Frequently Asked Questions for your Celebrant

You will need to provide your celebrant with the originals of your Passport OR Your birth certificate and driver's licence. If you have been married before, you will need to provide either your divorce certificate or, if your spouse has passed away, their death certificate

You will lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage form, known as the NOIM, with your celebrant between one month and 18 months prior to your wedding date. Before your ceremony commences, you will sign a Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage. This is usually done at a rehearsal or as close to the wedding date as possible or signed prior to the ceremony commencing. After the ceremony, together with two witnesses over the age of 18, you will sign two copies of the Official Certificate of Marriage and a Form 15 Certificate of Marriage (this is the one you get to keep on the day).

Your celebrant should provide you with a copy of the Happily ever… before and after brochure that outlines information for couples planning to marry. They should also provide you with information on how to Complain about a marriage celebrant and the celebrant's code of practice.

You are still able to lodge your NOIM with your celebrant, but it will be lodged as divorce pending. You will need to provide a copy of your Divorce Certificate prior to your marriage taking place.

I always suggest to my couples 30 minutes prior to the ceremony time. This gives your guests time to arrive, freshen up and be at the ceremony space for the required start time. So for example if you are having 3.30pm ceremony, you would put 3.00pm arrival for 3.30pm ceremony. Or if you have regular "late comers", just put 3.00pm ;)

Generally 1-3 meetings, but this is totally optional. I have instances where I haven't met my couple until the day. Note: all meetings can be done via Video - I get it, we are all busy so my aim is to make this as easy as possible with limited disruption's for you. Example timeline: 1. Obligation Free Meeting to ensure that we vibe and an opportunity for us to meet prior to you making a decision. 2. NOIM meeting where sign the Notice of Intended Marriage form. (Video signing currently on hold from 31 December 2023 pending updated legislation) 3. Planning meeting 4. Rehearsal

All of my clients get "homework" aka a personal journey questionnaire (and you get date night to complete it 😉) I then incorporate ideas and notes from our meetings and your answers into your personalised ceremony script.

Absolutely, all of my clients get vow-writing guidance and sessions (if required). Vows are my jam - and I absolutely loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee when my couples write their own vows, even better when they keep them secret AND Ninja Vows - have you checked those out? For more information check out Writing Epic Wedding Vows and Ninja Vows.

Of course, but please, only include these if they are sentimental to you and not "just because". If you would like something unique to you I can definitely assist with this. Check out my Lego Unity Ceremony that I wrote for one of my couples and their boys.

1000% yes, we can even honour those that can't be with you on the day, or your loved ones that have passed on with a short and sweet memorial verse. I promise this isn't morbid, and I am happy to share with you how I deliver this in our meeting. Here is an example: Though we cannot see you, we know you are here. Though we cannot touch you, we feel the warmth of your smile, as we begin a new chapter in our lives.

All requests will be required in writing and I will absolutely accommodate you where I can. If I can't, I will work with you to find a suitable replacement celebrant.

As above, if you need to postpone your date, I will work with you to find a new date. If you cancel your wedding, the non-refundable booking fee is forfeited. Balance of fee will be depending on the work assigned to your ceremony. Please refer to your Client Agreement.

We can't control mother nature, so I always suggest a backup plan. This might look very different depending on the situation. We'll work together on this closer to the date.

Yes!!!!!!

I can't believe I even need to put this one in here. Love is Love baby! If you can legally get married, love each other, and we are the right vibe for each other, I will #hitchedwithlove the heck outa you!

My preference is email, but I am happy to work with your requests. In order to provide you with the absolute best service I possibly can, I have set up a link where you can schedule a call, office meeting or video call directly. You can do that here.

One wedding a day :) There has been the very rare occasion where I have also performed a legals only ceremony in the same day, but both couples are informed and I would never book myself unless the logistics work. Just ask hubby, I won't even go and get milk on the morning of a wedding, just incase ;)

I understand your big day, is a big deal and you're paying a lot of money for a lot of things! However, my price is a reflection of the service, time, heart and soul, energy, and all "the things" that I bring to the party - before, during and after your ceremony😉 I don't negotiate on my fee, because I don't negotiate on my service.

40% non-refundable deposit to lock your date in and to cover the preparation of all legal documentation and planning requirements. 40% due 6 months prior to your ceremony to cover additional resources and time that I have spent preparing for your day. The 20% balance is required 6 weeks prior to your big day. If you require a payment plan, please reach out.

This will be outlined in the Client Agreement. Due to the nature of celebrant work and the amount of time spent on your wedding before your big day, this may not be possible.

