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YES! I'm still happily meeting and performing wedding ceremonies! Previously... people who first meet me used to quickly learn "I'm a hugger"... well - not anymore! Now... I wave and keep my distance where possible. In the past couple of days, I have received worrying calls from people getting married in the coming months. Understandably! But let's not panic. If you decide to cancel your wedding for now - I am providing a guarantee of all deposits and full payments to the future date you decide! That's right... zero penalty for cancelling... but also no refund on money paid. You can use fees already paid within the next 3 years! The health and safety of you, me, friends and family is my top priority. Any meetings or ceremonies booked at my house have immediately been rescheduled to another place (please contact me if a new location has not yet been confirmed with you). I want to keep you informed: Whilst the overall risk in Australia of contracting COVID-19 in the community currently remains low, each day brings details of new confirmed cases of infection and it would be irresponsible of me not to take caution from these incidents. With so much being reported about the evolving 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, I wanted to reach out personally to discuss the actions and precautions I am taking. Here’s what I am doing... and recommending:
I've never washed my hands so much in my entire life! 
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 - (Pictured above: Pullman Magenta Shores) Thank you to all the couples that choose me to be their Registered Marriage Celebrant! My greatest joy is being a Celebrant! I also enjoy being the MC at wedding receptions too. I am back FULL-TIME as a Celebrant in 2020! (Make sure you book me for your wedding date soon). Wow, 2019 has been an up and down year! (And that's an understatement.) - For a few months I had to downscale my wedding bookings and agree to a full-time employment role for a while. Luckily - I am back at this 7 days a week again! - I have performed some really wonderful and memorable marriage ceremonies during 2019 for some amazing couples (like the photo below of my friends Crawford and April at the Paul Landa Reserve, Pearl Beach)! Text me your marriage date & location, to see if I am available: 0404 832 403! 
Ruth and Lisa from Central Coast Bamboo Toasts work hard and creatively to setup scenic wedding ceremonies. Their services are affordable and reliable!
It had always caught my eye... this sweet little Chapel nestled among the tall palm trees at Green Point. It is the "Charlotte Chapel" at Kantara House. I was impressed to learn that it is a non-denominational place to perform a ceremony, meaning it welcomes everyone to have their ceremony. How fantastic for me as a Civil Celebrant! The Chapel is spectacularly maintained and I loved the hanging Chandeliers - such a pleasure recently to perform a ceremony inside. It was raining heavily on Grant and Monique's wedding day... but that simply did not matter because they had their ceremony inside the Charlotte Chapel! Kantara House is an open, well-designed, architectural venue for your wedding ceremony and reception. It is that all-in-one solution (including the Wedding Suite). The tropical scenery of the grounds are a great place for your on-location pictures with bridal party & close family. Karina is extremely helpful, professional and experienced at coordinating events. I highly recommend Kantara House.  As a Celebrant, here are some Central Coast wedding ceremony venues that I have recently enjoyed:
Linton Gardens, Somersby A great outdoor ceremony space. Beautiful driveway entrance. Great on location photos. Bells at Killcare Simply WOW! I encourage everyone to consider this space for their ceremony. Norah Head Lighthouse I have performed a few ceremonies here and the 360 degree views are spectacular! The Springs Golf Club, Peats Ridge Has a great archway, spectacular greenery and an experienced wedding team to support. Crown Plaza Terrigal The Lord Ashley Fireplace overlooks the very reputable Terrigal beach. This venue caters to any weather on the day and is remarkably affordable for smaller ceremonies. Have you ever considered The Pearl Beach Crommelin Native Arboretum? If you are looking for an outdoor wedding ceremony amongst the trees, this is it! Ettalong Beach Waterfront Reserve I travel all throughout the Central Coast and perform ceremonies at various beaches, outdoors parks & reserves. You are welcome to share your positive Central Coast wedding ceremony venue idea. The 7 most important things not to forget for your perfect Central Coast beach wedding...
