FAQs

I started marrying loved up couples in late 2008! Best decision I ever made and the best job…EVER!!!

Sure do! There would be an extra travel fee added, for weddings further than the 50km radius from my home.

The minimum notice that you need to give a celebrant is 1 calendar month before your wedding date. For example, if you would like to get married on the 10th November, your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) must be completed and signed with my or an authorised witness, before 10th October.  It must also be in my possession by the 10th October.  

However, there are a few exceptions, where a “Shortening of Time” can be applied for through your local court, if it is necessary to be married with less than 1 calendar months notice. There are some extra steps that need to be taken, but I can advise you of those legal steps, if this is the case for you. 

Generally not!
I would only ever book 2 weddings in a day, if there is at least 4-5 hours between each wedding and they are in close proximity to each other. But that doesn’t happen very often.
So what that means is I am there for you 100% on your wedding day. If there is any kind of delay, you can relax knowing that I will not need to rush through your ceremony, to make it to another wedding commitment.

To simplify the process, I always tell my couples there are 3 stages of Legal Paperwork:

Stage 1.

You must give a minimum of 1 calendar months notice before your wedding.  You need to complete,“The Notice of Intended Marriage” (NOIM)  and have your signature witnessed by myself or an authorised witness.  If we cant meet in person to sign the NOIM,  this can now be done via a video call. 

You will need to produce some specific identification ie Passports/Birth Certificate (original only) and if applicable, any evidence of the end of previous marriages.

Stage 2.

All of the information you give me on the NOIM, is then entered into a database with Births, Deaths and Marriages. From that information, I will print out the “Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage” form, which needs to be signed BEFORE your wedding.

This is usually done at a final meeting or on your wedding day, BEFORE the ceremony starts. Easy!

Stage 3.

AFTER your ceremony, we will sign 3 Official Marriage Certificates, along with your 2 witnesses. 

One of those certificates  is yours to take home on the day you get married! And the other certificates  are used to register your marriage, which will be online AFTER your wedding day. 

I love to meet my couples at least twice, if that is possible, but Video Chats are always good for a 2nd meeting, if distance and job commitments make it difficult.
Sometimes just 1 meeting plus lots of emails and phone calls, is all that some couples need too.
My fees include unlimited contact.
If you are coming from interstate/overseas, we may not be able to meet until  your wedding day, so Video Chats are great to get to know each other.

I love to meet my couples at least twice, if that is possible, but Video Chats are always good for a 2nd meeting, if distance and job commitments make it difficult.
Sometimes just 1 meeting plus lots of emails and phone calls, is all that some couples need too.

If you are coming from interstate/overseas, we may not be able to meet until  your wedding day, so Video Chats are great to get to know each other.

Awesome!!! If you have decided to have me as your celebrant, thats great! 
I require a $300 booking fee that will lock in your date and time. Final balance is due no later than 5 weeks before your wedding date.

One of my Wedding Packages is  for a Non Personalised Ceremony, so it is a pre-written and a “ready -made” ceremony. It is still gorgeous and meaningful, and suits most couples needs. However, you can add your own personal touch to this “ready-made” ceremony, by writing your own personal vows. I have a “Tips and Tricks” Cheat Sheet to help you write your vows, or I have plenty of “ready-made” vows for you to choose too.

My most popular package, is a Personalised Ceremony, which is individually written and includes “Your Story” in the ceremony. To achieve this, I will ask you to complete a questionnaire, which gives me a clearer picture of you as a couple, and the style of ceremony I feel is right for you. Of course you will get to read the ceremony before your big day and your are free to let me know of any changes you wish to have made to the ceremony. 

I have an awesome professional and super loud Mipro PA which also has Bluetooth Connectivity which can be used for your music if you wish. I also have an extra mic for additional speakers too.

There is no extra fee for the use of my PA as this is all part of my fee. 

This is one of the first questions I will ask a couple when I meet them is, “do you have a back plan?” As your celebrant, I’m more than happy to stand in a little bit of rain, if you are happy to do that, but your guests may not be too thrilled about it, especially the more senior members of your family. 

However, you could have umbrellas handy for your guests if you are still really keen to get married in the great outdoors, and “YES”….. I have done some weddings standing under an umbrella (and it was rather fun too!)

