The ceremony itself is perhaps the most crucial part of your wedding day, as you and your spouse-to-be partake in the sanction of marriage. This all-important union should reflect both of you as a couple, from the vows to the celebrant, who, if chosen carefully, will help you share your unique love story with your friends and family. Here, Kirrily Ireland speaks with celebrant Lee Halligan, to discover how wedding-bound couples can craft the perfect ceremony and vows.

In Good Hands

With all the stresses that come with planning a wedding, and on the actual day itself, you’ll want to be able to trust your celebrant to run things smoothly. Luckily, the process of selecting and sussing out your celebrant is usually a fun one. When Halligan is first approached by a couple, she invites them to her office “set up in a quaint 1940s cottage”. “I generally start with asking them to tell me their story and how they came to be here to arrange a wedding,” she explains.

Similar meetings with your celebrant will give you a chance to get to know them better, and they you. Since they’ll be the one to bind you and your significant other in matrimony, it’s important you feel comfortable around them, and even form a bit of a bond. Halligan describes the ideal celebrant to be “relaxed and also professional … Someone who is pleasant and humorous, someone who is flexible and will go with the flow on the day”, regardless of what glitches you may encounter. “Finally,” she adds, “they need to know their work and the law around marriages. How do they know? Ask lots of questions and hopefully they will respond and perhaps give examples.”

The best possible celebrant is one who will take care of everything for you, so that all you and your partner have to do on the day is say ‘I do’ and have a good time with your loved ones. “Choose a celebrant wisely who will take over the running of the ceremony and the two of you will rock up and be joined in wedlock,” Halligan says. “A good celebrant will ensure – as much as possible – that everything in the ceremony goes to plan. Trust in them.”

Master Your Ceremony

Once you’re confident you’ve found a perfect

match in your celebrant, you can then start to craft the ceremony. Aside from the usual vows, signing of the marriage certificate and other legal requirements, the world is your oyster when it comes to what other not-so-traditional elements you can integrate into your day.

“Getting to know [the] couple through talking or a set of questions provides the celebrant with some insight of what they may suggest to them to make it their own ceremony, and not a carbon copy of many others,” Halligan says. “I ask what they have seen, what they liked and what they definitely do not want. What is specific to their lives and family? Are there cultural aspects to be considered? Are family to be included in the ceremony – including the dog? Are they living in a unique place that can expand ideas of what they can include? Imagination is the mother of invention.”

It may take some brainstorming, or you might already have a list of ideas stored up waiting and ready, but either way, throwing in a couple of unique rituals will make the ceremony feel more personal. If there’s any musical talent amongst your family or friends, why not have a loved one sing as you walk down the aisle? If you feel that your vows aren’t enough, write a love letter to your partner to be read aloud as part of the ceremony. “… lighting candles, hand fasting, jumping ropes [and] poems” are all fantastic ways to make your wedding just that little bit more special – and entertaining too!

During the planning stage, you may feel overwhelmed, but Halligan ensures couples not to worry. “Many couples come with no idea of how to plan a ceremony,” she says. “At the beginning I offer them a lot of input. As the planning proceeds, often the couple may then start to become more involved … at no stage would I ever expect a couple to be left to plan when they are not comfortable to do so.”