Marry Me Marilyn - Civil Marriage Celebrants Gold Coast Brisbane Byron Bay Marilyn Verschuure -Wedding Celebrant Wedding Celebrants- Same Sex Commitments - Baby Namings - Renewal of Vows - Handfastings - Sand Ceremonies - Candle Ceremony
Australian Wedding Celebrants For International Visitors -Brisbane City, Mt Tamborine, Brisbane Bayside, Brisbane South Brisbane North Brisbane East Brisbane West, Redlands, South Stradbroke Island Logan, Pine Rivers, Byron Bay, Mt Tamborine, Gold Coast North Gold Coast Central Gold Coast South, Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, Coolangatta, Currumbin Beach, Main Beach, Logan, Burleigh Beach, Miami Beach, Mermaid Beach, Tweed Coast, Northern NSW, South East Queensland, Queensland Australia

Marry On the Glorious Gold Coast Sophisticated Stylish Brisbane
Magical Mystical Byron Bay
Just Say Marry Me Marilyn

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The Gold Coast has Glorious Golden Beaches & more than 300 days of Sunshine per Year. You can Marry on a Golden Beach a Hinterland Retreat, Winery Among the Vines, in National Parks Under the Rainforest Canopy, Parks by the Sea, Botanical Gardens, Cosy Romantic Chapels, Stylish Wedding Reception Venues, Seaside and Mountain Restaurants with Panoramic Ocean Views or a Fun Theme Park. If you are the adventurous kind you can jump out of a plane, get married in a helicopter, go up in a hot air balloon or even scuba dive if that is your passion.

Martijn & Merit from The Netherlands were married on Main Beach on the Gold Coast as the sun went down. They included their Love Story, the Blessing of the Hands and a Shell Ceremony.

Testimonial Elisa & Paul O'Reillys Rainforest Retreat Gold Coast Hinterland
Hi Marilyn, Thank you so much for all your help with preparing and delivering the most amazing ceremony. It was fun, relaxed, personal, emotional and loving, which is totally us. All of our friends and family also commented on how fantastic the ceremony was, particularly the Love Story and the Blessing of the Hands. When you told our love story we have photos where one friend was really belly laughing and another was wiping tears away from her eyes it was so moving! You really are the best story teller! Thank you again for making our special day even more special! love from Elisa & Paul.Click here to see more photos

Elisa & Paul's Wedding at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat Luke's Bluff in the Glorious Gold coast Hinterland.

Gold Coast Helicopter Adventure Wedding 5000' Up at 200KMPH

Gold Coast Helicopter Adventure Wedding 5000' Up Over South Stradbroke Island and Main Beach Surfers Paradise.

Testimonial Candy & Joe
Dear Marilyn, Thank you for weaving your magic on our special day.  We went through many websites until we came across yours and were captivated initially by your spiritual style of ceremony and the fact you were a resource of information and suitable locations. We wanted a boutique wedding but something that was different and memorable. When we came up with the idea of getting married in a Helicopter, you were as excited as we were – why not get married 5000 feet over Main Beach at 200KMPH on a glorious Gold Coast Day! Sounded crazy at the time but you took control and eliminated so much pressure for us. On the day you united Candy and myself with your beautiful words. The icing on the cake was making my son Michael part of the ceremony and having special vows that united the three of us all as one. For anyone that is looking for a special person that will be as passionate about their day as you are, it is impossible to go past you. Thankyou Sincerely for your passion and inspiration. Candy and Joe XXX

Testimonial Kate & Richard From South Africa married at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast
Marilyn, thank you so much for a unique ceremony. When we met with you, you welcomed us with a hug and delicious coffee and biscuits. We knew then that we had made a good choice, especially as you were marrying our friends that following weekend. Your input and ideas were exceptional and we were so glad we settled on the handfasting ritual. Everyone said it was such a lovely idea and they all really enjoyed the ceremony. We will definitely recommend you to any of our friends who tie the knot in the future. Thanks again for making our day so special. Kate and Richard

Jasmin & Oliver North Burleigh Beach Gold Coast - Oliver is from England
Thank you so much for making our wedding so much fun, we loved every moment of it especially the love story you did an absolutely fantastic job.  We are so glad we managed to find a celebrant that could put a bit of our characters into the ceremony and have something much more personal and fun than the usual ceremony.  We both fully enjoyed the wine ceremony too.  All of our guests enjoyed the ceremony and we have had lots of positive comments.  I will be definitely recommending you to anyone I hear of getting married.  Thank you again you are awesome love Oli and Jas x

