Afaf Girgis, Newcastle Marriage Celebrant

05/01/2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Kendall and Mitch for your beautiful words!!! A shot to celebrate Mr & Mrs Taylor!!! 🥃🎉💞

“Afaf, the most beautiful, calming and genuine woman you would ever meet. Choosing Afaf was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding day.

Her warmth, charisma, and genuine love for what she does made our ceremony unforgettable. She brought so much heart to every moment, and creating such a fun and personal experience that truly reflected us as a couple.

Her professionalism, attention to detail, and calming presence made the whole process stress free and that made all the difference for us. We are beyond grateful for her and would recommend her a thousand times over.”

Oh my heart is singing right now!💞😭🥂


romeo_

Venue:
Photographer: Jackson .au
Videographer: Jordan
Bridal Dress:
Groom & crew outfits:
Bridal party:
Flowers:
Hair & MUA: Kristy
Cake:
DJ: Bryson Fraser

31/12/2024

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

See ya 2024!!!! I’m so ready for you, 2025!!!!! 🥂🎉💞

📸

25/11/2024

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Varshana & Jonathan - your beautiful words just melt my heart!  
 
“What can I say about Afaf that can adequately explain how happy we are with her service?! From the very beginning, since we contacted her, Afaf has been the MOST accommodating and helpful celebrant we could ever have hoped for. 
 
Afaf was absolutely amazing! Not only did she deliver a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony, but she also stepped in as our Wedding MC at the last minute and completely exceeded our expectations. Her professionalism, warmth, and ability to keep everything running smoothly made our day stress-free and unforgettable. 
 
She went above and beyond, working with vendors and helping with every detail while keeping us on track. It was clear Afaf genuinely cared about making our wedding perfect, even allowing Varshana (my beautiful bride) to have a costume change back at her house which was just around the corner from our reception venue. 
 
If you’re looking for someone who is talented, reliable, and truly dedicated, Afaf is the one!!! 🕊️ 💒💍” 
 
The other amazing vendors were: 
Wedding Venue: Newcastle City Hall 
Reception Venue:  
Event Stylist:  
Bride’s dress:  
Groom’s suit:  
Hair & make-up:  
Photographer:  
Videographer:  
Florals:  
Cake:  
Band/DJ:  
Cars:  
                              

12/11/2024

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! 🥂🎉

Beautiful memories of Rochelle & Adam’s wedding. Laughter, tears, family joy and those bouquets!!! 💐

Venue:
Photography:
Videography:
Bridal dress:
Groom’s outfit:
Wedding party outfits – the girls:
Wedding party outfits – the groom’s team:
Flowers:
Musicians:
Hair and make-up:

28/10/2024

Happy Anniversary Jenny & Steven!!!
🥂🎉💞

VENDORS
Venue:
Photography: .co
Videography:
Bridal dress:
Groom’s outfit: Hugo Boss
Wedding party outfits – the girls:
Wedding party outfits – the boys: N/A
Flowers: .design
MUA:
Cake: .au

22/10/2024

VARSHANA & JONATHAN 18.10.2024 
 
They met in 2020 - remember THAT year, when everyone seemed to be making sourdough and panic-buying toilet paper?!  🦠
 
Pretty quickly, they realised they were just meant to be together. Jonathan’s 10-year-old daughter, Everly, welcomed Varshana into their little family and 2 very quickly became 3! 🥰
 
Varshana & Jonathan’s personal vows were simple and just beautiful. I, as always, added in some fun vows too!! I’m not sure Varshana was 100% convinced about not harassing Jonathan about doing a task she’d asked him to do when he was already half-way through it! But Jonathan graciously (I think!) promised to resist the urge to stash Varshana’s wayward shoes (left all over the floor) in the laundry cupboard for a little prank ... tempting as that may seem!  👠👡👢
 
The ceremony was lovely and the reception, which I MC’d, was SO MUCH FUN! A quick change of dress for Varshana during the evening celebrated her cultural heritage and was a clear signal that it was PARTY TIME!!!!  🎉🎉🎉
 