Not at all. I am legally obliged to offer you one, but more and more couples are opting not to have one. I understand how busy it can get the closer it is to wedding day, so I won't "make" you have one. Generally a phone call or video call is sufficient in most instances. I like to finalise all of your wedding details two weeks prior to ensure that I have enough time to get printing done and liaise with your other vendors.

Depending on your location, yes. For Moreton Island Weddings and elopements, I will work with you to apply on your behalf.

Haven't you stalked those yet? Just kidding. Check out: Kerri Watkins Celebrant Facebook Kerri Watkins Celebrant Google Moreton Island Celebrant Facebook Moreton Island Celebrant Google I was also around before Social Media (showing my age here hey) so you can check out other amazing reviews here.

Legally a celebrant is required to arrive 20 minutes prior to the start time. I'm generally arriving 60 minutes prior to your ceremony time to give myself ample time to set up, meet your amazing vendors and greet your guests as they arrive.

Oooooh I love this! Remember, it is you and your partner's day! Noone elses. Plan your day for YOU! Jason and Bronnie have some great tips on this exact tip if you'd like to check that out here. My second favourite tip would have to be DATE NIGHT.

Yes, you will need two witnesses over the age of 18 that speak and understand English. If you are eloping and you don't have two witnesses, let me know and I am happy to help you arrange them. If you are struggling to choose your witnesses, check out this blog post for some hints and tips.

Great question! Check out these 3 ideas to include your engagement ring during the ceremony - my favourite is number three!

Your wedding, remember, so totally up to you. I suggest the following: Is your partner walking down the aisle? ✅ Song 1 Are you walking down the aisle or have a large bridal party? ✅ Song 2 The kiss ✅ Song 3 that continues to play if you are signing the registry after being announced Signing the Register ✅ Song 4 The big announcement at the end ✅ Song 5 So generally, 3 to 4 songs 😁Check out these blog posts on Music Inspiration and a link to previous KWC couples' music choices for inspiration.

Absolutely. Once you say your legal vows during the ceremony, you are legally married. The signing of the registry after the ceremony has finished is the legal proof of your marriage.

You will sign the same signature that you signed your NOIM with.

I will always discuss your theme and colour scheme with you and discuss wardrobe options. I'm even happy to dress up, but yes - there must be clothes, sorry no nudes here (and yes I have been asked :O)

Another legal requirement is that a celebrant must ensure that you and your guests can clearly hear the ceremony. I have a portable PA system that doesn't require a power source and a wireless microphone. This is the only reason why I ask you how many guests you have, because I'm not going to bring it for 4 people ;)

Absolutely, I have AUX capability and my only request is that you provide someone to press play. Note, for smaller weddings where a PA system is not supplied, I'm happy to bring my JBL Charge.

Of course! I am always happy to work with other vendors to assist you in having the most amazing day.

I suggest to allow 30 minutes for your ceremony from start to finish, but this may vary depending on your script requirements. We can confirm this in our initial meeting. Legals only ceremonies are generally around the 10-15 minutes.

Of course. But did you know that more couples are opting for a "surprise script". It's all about having that rapport with your celebrant and ensuring they capture your love story.

Touch wood, never have I ever.... but I have an amazing bunch of celebuddies surrounding me that I know that I can reach out to if I am sick or there is a family emergency. And on the front seat of my car is an "In case of emergency" on my way to your ceremony. It outlines who to call in the event of an accident. 1. My Hubby and tell him that I love him, 2. My couples emergency contacts and or my couple, and 3. A list of amazing celebuddies to contact to get someone to you as soon as possible.

No sorry. Your venue or stylist will be your go to for this one. The folder that I bring on the day for your certificates is hard and acts as a table for our sneaky signings if required.

Absolutely - the rule is within 14 days. However, I'm generally lodging your wedding online before you've even cut your cake, or the very next morning if I've travelled.

As part of my service, I will apply for your Official Certificate of Marriage as evidence of your marriage and the certificate you will need to change your name. This generally takes two weeks to arrive to you. I've got this handy blog post on how to change your name, check it out here.

Nawwwww, reviews are my absolute fave, it's so important to me that my couples share their thoughts on my service for other couples considering having me as their celebrant and especially to provide feedback for me as part of my ongoing professional development. Here's Kerri Watkins Celebrant Google page 😉 Don't forget to make it public and you are welcome to share photos too 😘

I'm more than happy to help, please shoot me a message through my contact page here.

Let's chat. To get started, fill in the details on my contact page here.

Yayyyy, I can't wait to share your journey with you both. Let's check I'm available on your date here.