The Feminist Celebrant

17/05/2024

Your wedding should be an accurate representation of you both, and your plans for your life together.

Are you pretty sure you don’t want kids? Building your family in a non-conventional way? Want to avoid a million questions about your plans for babies? It is absolutely AOK to include these things in your ceremony!

In fact, I encourage it!

The following is an excerpt from Jenn + Sam’s ceremony:

“Jenn + Sam’s future family together will most likely involve just the two of them + their fur babies.

Their life together will be lived in their own way, on their own timeline, and at this stage - that timeline absolutely does not see children in its future.

They want to make it clear that they absolutely DO want to share in the joy of your own pregnancies and babies!

Jenn + Sam have so much love and adoration for the children in their life already, and those to come via their beautiful friends and family.

They love you, they love babies, and they love sharing your joy!

We ask you, their beloved community of family + friends, to support them in their decision, and to respect that what is right for them is right for them!

Thank you all for respecting their wishes!”

You can be clear without being rude - I’ve got you. This is your day, your way: always.

Photos by
Biggest smiles ever by +

28/02/2024

Always trying not to cry! Every couple, every time.

My dirty secret is that I always thought marriage was patriarchal bu****it created to further oppress + own women (I mean - I’m not wrong), and now…I can’t get enough of people loving the s**t out of each other. One of my favourite things to say in my ceremonies is “We all know that you are both strong, wonderful, independent people who could live this life perfectly happily + successfully on your own, but we are so happy for you that you found someone to share it with, every single day, for all the days you have left on this beautiful earth.”

Some traditions can get fu**ed. Marriage in Australia is no longer about ownership - it is about committing to trying your very best to be the best partner you can be, and loving the pants off your life partner enough to commit your life to each other (or as I like to say: “As long as this marriage serves + fulfils you both!”)

🤍

Photo by the delightful
Venue

08/02/2024

08/02/2024

08/02/2024

I always ask my couples: How do you want to remember your ceremony? And I get excellent answers like:

“We want to remember marrying each other rather than worrying about if everything is going according to schedule. We want to remember it as a day of sharing this milestone with our closest family + friends.”

YES! Legends!

Don’t forget what this whole wedding palaver is about - it’s about the two of you + how you love the s**t out of each other! Be true + authentic to yourselves + your relationship. Enjoy getting caught up in the whirlwind of your wedding, it’s an enormous life event and it will be a bloody fun day, but remember to check back in with yourselves + each other - this day is about why you fell in love, and why you’re getting married in the first place! You probably won’t remember which table settings you used, but you WILL remember how you felt.

10/01/2024

Wearing white on your wedding day: yay or nay? ‘Cause tbh we all assume you’re not a virgin...

Would you believe virginity* has nothing to do with it?!

“There are some weird wedding traditions that aren’t even that old - people mistakenly think white was traditionally worn as a symbol of virginity, and while it may have morphed into that, it was in fact a trend started by Queen Victoria. She wore handmade Honiton lace on her wedding day to boost the industry in England and white was the best colour to showcase the lace.”
excerpt taken from Bridie Jabour’s Trivial Grievances

So the real question is: what do you WANT to wear on your wedding day? ‘Cause your opinion is the only one that matters!

✔️ White: great!
✔️ Anything but white: also great!

Wear whatever you want,
wherever you want,
whenever you want!

*virginity is a social construct, informed by religion + misogyny, that I wholeheartedly reject - but let me make my point...

07/12/2023

19/10/2023

Tegan + Ted // intimate, personal and authentically them 🤍

Photography:
Venue:
Music:
Tegan’s amazing custom gown:
Arbor made by Ted himself!

31/03/2023

Having a little end-of-wedding-season break from social media, my friends! 👋🏻 I’ll be back in May!

Please shoot me an email on [email protected] if you’d like to chat about booking in your date! I still have 2023/2024 availability if having a rollicking good time is your jam, and a fun, funny, inclusive, personal and memorable ceremony is on your wishlist. 🤍

07/03/2023

Cass + Andrew // It’s a chilly, drizzly day here in lutruwita, which reminds me of Cass + Andrew’s intimate winter elopement last year. A far cry from their qld home (and sunshine!), eloping to allowed them space to be together, just the two of them, away from the thrum of life + jobs + kids + busy-ness.

I like to think that marriage formalises an already whole + beautiful relationship - it doesn’t change it. What it DOES do is give you the opportunity to look hot AF in a red velvet dress! 🔥

Photography:
Styling + coordination:
Hair:
Makeup (including the most incredible red lips I’ve ever seen):
Fancy location + accommodation:

03/03/2023

Polly + Kyle // what a deep love, and an even deeper belly laugh ✨

Polly + Kyle’s brief was to keep the ceremony relaxed, fun + FUNNY. And boy, was it ever. These two gave me the best material to work with, and were up for anything (especially laughs at their own expense).