Legals - Long-Distance Planning

You must produce to myself your authorised marriage celebrant a Notice of Intended Marriage. Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form needs to be completed (please download from link above) and witnessed by an authorised body.This notice must be signed in the presence of any of the following:
(a) if a party signs the notice in Australia - an authorized celebrant, a Commissioner for Declarations under the Statutory
Declarations Act 1959, a justice of the peace, a barrister or solicitor, a legally qualified medical practitioner, or a member of
the Australian Federal Police or the police force of a State or Territory;
(b) if a party signs the notice outside Australia - an Australian Diplomatic Officer, an Australian Consular Officer, an employee of
the Commonwealth authorized under paragraph 3 (c) of the Consular Fees Act 1955, an employee of the Australian Trade Commission authorized under paragraph 3 (d) of the Consular Fees Act 1955 or a notary public.

This forms needs to be lodged with me no later than 1 month & 1 day prior and no earlier than 18mths to the date of your wedding. Once you have completed the forms you need to post me the original NOIM. It can be lodged by fax initially but the original NOIM must be produced for me to keep and finalise by sighting your other documents prior to the Wedding and then I must send it to the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages in the state in which you were married after your Marriage with your Marriage Certificate.

You must have either of the following for both parties:

Original Birth Certificate or Birth Certificate Extract for a person born in Australia or for a person born overseas issued by a Government of an overseas country in English or translated into English by an accredited translator .Original means a certificate issued by the relevant government body with the necessary stamps and signatures. (Please note Justice of the Peace or notary witnessed photocopies are not acceptable by law.)

or

For a person born overseas a Passport issued by a Government of an overseas country; showing the date and place of birth of the person can be used instead of a Birth Certificate. If your date and place of birth is not in English it must be translated by an accredited translator.

If you don't have a Birth Certificate you can apply to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the State or Country in which you were born.

If either of you have previously been married I will need to sight your original Divorce Certificate or Divorce Decree Absolute from your latest marriage issued by the court. Original means a certificate issued by the relevant government body with the necessary stamps and signatures. (Justice of the Peace or Notary witnessed authorised photocopies are not acceptable by law.)

Both parties must be over 18 years of age. One may be 16 years if they have a court order and parental consent.

I can provide the 2 necessary witnesses (for a small fee), a legal requirement to marry in Australia. Each witness must 18 years or over they can be of any nationality and must understand English and be of sound mind.

You do not have to be in Australia for any specified time prior to the wedding provided all the necessary paper work has been correctly completed and lodged with me prior to your arrival.

Check with your own consulate whether a ceremony conducted in Australia is legally recognized in your country.

If either of your former spouses is deceased, I need to sight their original Death Certificates as issued by the designated government body in your country.

Certificates in a foreign language or passports in other than the Roman Alphabet must be translated into English by an accredited translator service such as National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). By law, photocopies are not accepted.

If you live in another city or country, planning your ceremony is easy. We can communicate through Skype, email, telephone, fax or post and it is simple for me to see your official documentation when you arrive in the Gold Coast for your ceremony.

However, if you have a family member or friends in the Gold Coast, I am happy for them to come to meet me on your behalf and I can liaise with them if this helps your planning.

After the Wedding

British Commonwealth Residents

You will need to obtain a registered copy of your Marriage Certificate from the Registering Authority.

Residents from other Countries

If you live in a non British Commonwealth country as well as obtaining a registered copy of your Marriage Certificate you will also need to obtain an Apostile or Authentication stamp from the Department of Foreign Affairs in the capital city of the state in which you were married, this then allows you to register your marriage in the country of your residence. Authentications and Apostilles - Smart Traveller site - for couples residing in other countries and wishing to register or authenticate their Australian marriage certificate

Please check with the government of the country concerned to find out which stamp you need, and which documents (if any) you need to have stamped. This advice can only be provided by the overseas government you are dealing with, or with those countries that have embassies and/or consulates in Australia.

You will need to allow time in Brisbane after your marriage to organise this.

Smartraveller: The Australian Government's travel advisory and consular assistance service

Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs - visas

Tim and Melissa from Melbourne were married on the 59th floor of Circle on Cavill Sub Penthouse in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in an Intimate Traditional Wedding with Family and Friends.

