weddings namings renewal of vows ceremonies

Marlee K Bruinsma, Civil Marriage Celebrant 0437 713 575

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Phone 0437713575

wedding ceremony at Hilltop on Tamborine wedding chapel

wedding ceremony by Marlee Bruinsma at a couple's home by their lake

Weddings

civil marriage ceremonies can be as informal or formal as you like

I provide you with a ceremony planning book full of ideas, seek your input on what you want in your ceremony, attend to the legals and include a rehearsal with most packages.

Naming ceremonies

naming ceremonies connect your family and friends with your child

these ceremonies can be held for babies or children or anyone who is celebrating a change of name too. Often they replace a christening or baptism for non-religious families.

Same sex wedding ceremonies

same sex marriage is legal in Australia and I welcome same sex couples to choose me as your celebrant

Renewal of vows/reaffirmation of vows

to celebrate your achievements as a couple or have the ceremony you always wanted but didn’t get first time round

celebrate your relationship with a ceremony that acknowledges each of you, your family and friends

naming ceremony photo with celebrant and three girls that she named

couple renewing their vows at a wedding chapel

Groomsmen

So where did the tradition of groomsmen come from?

Historically, in different cultures, the groom kidnapped his bride and the groom’s friends assisted him. This is where modern day groomsmen came from. At the altar, the groom stood on the bride’s right side so that his sword hand (right hand) was free to repel any last minute efforts by her family to rescue her.

Bride’s Book of Etiquette. 2002. New York, NY: Perigee Books

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Handfasting ceremonies

tie the knot for a year and a day or in a legal wedding ceremony

hand fastings are often held in nature and symbolise the joining of two independent individuals in a traditional ceremony with alternative rituals

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Parenting commitment ceremonies

a commitment to your children when your family changes

modern families change, partners leave or step-parents join the family - this ceremony embraces those changes and reassures children of the love of their parents or step-parents

information

House blessings

a fresh start in an old house or celebrating moving into a new house

a ceremony designed for your circumstances and dwelling, clearing out the old or the left over energies of the builders and leading into a celebration or house warming

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Commitment Ceremonies

for those who want to celebrate their love without the legals

A ceremony that celebrates your relationship and is similar to a wedding without the legal paperwork - for those who do not want to marry but still want to acknowledge their love

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Women’s Rites of Passage

celebrating the milestones in a woman’s life

croning, menarche, coming of age and blessingways (motherhood ceremonies) mark these important occasions in a woman’s life journey

ceremonies

naming and parenting commitment ceremony

photo of women's rites of passage and initiation

New traditions >>

I believe there is no right or wrong way to have a ceremony – each of my ceremonies is structured around the couple, family, or individual, the venue, their guests, the season, their theme and their wishes. I provide ideas and support so that they can have a ceremony that is all about who they are and what they want. Each ceremony I write is unique to the couple or family. With every wedding, naming, renewal of vows, commitment ceremony…I have new experiences to build upon and add inspiration for developing new ideas and rituals. Together we develop a synergy and harmony which comes out on the day as a ceremony spoken from the heart, a wonderful trust between us and a happy and smiling couple or family at the end. I have a deep sense of the responsibility entrusted to me by each family or couple for this once in a lifetime moment. Even if this is a second ceremony for one or both, it is still a unique moment in their life together, a once in a lifetime event. I particularly love alternative ceremonies like handfasting, invoking the angels, circle ceremonies…for those who are spiritual but not religious.