I joined the loveliest family & friends on the dancefloor, to the fabulous tunes of . My body ached the next day - but YOLO!!!  🎤💃
 
Congratulations Varshana & Jonathan. I’m thrilled to have been part of your beautiful day!!! Thank you for choosing me as your celebrant & MC!!  😊😘
 
The other amazing vendors were: 
Wedding Venue: Newcastle City Hall 
Reception Venue:  
Event Stylist:  
Bride’s dress:  
Groom’s suit:
Hair & make-up:  
Photographer:  
Videographer:  
Florals:  
Cake:  
Band/DJ:  
Cars:  
                              

07/10/2024

Happy anniversary Emily & Jordan!!! The rain did nothing to dampen your beautiful day!!! 🥂💞🎉

06/10/2024

ANNA & COREY 28.09.2024

I don’t think I’ve met a sweeter couple! As soon as I met with Anna & Corey via zoom, they booked me. They both just wanted to be married - no bells or whistles, no personal story, no personal vows.

So, on wedding day, I met them at Anna’s mum’s place where all hands were on deck - inluding the bride, groom and me - getting the backyard ready for the reception/party! We drove up to Redhead Bluff with just the immediate family and their photographer , and within about 10-minutes, Anna & Corey were pronounced Mr & Mrs Petherbridge!!! 💍🥂💞

Simple, beautiful, heartfelt - exactly as they wanted. And don’t be fooled - a short ceremony can still stir all the emotions. I had to stop looking out at Anna’s mum and sisters, as I was also tearing up. 😭💞

Congratulations Anna & Corey. I’m thrilled to have been part of your beautiful day!!!

24/09/2024

KIND WORDS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“From our first meeting we knew Afaf was the perfect choice. Her warm and engaging personality put us at ease and we knew our ceremony was in safe hands.

Afaf customised our ceremony exactly the way we wanted and helped make our day one to remember.

We will be forever grateful to Afaf for all of her efforts to make our special day perfect.”

Thank you Olwyn & David!!! 😘💞

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22/09/2024

CONGRATS OLWYN & DAVID!!  
  
Olwyn & Dave prove, yet again, that love comes along when you least expect it!! Of all the fish in the sea, these 2 managed to find each other 5 years ago and they’ve been a tight unit ever since.   
  
They chose to have a very intimate ceremony, with no bells or whistles. Their 5 adults children from both sides - Danielle, Kristen, Melissa, Sarah and Daniel - and their very closest family and friends, celebrated with them. The tissues were out aplenty when Dave and Olwyn said their wedding vows; and there was much cheering when they had their first, second and third kisses as a married couple!  💋💋💋
  
Congratulations Olwyn & Dave! I’m so happy I got to marry you and I wish you the most wonderful life ahead!!!  🥂💞
  
📸 Lisa & Rob .portrait.place                       

19/07/2024

01/05/2024

CONGRATULATIONS JUDITH & JEFFREY!!!  
  
A mutual friend introduced us & within minutes of our meet-and-greet zoom meeting, we knew we were meant to meet! Jude, Jeff & I clicked on so many levels - ages, love stories, devotion to our families - and so much more! 

Picture this: Jeffrey, a wide-eyed, bushy-tailed intern at Royal Newcastle Hospital, single and ready to mingle. Cue the entrance of the dazzling senior nurse, Judy, catching Jeff’s eye as soon as he saw her. But hold up, Judy was already married to another intern, putting her squarely in the “off-limits” zone.  
 
Fast forward 4 years and serendipity struck again! Reunited across the other side of the world, in the UK, as colleagues and family friends. 

