. Thank all that is good and holy for my years of professional training that I could keep the ceremony flowing smoothly!

I think it was this hug that let me take off my Celebrant face, and step in to my “proud mother” space. I came back in to my body and breathed a massive sigh of relief that I’d just conducted one of the most challenging ceremonies of my life. I released my pent-up joy and anxiety and every emotion in-between in this hug, and it was one of the best hugs of my life.

Something else I remember: Straight after the ceremony, I picked up my ukulele and attempted to play the exit song along with my son’s mate on guitar. Far out I fumbled so badly through that song. I still laugh at his mate’s face when we played the last chord. “Well, phew, we stumbled through that OK”, he said, sweat dripping from his brow. But what he meant was, HE got through the song, despite ol’ Anita behind him playing out of rhythm and even the wrong part of the song at one point. Eff me that was funny. Elliot, if you’re listening, I’m sorry. You are amazing 🤩

(Goes to show, even the stuff-ups can become a great part of the story 🤪😅).

Another thing from that day: I found a new thousand-fold deep respect for the mothers and fathers of brides and grooms, watching their own babies make lifelong promises, and take their first steps into the next stage of their lives, with faith, with absolute trust, and with new next-of-kins to have their backs forever more.

Thanks for listening. I’m clearly reliving and riding the emotional wave from that day 🤣🥰

With love, Anita (Mum!)

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23/02/2023

Can’t get this song out of my head… Also, how ROMANTIC is this venue in Margaret River???

06/02/2023

So I've just posted "5 phrases about love that annoy me", to my blog.

It's bound to cause some controversy, so I'll post the link in the comments if you'd like to argue with me ;-)

03/02/2023

Would anyone be keen on having Elvis at your pop-up wedding at Hay Shed Hill on 27 September? I have a couple who'd like to cost-share Elvis' travel expenses...

02/02/2023

It’s a bit of a shock to realise I’m into my 15th year of being a Celebrant. Goes to show, when you’re doing something you love, you don’t feel like you’re going to work. Once again, this season did not disappoint, and I experienced all new levels of loved-upness and unique ceremonies. Read on to ride these wedding tales with me 🙂

It’s a bit of a shock to realise I’m into my 15th year of being a Celebrant. Goes to show, when you’re doing something you love, you don’t feel like you’re going to wo…

29/01/2023

✅ dress from the local surf shop
✅ flowers from the garden
✅ barefoot on the beach
✅ smiles EVERYWHERE
🟰 ceremony goals: ACHIEVED

What is on your “ceremony goals” checklist? Your must-haves? Do you have must-nots??? eg “must not be formal or stuffy”??

21/11/2022

Bookings for the last pop-up wedding this year, close TODAY. Book today at you can get married 21 December at Rustico at Hay Shed Hill - Margaret River

Wanna spend this Xmas as a married couple? This pop-up wedding event is for you… Xmas Wedding @ Hay Shed Hill, Margaret River in Big Love Tiny Chapel. This Pop-Up Wedding Day is designed for …

11/11/2022

Which is why, when remembering someone in a wedding ceremony, I am able to smile when I say their name... Hopefully this helps you today, if you are experiencing grief. xxA

30/10/2022

“Many people here will remember their own wedding day, and how fleeting it was. So we’re going to slow down a bit now, and take pause to soak up the moment, right now and right here.

Look now into each others’ eyes: gently, easily, and softly. Think about the happiness that you’re feeling in this place, in this moment. Really let that feeling register in your heart, your mind, and in every cell of your body.

Now, promise yourselves that you will remember this feeling. During your marriage, draw strength from it during tough times, and let it nourish you even more in times of joy.” ~ Anita Revel

Excerpt from my “In The Moment” ceremony script, and perfect for Matt and Alicia :-)))

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15/09/2022

I feel so seen 💕🥂📸💒❤️