Testimonial Tim & Melissa McKinnon
We both wanted to say a big thank you for giving us such a beautiful ceremony. Even with all of the lead being done over the phone, due to us living in Melbourne, you were very organised & calming. We had a truly fabulous time and our ceremony was just perfect!  Thank you for all your help and advice in the planning and for being so professional, yet subtle and gorgeous on the most special day of our lives. Thank you again...Tim & Melissa McKinnon

Testimonial Margaret & Ronald Maori & Samoan Wedding at the Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Course Tweed Heads in New South Wales
Good Morning Marilyn, Well Marilyn where do I begin....words cannot express how we feel about the wedding. You made our wedding absolutely wonderful, actually wonderful isn't the word, it was much much more than that. Everyone was so touched with the wording, the entire ceremony.  I felt like I didn't get to say a proper good bye and thank you as we were all caught up with the photo's. From the bottom of our hearts Marilyn, thank you for being who you are.  For making our wedding day something not just Ronald and I will treasure forever, but for our family and friends to talk about for a long time. I look back and my heart drops I am in such awe of my Wedding day, I feel like my wedding day was the best in the world. You will be remembered in our hearts forever and I will always mention your name when friends and family are searching for that special person to unite them in marriage. We will always think of you when we think of our wedding day. All our love and thanks to you Marilyn and Marcel, Forever thinking of you, Mr & Mrs Ronald Betham :-)

Are you currently trying to decide if you would like to get married on the Gold Coast or anywhere in South East Queensland or Northern NSW? I can provide a highly creative and professional civil celebrant service for you.

Testimonial Candice & Dean from South Africa married at Oskars Burleigh Heads Gold Coast
Hi Marilyn, Thanks again for such a great ceremony! Everybody said it was the best one they have been to!! So unique and special! Candice & Dean

Kelli & Ben's Wedding Ceremony at the Pass in Byron Bay, Northern NSW. Byron Bay is a very spiritual place where Dolphins and Whales pass by just off shore and the sand is golden and the weather is perfect most of the year.

Testimonial from Ben & Kelli
We had no idea of what had to be done for a wedding so the emails and phone calls from Marilyn were really helpful as we were planning long distance from Darwin. When we met Marilyn face to face it was fantastic, it really helped to calm our nerves. It was really nice to meet Marilyn. She gave us a Wedding Resource Pack and heaps of choices in her online resources that we were happy with. The ceremony was perfect and we felt really comfortable with Marilyn. The length of the ceremony was perfect and the ceremony booklets she made for us were gorgeous, we loved them! The wedding fees were excellent and affordable. Ben and I would like to thank Marilyn for the best ceremony ever!

Vicki & David's Wedding Ceremony by the pool at the Wings Hinterland Resort in Tallai. The Gold Coast panorama was an amazing backdrop of bushland and high rise and ocean for their elegant Wedding Ceremony that was a traditional contemporary fusion

Call me on 0413 344 134 for information and to see if I have availability on your ceremony date. I offer at no cost, an obligation-free meeting at my home, your home or a venue of your choice to discuss your vision for your perfect day. You can also email me or use the Contact Me page.

Weddings in Australia

Want a Wedding With the
"WOW" Factor?

Marry On the Glorious Gold Coast
With Marry Me Marilyn

Lets have fun and create something really, really special here! No boring generic ceremonies for you!!
If you are looking for someone who is friendly, relaxed and fun to talk with, enthusiastic about you and your Wedding, full of energy and innovative ideas, always happy and overflowing with imagination call me today and say Marry Me Marilyn!

Matthew & Michelle currently live in Dubai and planned their ceremony at Burleigh Heads on the beautiful Gold Coast by phone, internet and email with me. Michelle is from Brazil and Matt is from Bangalow near Byron Bay in Northern NSW Australia.

Testimonial Katy & Nick Haines Christchurch, New Zealand
Are you thinking about getting married on the Gold Coast and live overseas? if so...You must hire Marilyn!!!
My husband Nick and I can't tell you the amount of times we have told people, "hiring Marilyn as our celebrant from NZ was the best money we spent on our wedding...full stop!" By chance we stumbled across Marilyn on Google and never looked back. Trying to sort everything out from a different country was far more challenging than we expected. Thank God for the internet, our record of communication with Marilyn must read like a novel, but yet Marilyn never tired of our excuses for not getting back to her in time, was always patient, professional and diligent, and helped organise and remind us of very important things that we might otherwise have forgotten or overlooked.
And finally....we arrived! After months of helpful emails at no extra expense, we met Marilyn who was of course the lovely lady just as much in person who had helped us through all the snags (no matter how hard you try they always happen) of our planning.
The ceremony was PERFECT !!! Marilyn made some last minute spontaneous touches that proved her experience in such things, that just MADE the day.
I can't help but think that Marilyn is just very intuitive and naturally gifted about knowing what makes the perfect day for different people. We of course highly recommend her to make your special day ....very special in a unique way, just for you. Take the hassle out of your wedding planning now, and talk to Marilyn...its the best wedding decision you will make.
Katy and Nick Haines, Christchurch, NZ

Chantel from Canada marries Atanas at Monterey Keys Helensvale on Canals of the Gold Coast the Venice of the Southern Hemisphere.

Kirsty & Vladimir's friends and family celebrate their marriage at their wedding with Marilyn Verschuure at picturesque Hinterland Glengariff Historic Estate and Winery in the Dayboro Valley north of Brisbane. There are many beautiful winery venues on the Gold Coast!

Tanja's Brother Tomas flew all the way from the United Kingdom to give Tanja away in a beautiful ceremony on the white sand of Bilinga Beach on the Southern Gold Coast Queensland Australia. the back drop was the brilliant blue Pacific Ocean and the skyline of the famous Surfers paradise. Tanja's mother said she thought the setting was so beautiful and perfect for her daughter's commitment ceremony and that we Australian's probably take it for granted. Tanja is from the United Kingdom with an English & Austrian background and Hayley is Australian.

Sarah and Mauro from Sicily in Italy had a beautiful wedding at Main Beach near Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in Spring.

Testimonial Sarah & Mauro
"Sarah and I organized our wedding in almost one month, as I was coming from abroad we had to make a lot of decisions in a little time. While we were surfing the net we bumped into the Marry Me Marilyn website. We were impressed by Marilyn’s experience in a range of different ceremonies… they were really special and touching and basically we wanted to incorporate all of them!   We chose Marilyn without even getting to know her and exactly one month and one day before the wedding we were at her place planning our wedding from scratch. Since the first meeting with her we felt we had made the right decision: she was just great! Perhaps the most important thing about your wedding is for the ceremony to be personalized for both yourself and your partner… the celebrant needs to understand how your couple is unique then create around you the perfect wedding, this takes time, sensitivity and passion. Marilyn was perfect in all of this! From that first day we felt that we were not just a job for her but that she would have gone the extra mile  to understand us and to make our ceremony unique. She is also really precise, thoughtful and easy to deal with. In two weeks she helped us to design the perfect ceremony while she never rushed us. We got married on a beautiful, perhaps too windy!, day at Main Beach. I think that day Marilyn made all the young couples present at the wedding want to marry straight away, some of our friends even asked for her contacts! We highly recommend Marilyn she is the perfect choice for your big day!”

lo e Sarah abbiamo organizzato il nostro matrimonio in appena un mese, infatti io venivo in Australia direttamente dall’Italia e così abbiamo dovuto prendere molte decisioni in pochissimo tempo. Mentre navigavamo su Internet abbiamo scoperto il Sito di Marilyn. A colpirci è stata subito la grande esperienza di Marylin in diversi e intriganti riti di matrimonio. Ci piacevano così tanto che  in quel momento avremmo voluto incorporarli tutti! Così abbiamo scelto Marilyn senza neanche conoscerla di persona e esattamente un mese prima della data del matrimonio eravamo nella sua casa a pianificare tutto da zero. Probabilmente l’aspetto più importante per un matrimonio è avere una cerimonia che sia il più possibile personalizzata per entrambi gli sposi… La celebrante deve capire la particolarità di ogni coppia e creare il perfetto matrimonio. Questo richiede tempo, sensibilità e passione. Marilyn è stata perfetta in ogni aspetto! Dal nostro primo incontro abbiamo avvertito di non essere semplicemente un numero ma che lei avrebbe fatto di tutto per capire chi fossimo e fare in modo che il nostro rito fosse unico nel suo genere. Marilyn è anche molto precisa, attenta e alla mano. In due settimane ci ha aiutato a fare in modo che il nostro giorno più importante fosse perfetto senza mai metterci fretta. Ci siamo sposati in una bella, forse troppo ventosa!, giornata a Main Beach. Credo che quel giorno Marilyn abbia fatto venire la voglia di sposarsi a più di una coppia di nostri amici, alcuni di loro hanno perfino chiesto a Marilyn i suoi contatti. Io e Sarah vi  raccomandiamo caldamente Marilyn per il vostro giorno più importante.

"Marilyn thank you so much for helping to arrange and conduct our ceremony on Tugan beach. You made the whole process from start to finish very stress-free. From the first email up until our pre-ceremony meeting we felt incredibly comfortable and relaxed with you. Your passion for your job comes through in the professional and engaging way you conduct yourself.
We are so pleased we used Marilyn's services for our special day and would recommened her to anyone thinking of making that special occassion just perfect. She is engaging, approachable, flexible and most of all has a real desire to help your day be just right for you"
Kind Regards Tanja and Hayley
Testimonial Tanja & Hayley

Hayely and Tanja from England had a simple, fun and traditional Commitment Ceremony on the white sands of the magnificent Bilinga Beach on the southern Gold Coast near Coolangatta.Their brothers gave them away.

Marilyn, あなたのおかげでとても楽しく素敵な結婚式になりました。とても感謝しています。
アダムからあなたを司祭（牧師）に選んだと連絡を受けてからずっと、あなたに会える日を心待ちにしていると同時に、ちゃんと英語が通じるかどうかとても心配でしたが、あなたはいつもやさしく丁寧に話してくれましたね。いつも笑顔であたたかくとても安心させられました。私たちは、この一生に一度の大事な結婚式の日に、あなたと共に素晴らしい時間を過ごせたことを嬉しく思います。
彼女（Marilyn）はとても熱心にオリジナルウエディング作りを手伝ってくれます。きっと誰もが彼女に出会ったら彼女のあたたかさを感じることができると思います。
Marilyn, いろいろお世話になりありがとうございました。とても素敵な記念になりました。
アダム＆薫

Marilyn, we appreciate what you have done for us. We really enjoyed the time at the ceremony. It was a wonderful wedding. We never forget the beautiful time.
Adam told me that he asked Marilyn to be our celebrant when I was in Japan. I was looking forward to seeing you and also I was really nervous, because I’m still  studying English so I was worried if I couldn’t understand what you say, but you talked to me slowly and clearly when I met you for the first time, and you tried harder to understand what I want to say.You always smile and relieve me. We are very satisfied with your work. You helped a lot to make a beautiful wedding for us. We were happy to spend a great time with you at the special day.
Marilyn is a warm and helpful parson. We are sure that everyone will feel the same way as us.
Thank you for helping with everything for our wedding.  It is a wonderful memory for us.
Testimonial from Adam & Kaoru

Marilyn Verschuure Civil Marriage Celebrant tells Alejandro and Cassandra's love story to them as part of their wedding ceremony to personalise their ceremony and make it unique! Alejandro comes from Colombia.

Testimonial Fiona & Lance Cabarita Beach NSW Lance is from New Zealand
Marilyn, we would love to say how much of a pleasure it was to have you as our celebrant. You were always so organised & made sure we were on track with our side of things. Whenever we emailed or called you would respond so quickly. Many of our guests commented on how great you were... such a wonderful personality to help portray our Love Story. Your ideas & suggestions were also very helpful! So thank you for being a part of our big day, and thanks so much for the awesome job you did on our Wedding Ceremony. it was just perfect!! You're a star! Fiona & Lance.

Testimonial Kelly & Ruben originally from El Salvador Married at the Wings Hinterland Retreat Tallai Central Gold Coast South East QLD
If we started this testimonial, words cannot express how beautiful our wedding was, then we would be wrong. Words CAN express our wedding day and those words were the words that you prepared and wrote especially for us Marilyn.  Our wedding guests and the both of us, have still not stopped talking about how special our ceremony was that you prepared for us. It was a perfect day, and if we could have it all over again we would not change any of it. We cannot thank you enough Marilyn for your kindness, patience, generosity, time and help.  You seem to have this special in-sight into knowing exactly what to say and offer, and nothing at all was too much trouble for you.  You made us feel so welcome from the first time meeting you to feeling so comfortable on our wedding day we both felt that we had known you forever.  So in our words thank you from the bottom of our hearts, you are truly such a gifted person and fantastic asset to the wedding industry.  We would recommend you to anybody considering getting married.  We cannot thank you enough, Keep up the fantastic work.  Ruben and Kelly xoxox

If you plan to marry on the Gold Coast or anywhere in South East Queensland or Northern NSW, I can provide a highly creative and professional civil celebrant service for you. Would like to have me officiate at your ceremony but you are getting married outside of the area above? I would be happy to travel to perform the marriage but additional costs for travel and accommodation apply.

David and Vicki's Wedding is reflected in the pool at the Wings Hinterland Retreat in Tallai on the Central Gold Coast.

Renewal of Vows

WEATHER The Gold Coast has more than 300 days of sunshine per year. 
Average Temperatures:

Spring	September to November	15-25C (59-77F)
Summer	December to February	20-28C (68-83F)
Autumn	March to May	16-26C (61-77F)
Winter	June to August	11-21C (52-70F)

Australian Government Geoscience Australia - Sunrise Sunset & Twilight Times you can find out when the sun sets and rises and how long the twilight is on your special day to help plan the timing of your ceremony.

Map Of the Gold Coast Queensland