Fast forward another 38 years, they connected on Facebook. Both single, they spent 2 weeks text messaging each other before finally deciding to meet for dinner. Though neither was sure if this was an actual date, Jeff thought Jude was beautiful and radiated warmth; and when Jeff turned up in his blue Fedora hat, Jude thought he was just lovely too! Sparks flew, signalling the beginning of a deeper friendship and something more.  ❤️
 
The sun was shining, the boats sailing on Chowder Bay provided the perfect backdrop, and the theme “colourful” set the tone for a perfect wedding day, 45 years after they first met! 🌞

Jude wore red, Jeff wore his signature hat, and the wedding party included lifetime friends Garvin (Best Man) and Jill (Best Woman, from Canada), as well as their 8 grown children, and 6 grandchildren. It was just beautiful! 

I’m so happy to have met Jeff and Jude, and marrying them was a bonus! I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and many more drives through rainbows!!!  🌈

The fabulous vendors were:   
Venue:  
Photos & video:  
Bride’s dress:  
Groom’s suit:  
Bridesmaids’ dresses:  
Groomsmen’s suits:  
Flowers:  
Wedding cars:  
HMU:  

            

25/04/2024

CONGRATS MR & MRS JOHNSON!!! 
 
Lillian & Ryan first met at the RAAF base in Newcastle when both were on their gap year. A couple of weeks later, Lillian invited Ryan over for a homemade chicken parmigiana dinner, which she cooked in an electric frypan, in her tiny little room. As they sat on the floor, eating their dinner, and sharing stories and dreams, they felt the strings of destiny pulling them closer! 
 
Seven years and many adventures later, on the last leg of their East Coast camper-van roadtrip, Ryan proposed, and under the bright stars of Cairns, Lily said YES!!!  💍🚐
 
It was a fabulous ceremony, filled with laughter, tears, heartfelt vows and cheering guests; and a great champagne tower to top it all off!  🍾🥂
 
Getting this message the next day just made my heart sing: “Honestly the entire day was nothing short of AMAZING! You were absolutely fantastic, we had so so sooo many people compliment you and how you ran the ceremony! You were exactly what we were looking for when we started the planning process, and you delivered even more than what we could have ever asked for! Thank you for helping to make our day so magical! It felt like you were ‘meant to be’ our celebrant, we just feel so lucky! ❤️ Thank you!” 
 
Thank you for sharing that moment in your life with me Lily & Ryan! Congratulations!!!!  🥂🎉
 
The fabulous vendors were:  
Venue:  
Event planning, styling, coordination & MC: Louise & Maddy  
Photo & Video: Steven & Liam  
Bridal gown:  
Groom’s suit:  
Bridesmaid dresses:  
Groomsmen’s suits:  
Flowers:  
HMU:  
Grazing platters:  
Catering:         

24/03/2024

EMMA & ROHAN ARE MARRIED!!! 
 
Emma & Rohan’s wedding was very much a family affair, including getting married on the groom’s family property, all the flowers grown by the bride’s father on the family farm, the bridesmaids’ dresses (they were gorgeous!) handmade by the bride’s mum, and the groom’s grandma making the wedding cake!  🍰
 
We had tears, laughter, the cutest collection of flower-children (about 7 of them!), and guests voting for who wrote the better Ninja vows (Emma won!). As a very special nod to Emma’s Greek heritage, we included the Stefana (crowns) ceremony, with the same crowns worn by her parents at their wedding MANY years before! When I pronounced Emma & Rohan married, I had all the guests shout “na zisete”, which literally means “may you live” and is a wish for a long life together, full of health and prosperity. Em’s brother, Matt, led the practice session before the ceremony to make sure we all had the pronunciation right!! And as a final touch, we were entertained by greek artists, bouzouki players, while everyone congratulated the newly-weds!  🪕🎼
 
Congratulations Emma & Rohan!! I wish you a lifetime of happy adventures together and THANK YOU for choosing me to be part of your special day!!!!  🥰
 
The fabulous vendors were:  
Venue:  
Photography and videography:  
Bridal dress: from  
Groom’s outfit:  
Wedding party outfits – the girls: made by the bride’s mother 
Flowers: grown by the bride’s father and on the farm 
MUA:  
Styling Hire:  
Musicians: and  
Hair:  
Cake: Groom’s grandma        

20/03/2024

CONGRATS MR & MRS TASSICKER

It’s pretty rare that a very special anniversary happens to fall on a Saturday during the popular wedding season!!! That’s exactly what happened with Lauren & Phil, married on 9th March 2024, exactly 10 years to the day of their first proper meeting. A very special and unforgetting wedding date indeed!!!