Umbrellas are also great for those really hot days, where there isn’t a lot of shade. And having little bottles of water ready for your guests during those hot summer months, is also a great idea too!! Your guests will thank you for all these little added extras.

Rest assured, I have a network of some fabulous and very experienced celebrants that I can contact at a moments notice to step in and officiate your marriage.
All legal paperwork and the ceremony script would be transferred to them as quickly as possible, to make sure you get married when you planned to get married!

Absolutely not! And I would never encourage that either. Your wedding day is such a high emotion day, you do not need that extra stress on top of all the excitement and nerves that you will experience on your wedding day. 

I always offer to print your vows on a card for you to read to each other, or you can repeat each line of your vow after me. Whatever you are comfortable with, is what we will work with. 

You bet I do!
Getting married is a serious legal union between 2 people. As an Authorised Marriage Celebrant we must follow the Marriage Act 1961 and the Celebrant Code of Practice.
To see the Code of Practice, click here.

Need to know more?

Your Sydney Celebrant-Catherine Kennedy

Hey lovely people! For over 15 years, I've had the absolute pleasure of being a marriage celebrant and let me tell you, it's not just a job, it's my calling! Being a celebrant fills my heart with so much joy and fulfilment that I never knew was possible. The best part of my job? Working with my couples to plan their perfect ceremony, however that may look, and then seeing their gorgeous smiling faces on the happiest day of their lives! Being a celebrant isn't just about fulfilling a role, it's about being a part of a magical moment in the lives of two people in love. And let me tell you, there's nothing better than that feeling!

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Magical Moments. Captured.

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Nothing feels better than knowing you have found "The One", and now you are going to make it official.

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Get in touch with me to organise your wedding today!

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"Thank you Catherine for being part of our special day! Upon first meeting you, we knew we needn't look further for our Marriage Celebrant. Your beautiful down to earth personality, guidance and professional organisation of our ceremony, was so very appreciated."

Steph and Brent
Your Sydney Celebrant on Instagram
The dodgy weather was not going to stop these 2 gorgeous humans. 

It started raining when I arrived, and we waited inside the venue…. and waited and waited ….until ….. it stopped, right on ceremony time. 

So….Musicians, photographers, myself, guests and bridal party all dashed outside to quickly set everything up in about 5 minutes, so we could have Jess and Jarrod’s dream ceremony outside. ❤️❤️

The sun popped out for the ceremony ☀️ they said “I Do” but…. as you can see in the photo ….the rain was on the way. 

We only managed to have Jess and Jarrod sign the paperwork and then …RUN! 🌧️🌧️🌧️ 90 guests , myself and photographers grabbed everything to get out of the rain. 🌧️ 

Their mums were the witnesses so we completed the legal process in their reception room,  and after we were all dried off, they kicked off their reception with Cocktail Hour with their guests. 🍹🍸

Despite the rain disruption, Jess and Jarrod were so happy they had they ceremony outside and they were ready to party! 🎉 

It’s good to remember when planning your wedding, things may not always go to plan and you need to just go with the flow and trust the “Dream Team”you hired…. because we will do anything to give you your  perfect wedding day! ❤️

Congratulations once again Jess and Jarrod. I LOVED being part of your day. 
❤️💖❤️💖❤️💖❤️💖❤️💖❤️💖❤️💖
My favourite cafe just a short walk from my home, was the location for today’s wedding, and the couple are the owners of the cafe, Ben and Annie. Their cafe is appropriately called @benandannies ! 😄❤️
I have been going to their cafe since they opened some 7 years and when they asked me to get them married,  I was more than thrilled. 🤩🤩
They arranged their wedding themselves, using their fabulous courtyard at the cafe and keeping it small and intimate for about 25 family member. 

Such an honour to finally get them married. ❤️Congratulations once again Ben and Annie. 🥂See you in the morning for my coffee 💖☕️💖☕️
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@sydneyacousticduo 
@benandannies 
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#sydneymarriagecelebrant #marriagecelebrant #marriagecelebrantsydney #celebrantsydney #celebrantsydney #sydneycelebrant #microwedding
It’s pretty special when you marry your best friend, and the love of your life. 
❤️❤️
Carmen and Steve’s wedding @stgeorgesailingclub was everything they had dreamed of. 

And with what they now call their very own “Brady Bunch” becoming a family of 6 now, they have created a new family with endless possibilities. 