Time of Day - Where's the Sun? You are outside. Sometimes it is ridiculously hot. You have to consider guest comfort, sun in the eyes, photography needs, frail and elderly concerns and hydrating your guests. You need to consider the local weather when planning any outdoor ceremony. Have you considered the softness of the ground? Sand, grass, rocks, mud, wet/dry all of these play a role in the safety and confidence your guests have moving around the ceremony venue. Think it through from the perspective of your guests, safety concerns and weather. Do you have all the equipment you need? Have you ever gone to a beautiful headland and realised there is no where to sit. You need to plan to have enough furniture and structure (e.g. Shade or Wedding Arch?).. Access to power and lighting? As an outdoor-ready Celebrant, I always come with my Battery-powered PA system. Planning for emergency weather. Always have a plan for what to do if the skies open expectantly Finding the ceremony venue on the day. Make sure you provide guests with a map and instructions to the ceremony location.. Be flexible. Outdoor weddings are by definition held in uncontrolled, often wild environments. The most important thing you can be is flexible and resilient in the face of whatever happens. In my experience, it is the quirks that make each wedding unique and special! According to the Marriage Act 1961 of Australia, before a marriage is solemnised by or in the presence of an authorised celebrant:
The Celebrant must state: “We are gathered here today to witness as I join... [Groom full legal name] and [Bride full legal name]… in marriage.” “I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to law. “Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter. “Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.” The parties to be married must state: “I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, ____________ (full name), take thee, ___________ (full name), to be my lawful wedded wife (or husband)” Now... I am very fortunate to have been present for the wedding ceremony of two very dear friends of mine (a few years back) in Hawaii. Approx 80 guests travelled from Australia to Hawaii to attend their legally recognised same-sex wedding ceremony. It was a *fabulous* party to celebrate a great relationship. This married couple now have the most adorable twins! A truly modern family that ought to be celebrated! I strongly believe that the legal wording for marriage ceremony should be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry. I seek MARRIAGE EQUALITY for all people! Check out THIS LINK for some ideas Before agreeing to meet my new clients, we must first determine - via a phone conversation or email exchange - if I am the right Celebrant match.
This is important. Here are some key points to clarify: AVAILABILITY Am I free for the time, date and location of your wedding ceremony? We can certainly chat about the wedding and the possibility that I may be your Celebrant, but until the date is secured there is no real point meeting. We must first ensure that I am available for the wedding date and time. DETAILS OF CEREMONY Are having a bridal party (?), an orchestra (?) or is your ceremony 'less formality'. You are the best person to communicate what type of ceremony you hope for, so discuss this upfront. A ceremony for 20 guests will be delivered differently to that of a ceremony for 200 guests. One is small, intimate and may not even require the PA system, the other is likely to have more formality within the proceedings of the ceremony. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED Marriage requires legal paperwork and valid documents be sighted for identification purposes. I discuss the identification documents that you must bring to our first meeting. If all documents are available then we are able to complete the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form together. COMMUNICATION Vital characteristics for a Celebrant would be 'confidence' and 'excellent articulation'. Every time I communicate with my new clients I have the opportunity to demonstrate (through my articulation and being informative) that I have excellent communication abilities, which guests find confidence-inspiring. FEES Every Celebrant sets their own suitable fee for service. The more you pay for Celebrant services expect plenty of prior experience and a fully-inclusive service offering. I offer two fee rates to all my clients: 1. Standard fee - including one hour rehearsal at the wedding venue. 2. Basic Ceremony fee - no rehearsal at the wedding venue* * This suits couples that are having small intimate ceremonies with no bridal party, only a small number of witnesses. Find out what the cost is, then find out what is included in the fee and what may be extra cost. DID WE 'CLICK' You must feel a sense of rapport with your Celebrant. Did you feel 'heard' and responded to when discussing your ideas and feelings about the ceremony? Together, do you feel with me as your Officiant that your marriage ceremony will be the joyous celebration you desire? So finally, WHERE SHALL WE MEET? You are encouraged to POST YOUR OWN COMMENTS below! Summer is here!!!
A truly GREAT location to have your wedding ceremony is at one of the Central Coast's great beach wedding locations or venues. The great places you can peruse on the Central Coast allow you to dream about your ideal wedding ceremony. Here's one example - Visit the friendly team at Horizon's Cafe at Killcare SLSC. Their function room hosts great wedding receptions with phenomenal beach and ocean views. |
Katie Blanchflower
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Katie Blanchflower
0404 832 403 Registered Marriage Celebrant Servicing ceremony locations throughout the entire Central Coast, Sydney's Northern Beaches, North Shore and the Hunter Valley |
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