This was truly a DIY wedding. Phil and his mates worked wonders transforming the grassed Marks Point waterfront area at his parents’ house, into an impressive wedding and reception venue, including timber platforms for the guest tables and dancefloor, a fully functioning bar, fairy lights and decorations (see photos). AMAZING!!!! The final touches were still being added on the morning of the big day!!!

I love proposal stories. These 2 were on a trip of a lifetime - a 5-week adventure around Europe. Understandably, after 9 years, Lauren had high expectations of a proposal, but as they travelled from one country to another, she started to lose hope!! Finally, 5 countries later, atop the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps, Phil decided that the peak of this most iconic and majestic mountain was the perfect place to propose. He dropped to one knee, and amidst the awe-inspiring scenery, he popped the question, leaving Lauren both overjoyed and utterly surprised. But, amongst all the excitement, neither of them knows whether she actually said yes! Now, I reckon a proposal isn’t a proper proposal unless you get an answer, right? So, of course I asked Phil to do the honours and drop that knee again, and of course, Lauren said yes, to much cheering from all the guests!!!

Congratulations Lauren & Phil (& puppy Bella!). I wish you a lifetime of happy adventures together and THANK YOU for choosing me to be part of your special day!!!!

The fabulous vendors were:
Venue: Phil’s parents’ home
Catering: .wilderness.chef
Photography: .with.mel
Bridal dress:
Groom’s outfit:
Flowers: (family friend)
MUA:
Musicians: & Tony Gagliano from
Hair:
Cake:

08/03/2024

On International Women’s Day, I reflect on all the wonderful women, young and old, who are part of my life. My nieces, cousins, friends, colleagues, role models, and right up there at the front and centre is my mum!!!

I know I won’t have mum forever, and as our roles are slowly switching between mother and daughter, I am forever grateful and in awe of her strength, resilience, love and adaptability during her whole life, including now as she’s just shy of 88 years!

Happy International Women’s Day. 💜💜💜

27/02/2024

CONGRATS MR & MRS MOORE!!! 
  
Lisa and Phil’s paths first crossed in what seems like another lifetime. They were unknowingly in the same circles during their teenage years, participating in a hair modelling competition and sharing moments through pony club. Then they properly met 30 years ago through work. Over time, Phil transformed from being Lisa’s most difficult client to the one she preferred to meet over lunch. But as often happens, they lost contact when Lisa left her job.  
 
Fast forward another 24 years, and Lisa found herself embarking on a sea change to Newcastle, totally unaware that destiny had a surprise in store for her. Fate had them working together again and both single - their friendship started to develop into something more. 
 
The moment that confirmed for Lisa that she was completely in love with this man was when she arrived home after work one day to be handed a glass of wine, with their favourite music playing, a leg of lamb in the oven, and a bath running for her. HELL YEH!!!!!  🙌
 
I love telling the funny parts of couples’ marriage proposals. When Phil proposed on top of a vere fancy hotel in Singapore, Lisa was clearly surprised – in fact she said “REALLY? Really? Do you really want to do this again?!” – and then of course, she said YES! 
 
All 7 “kids” stood beside Phil and Lisa as they made their vows to each other, watched by loved ones including Lisa’s parents and Phil’s mum and many, many friends! There were some tears, much laughter and some of the guests were getting right into it - calling out things during the ceremony, which I love!!! 
 
Congratulations on finding love again Lisa and Phil and I wish you many more decades of happiness and life adventures together!!! 
 
Their other amazing vendors were: 
 
Venue & Catering: The Newcastle Club 
Photographer:  
Flowers:  
Music (fabulous jazz band!): half.nelson.11 
Hair: