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
It was a joyous family affair when Narelle and Mark made it official. ❤️❤️
Just each other’s children and their grandchildren to celebrate the occasion, at Stanwell Park beach standing in front of a beautiful tree that was beautifully symbolic of the new extensions of their new family tree. 🌳 

Thanks to fabulous photographer @paulgolbachphotography for sharing the images….and for recommending me to his father-in-law Mark to be their celebrant. Thanks a bunch, once again Paul. 😘
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#familywedding #microwedding #marriagecelebrant #sydneymarriagecelebrant #celebrantsydney #marriagecelebrantsydney #sydneycelebrant #southcoastwedding 
@ambrosiaalterations
These 2 lucky couples managed to get married on a cool Sunday morning…… in between showers. Sydney’s winter has been unseasonally wet ☔️🌧️ but we nailed it! The rain returned as we all jumped into our cars to leave…phew. Congratulations  to Selene and Wilfredo, and Maisa and Gabriel. 💖🥂Sunday morning Wedding Celebrations are pretty special. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
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@simpleceremonies
#marriage #weddingday #marriagecelebrant #celebrantsydney #sydneymarriagecelebrant #simpleceremonies #beachwedding
The cold temperature on the day of  Lian and Nicole’s wedding at @bendooleyestate is now a distance memory. 
Perfect winter sunshine ☀️ and I was able to watch them have some gorgeous photos taken at “Golden Hour” before the drive home. Stunning 🌅

@tlstudiosydney 
@bendooleyestate 

#sydneymarriagecelebrant #celebrantsydney #marriagecelebrant #marriagecelebrantsydney #southernhighlandswedding #bendoleyestate #winterwedding
I helped a beautiful family say farewell to their sister, mum, and ”Grand-Mum”, Aunty and cherished friend, this morning. 😇
This beautiful soul was the epitome of resilience,strength  and determination, having lived with many health challenges throughout her life , yet never complaining or letting  any adversity get in her way. A true inspiration. 💖

The family gifted me a beautiful candle as a thank you, and the wording created by her 2 children reads:

“ Mum. Someone that sees the best in her kids, even when they drive her crazy. One person who does the work of 20 for free.”😉

Yep….. 😊💖
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#funeralcelebrantsydney #funerals #celebrantfuneral #celebrantsydney #funeralcelebrant
Sunrise at Cronulla to start Wednesday…let’s go! ☀️
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#sydneymarriagecelebrant #marriagecelebrant #shirecelebrant #marriagecelebrantsydney
No crazy winter wind 💨 rain 🌧️ and or cold temperatures, was going to stop these 3 couples from getting married at Cronulla yesterday! 
What a ride it was! ( Im totally thawed out now thankfully 🤣) 

1 couple used their back up plan at home,  and the other 2 couples braved the elements with a sheer grit and determination. 
Regardless… I left them all with hearts full of love 💖💖and smiles on their faces.  Congratulations to all 3 couples. ❤️❤️❤️

@simpleceremonies 
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#marriagecelebrant #sydneycelebrant #sydneymarriagecelebrant #simpleceremonies #sydneysimpleceremony 
#winterweddings #winterweddingseason #sydneywinterwedding
We had a holiday!!!🏝️🌊⛱️☀️ 🍹🍸Nusa Dua Bali 2024. Feeling recharged and refreshed…. no need to say much more, except…. it was divine. ☀️💕☀️💕
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#marraigecelebrant #celebrantsydney #sydneycelebrant #sydneymarriagecelebrant #sydneyweddings #nusaduabali
Blue skies at Blues Point Reserve for Clament and Effie’s Wedding. ☀️☀️With Claments cheeky humour and Effie’s calm approach, it was very easy to see they are a perfect pair. ❤️❤️
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@simpleceremonies 
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#marriagecelebrant #marriagecelebrantsydney #sydneymarriagecelebrant #simpleceremonies
Steve and Jennifer were so happy, nervous and thrilled to be married on Monday morning  at The Studio in Milsons Point. 

After their morning ceremony, with just 4 witnesses, they headed down the road to take some photos in the glorious sunshine at Bradfield Park, before heading out for a a fabulous lunch in Chinatown. Congratulations once again Steve and Jennifer. ❤️❤️Truly a delight to have been part of your special day. 💖💖
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@simpleceremonies 
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#marriagecelebrant #sydneycelebrant #sydneymarraigecelebrant #sydneyweddings #simpleceremonies
Something sweet 💖happened on this Tuesday morning…..Michael and Tifanie are planning a bigger celebration in France next year but today was about making their relationship official in Australia with just a handful of special people in their lives including family who flew in from NZ 🇳🇿 and France 🇫🇷. 

With their 3 month old son in their arms it was a perfect setting while listening the sounds of the waves 🌊 behind us. 
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@simpleceremonies 
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#simpleceremonies #marriagecelebrant #celebrantsydney #sydneymarriagecelebrant 
#autumnwedding #beachwedding