Monthly Archives: June 2014

Legal Requirements for Your Wedding Vows

shutterstock_119704648 - Jan Vlcek

Legal Requirements for Your Wedding Vows

The wedding vows are a central part of your wedding ceremony – this is where you ‘lawfully’ take someone to be your husband or wife and tell them of your commitment to them personally and to your relationship together.

It is important that you know that there is a legal requirement for you to say certain words at the start of your vows.  You are legally required to say:

“I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, [name], take thee, [name] to be my lawful wedded wife (or husband)”.

There are limited ways you can change this wording.  An alternative would be:

“I ask the people here present to witness that I, [name], take you, [name] to be my lawful wedded spouse”.

You do not have to use your full name in this statement, but your full name (including any ‘middle’ names) must be used at some point during the ceremony.  Often your full names are used at the beginning of the ceremony, that way it is very clear who is marrying whom.

Nicknames or abbreviations of your name are not allowed when making the legal statement, but they can be used elsewhere in the ceremony.  For example, if your name is Nicholas but you are known as Nick, then during the legal statement you must use Nicholas, but elsewhere throughout the ceremony you can be referred to as Nick.

After the legal statement, you can then add your own personal touch to the vows (to be covered in a later blog post).

Should you have a Rehearsal for your Ceremony?

Should you have a Rehearsal for your Ceremony?

There are so many things to plan and organise for your special day – how do you make sure that everything will be just right on the day?

For the ceremony itself, there are many benefits of having a rehearsal:

Knowing how long it will take to ‘walk down the aisle’.

Are your music selections appropriate in relation to the time it takes for the entrance, signing of paperwork, the exit, and any other places in the ceremony that you will have music.

Anyone doing a reading will have an opportunity to practise, will know how they are being introduced and where to do their reading from.

The attendants know where to stand and when they need to do any extras, like holding a bouquet or handing over rings.

When it comes to signing any paperwork that is part of the ceremony, you’ll know the order of signing and who should stand where.

Ideally, a rehearsal should be held a day or two before the ceremony.  It is best to have the rehearsal at the same venue and at the same time of day that your ceremony will be held, but this is sometimes not practical.  If you are unable to hold your rehearsal in the same venue, any park or area with space is a good alternative.

Anyone involved in the ceremony should come along to the rehearsal so there are no surprises on the day.

Your photographer may want to be there to identify any key moments of the ceremony that they should capture.  They may even be able to suggest improved placement to get the most of the lighting.

Having had a rehearsal, you’ll be more relaxed and able to enjoy the moment fully.

Testimonials

  • Our written ceremony was perfect – it was clear that Rosemary understood what we wanted and delivered. On the day, the ceremony was above and beyond what we expected. We would definitely recommend Rosemary’s services to other couples planning their wedding.

    K and B

  • Rosemary was a friendly, helpful, thoughtful and professional celebrant who helped us create a ceremony that was perfectly suited to us. She was helpful throughout the whole process of planning and went over and above at the rehearsal and ceremony to make sure everything went smoothly.

    Anisa

  • Rosemary is a very calm, personable and professional celebrant. She helped us continuously in the lead-up to our outdoor wedding, ensuring our ceremony was wonderfully smooth. Of the many highlights of our wedding day, the ceremony was definitely one of them!

    Jaime and Nigel

  • For us, the ceremony was the most important aspect of our day and Rosemary helped us to find the right words to express our love and commitment to each other. Many people commented on how moving they found the ceremony and how well it reflected us as both individuals and as a couple. We would highly recommend Rosemary to anyone seeking a celebrant sensitive to and able to respond to the clients requirements.

    Karen and Grant

  • We’ve had great feedback about how lovely our ceremony was. Thank you for making this memorable not only for us but for our families and friends as well.

    Ruby and Mike

  • We really appreciated the work that you put into making the service just right for us – a great way to start our life together as husband and wife.

    Mark and Anna

  • Thanks for making our day so special for us. The ceremony was absolutely what we wanted and meant so much to us.

    Sandra and Terry

  • Rosemary was always very friendly and most helpful in providing suggestions. We were very happy and everyone commented on how wonderful the ceremony was.

    Laura and Tim