Your ceremony (+ your entire day / weekend / week / wedding festival / LIFE) should reflect who you are + what you value! If you like a laugh (who doesn’t?) then let me weave the deadpan jokes + all-out-ribbing into your ceremony. There will always be sweet, heartfelt + earnest moments, having a laugh won’t detract from that, but it WILL set the tone for the funnest, most joyous day ever - hooray! ✨

Babes:
Photographer:
Venue:
Florals: .florist Coordination:
Videographer:
Music:
Makeup:
Polly’s dress:

22/01/2023

More Ash + Scot // simple, elegant, and surrounded by family. Relaxed + intimate, what more could you want?! 🤍

Photos + hype: Fred and Hannah
Flowers + enthusiasm: Ash’s mum
Location + accomodation: Piermont Retreat

20/01/2023

More Loz + Barbs // gumboots, umbrellas, and the biggest grins!

Photos: Rosie Hastie Photography
Venue: Pumphouse Point
Team: Bek Burrows styling & events
Makeup:

17/01/2023

A drizzly day last September, with two of the most sunshiney people you’ll ever meet: Loz + Barbs // just so stoked on life + each other!

Photos: Rosie Hastie Photography
Venue: Pumphouse Point
Team: Bek Burrows styling & events
Makeup:

05/12/2022

Ash + Scot (+ the coolest green velvet shoes!) // relaxed, intimate, and perfectly ‘them’!

Photos: Fred and Hannah
Venue: Piermont Retreat
Flowers: Ash’s mum

01/12/2022

There was a tiny baby in there! (Now the sweetest, curly-haired, toddling-around one year old!) ✨ actual real life magic.

30/11/2022

If you’ve enquired via my website and haven’t heard back - please let me know!

I haven’t been receiving any of my website enquiries for months 😩 (I believe the correct reaction is: f**kety f**k!)

What a s**tshow. Please get in touch via form (now fixed!), email, phone or DM - I do want to marry you!

30/11/2022

Bunting, drinks, cheese + dried flower confetti // the most fun garden party wedding ✨ with the best crew!

31/08/2022

In the valley that holds all our hearts ✨

Zoe Heather
Fred and Hannah

24/08/2022

“Society + various religions like to portray that a successful relationship is one of longevity, but longevity doesn't equate to happiness.

To me, a successful relationship is one where a person hasn't lost their true self + individuality within the relationship.”

One of the most joyous parts of my job is reading client questionnaires (I cry every time). Responses like this (to the question: “What does a successful relationship look like to you?”) make me so stoked to meet + marry these legends. Best clients. Best vibes. Just the best. 🤍

28/04/2022

Should you change your surname when you get married?

It depends.

Does your wife want you to?

But seriously, do whatever you want! It's your life. You only get one. If they have a cool surname, go nuts. If it's s**t, probs stick with your own.

And if you're on the fence, maybe consider: There's a long history of women as chattels - we were owned by our fathers, and ownership was transferred to our partner upon marriage. Our surnames were changed to reflect ownership. In Australia, this obviously isn't true anymore, but for some people, this gives them the ick. If this gives you the ick, keep your own damn name. I bet it's a bloody good one, and it's yours!

Remember, feminism is about choice - do whatever YOU want.

Some options to consider are:
〰 Keep your own name (it’s the easiest option, no paperwork, no fuss, woohoo!), or
〰 Make up a new surname, or
〰 Hyphenate, or
〰 How about…drop your surname altogether like Madonna!*

*probs not legal, but I dare you.

25/03/2022

Booze + bouquets. ✌🏻

Florals locally-grown + foraged by This Natural World.
Wild fermented ales + ciders by the inimitable Two Meter Tall.
Pics by Luke Burgess.

20/03/2022

People loving the s**t out of each other 🤍 the best.

📸 Luke Burgess
🌿 This Natural World
🍻 Two Meter Tall

16/03/2022

Hugs not drugs ✌🏻

📸 Nina Hamilton Photography
🤍 Jessica Trajanoska + Tim Mothy

14/03/2022

Can you be a feminist + believe in marriage?

Of course you can!

(I didn't always believe this was true. Many still don't. Whatevs. You do you.)

Feminism is about choice. If you've found someone you're willing to build a life with, and you want to legally bind them to you, jump aboard - we ride at midnight*.

*Or whenever suits you - your day, your way!