Congratulations lovers, AKA The Foxes 🦊 It was so much fun being part of such  an incredibly important moment in your lives. 💖❤️🦊💖❤️🦊

Fabulous images by Kristen @thepaperfox

#sydneymarriagecelebrant 
#marriagecelebrant 
#marriagecelebrantsydney 
#celebrantsydney 
#sydneycelebrant 
#springwedding
Carmen and Steve’s spectacular September wedding was one for the books! Their first dance to “September” was the perfect celebration of their love, complete with incredible moves on the dance floor. 🕺💃🏻🪩

As their celebrant and MC, it was such a joy to witness every moment come together so beautifully. Seeing their vision unfold was truly magical.

Huge congratulations to the fabulous couple, Carmen and Steve! 🥂💖 It was a night I’ll remember for a very long time. 

And a special shoutout to the incredible team who brought it all to life:

Photo/Video: @thepaperfox
Venue: @stgeorgesailingclub
Music: @mumamegs
Flowers: @aisleofeden 
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#marriagecelebrants 
#sydneymarriagecelebrant 
#marriagecelebrantsydney 
#sydneycelebrant 
#celebrantsydney
First Spring Wedding for 2024! 🌼🌸🪻🌷🌺🌼

Jess and Andy finally made it official in the stunning Spring sunshine, in the garden of a private home at Stanwell Park. With only about 12 guests including their 2 small children, it was picture perfect. ☀️
Congratulations Jess and Andy. Have a great night celebrating with your loved ones. 🍾💖🥂
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@photo.by.raphael 
#sydneycelebrant #marriagecelebrant  #marriagecelebrant #sydneymarriagecelebrant #marriagecelebrantsydney
When you elope, (I’m mean… really elope) with only the photographer and a “random” as your witness, it’s important to keep it a secret until your loved ones have heard your happy news. 💖💖 Now that everyone knows, I’m allowed to share their photos. 

Back in July, Aebee and Jamie met me at Oak Park Cronulla, in what was the most spectacular winters day ☀️🌊 for them to secretly get married. 🤫

They had some special vows to say to each other and we stepped away to let them have some time alone while they declared their love and made some special promises to each other. It was a beautiful heartfelt moment. ❤️❤️

The next day, they jetted ✈️ off to Bali for a secret honeymoon. 🥂⛱️🏝️ If you are a romantic at heart, this ticked all the romance boxes for an elopement! 

Congratulations once again Aebee and Jamie. And thank you for sharing a few images from the fabulous photographer @karlapaniaguaphoto 
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@simpleceremonies 
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#marriagecelebrant #sydneymarriagecelebrant #celebrantsydney #celebrantsydney #marriagecelebrantsydney #elopement
Happy 1st Year Anniversary Elizabeth and Patrick. 🥂❤️❤️

Fabulous memories of your gorgeous wedding @tumblingwatersretreat 
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@twopeachesphotography 
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#weddinganniversary #marriagecelebrant #celebrantsydney #sydneycelebrant #sydneymarriagecelebrant #marriagecelebrantsydney
When days were warmer back in March ☀️and Camila and Junior celebrated with family and friends at Shelly Beach Cronulla. 🇧🇷 💖
There was colour, fun, joy and happy tears all round. And their adorable Fur Baby 🐶 was the ring bearer. 💍 
With family travelling from overseas for the event, Sydney did not disappoint with her Autumn sunshine ☀️ And fabulous images by the talented @karlapaniaguaphoto 
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@simpleceremonies 
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#marriagecelebrant #sydneymarriagecelebrant #marriagecelebrantsydney #celebrantsydney #sydneycelebrant #simpleceremonies #beachwedding
The KISS Principle….“Keep it Simple Sweethearts”❤️❤️ 

With the cost of living in Sydney going through the roof, but you still want to get married, use the KISS principle. 

That’s what Maisa and Gabriel did. ❤️❤️Only their 2 witnesses present, and off to celebrate with a casual lunch. 🥂Then one day, on one of their wedding anniversaries, (when they have a little more cash to splash💰) they will have a big party with all of their favourite people, to celebrate the day they said “I Do” at Cronulla! 
Simply Perfect! 🥂💖🥂💖
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@simpleceremonies 
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#simpleceremonies #marriagecelebrant #sydneymarriagecelebrant #marriagecelebrantsydney #cronullawedding #cronullaweddings #sydneycelebrant #elopement
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