The Rose Ceremony

The couple exchange a single red rose as a symbol of their love and commitment on their special day.

Andy & Rebecca Exchanged a Single Red Rose At their Renewal of Vows Ceremony At Wategos Beach in Byron Bay.

Kirsty & Vladimir exchange roses at their wedding with Marilyn Verschuure Marry Me Marilyn at the Glengariff Historic Estate and Winery in the Dayboro Valley north of Brisbane.

Sarah and Mauro exchanged roses as part of their modern contemporary wedding ceremony on Main
Beach the Spit on the Gold Coast. Marilyn integrated part of their love story into the Rose Ceremony so they can relive and celebrate their love story every anniversary

Wine Ceremony

A favourite with couples, this ritual involves the best friend or the celebrant pouring a goblet of wine and handing it to the couple.

Kirsty and Vlad sign the Marriage Certificates after the Wine Ceremony Declaration at the Glengariff Historic Estate and Winery in the Dayboro Valley north of Brisbane.

Kirsty & Vlad's sip from the Cup at their Wine Ceremony as the declaration of their marriage at their wedding in the hinterland at the Glengariff Historic Estate and Winery in the Dayboro Valley north of Brisbane.

Testimonial Jasmin & Oliver Wedding at North Burleigh Beach on the Southern Gold Coast QLD
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 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

Shell Blessing & Water Blessing

One of the Shell Ceremonies I use is from the Thai Buddhist wedding tradition. The water is held in a conch shell container.

At Gillian & Ryan's Wedding at An Island Hideaway Resort on South Stradbroke Island they included a Unity Shell Ceremony especially designed by Marilyn. Ryan's brother and best man held the shell for them.

Unity Sand Ceremony

During the sand ceremony, different coloured sands are blended together. The couple each take a small vase of sand of a different colour and pour them into a large vase swirling the sands together or pouring in layers with children and or parents.

Sand Ceremonies are a wonderful way to included a blended family to make everyone involved feel special unique yet included in this family unity sand ceremony. Rebecca and Kim had each of their children pour a different layer of sand to celebrate their uniqueness and what they bring to form a stronger unit.

Unity Candle Ceremony

The candle lighting ceremony symbolizes the joining of two people and two families. The mothers of the couple light a candle, which symbolizes the family of each, and the individuality of the bride and bride or groom and groom.

Cassie and Alejandro light their separate candles then the central candle to symbolise their sacred conscious marriage. Their two separate lives join as one walking the same spiritual path together.

Ruby Crystal Bowl Ceremony

The Ruby Crystal Singing Bowl is a quartz crystal tool of loving protection with the powerful vibration of mystical Ruby, a "stone of nobility". It radiates spiritual wisdom, health, transformation and wealth.

Essential Oil Rituals in Marriage Commitment and Naming Ceremonies

Essential oils can be integrated into the structure of your ceremony to enhance the senses, the awareness and your presence. They assist you to experience the connection with your partner through ritual.

After the excitement of the wedding has faded, when you use those oils again with your partner, the aroma will bring back all the magical memories of the love and the emotions of your special day! Their fragrance also reminds you to be present in your everyday life. It would also be perfect to use them again on your Wedding Anniversary and when you Renew your Vows!

Call Marilyn Your Fun, Friendly, Fabulous Gold Coast, Brisbane & Byron Bay Civil Marriage Celebrant Marry Me Marilyn now on 0413344134 & say
Marry Me Marilyn

Most couples choose to include in their ceremony a very special moment to share with their guests, making their ceremony truly unique and memorable. Here are a selection of the many you can use. You can use more than one and it is possible to combine
them.For more detail on these ceremonies please select the ceremony from the drop down menu above or below or from these links.

• Rose Ceremony

• Unity Candle Ceremony

• Four Element Ceremony

• Unity Sand Ceremony

• Wine Ceremony

• Handfasting & Blessing of the Hands

• Family Unity Ceremony

• Crystal Ceremony
  

• Rituals From Other Cultures

• Shell Ceremony

• Butterfly Release

Handfasting

Often the ritual of 'Handfasting' is performed, whereby the couple's hands are bound by a natural woven thread, fibre or cloth, and just before the 'Giving of Rings' the binding is slipped off with the knot still intact, signifying the fact they will always be 'bound together in marriage'. (Many couples who have a civil ceremony today, just incorporate Handfasting into their ceremony without any of the other traditions.)

The red, black and silver handfasting cord was hand woven by the Women Shaman of the Island of the Moon in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. The Blue cord was very significant as it belonged to Fatima’s Spiritual Mentor.

Sean and Gemma had a Handfasting as part of their Wedding Ceremony. They are holding their hands in the Infinity Hand Hold symbolising being together forever!

Mary & Brendan had an original handfasting ceremony at their home on Macleay Island in the Brisbane Bay Islands in the Redlands Region. "Thank you again for everything that you have done for us. I think about our wedding everyday, how complete it was in every sense. It couldn't have been the same without you." Much love and light from Mary & Brendan Veitch.

Red Cord is dedicated in the Handfasting Wedding Ceremony of Jenny and Charles - Blessed be this union with the gifts of the South and the elements of Fire, for energy, passion, creativity and warmth of a loving home. From the Fire within you generates light, which you will share with one another in even the darkest of times.

Olivia & Cameron's had a Handfasting at their Wedding at Williamina Park East Brisbane. Their two daughters passed the cords to them as they made their handfasting vows.

Blessing of the Hands

Gemma Holds Sean's Hands in Her Hands for the Blessing of the Hands for their Wedding at the elegant Santai Resort Casuarina Beach Northern NSW.

Elisa & Paul had a Blessing of the Hands at their Wedding with Marilyn verschuure at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat Luke's Bluff in the Glorious Gold Coast Hinterland.

Angela Holds David's Hands in Her Hands for the Blessing of the Hands on Palm Beach on the Gold Coast in glorious Queensland.

Four Elements Ceremony

Ceremonies may encompass the love and respect of nature - the four elements which includes Mother Earth who brings all things good. These ceremonies pay respect to these individual elements and each element represents North: Fire, South: Air, East: Water or West: Earth.

Four Elements and the Four Cardinal Directions marked by the candle for fire, the crystal for earth, the feather for air and the shell containing water.

Four Elements and the Four Cardinal Directions marked by the lanterns in the Sacred Circle

Crystal Ceremony

Crystal Vibrations - each person in the ceremony can use the dedicated crystal to balance and aligning their body's energy and a couple can use them to align with each others energy.

Butterfly Release

According to an American Indian Legend - If anyone desires a wish to come true they must first capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it. Since a butterfly can make no sound the butterfly can not reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit who hears and sees all.

Baby Tia watches her Godparents release the Butterflies during the Butterfly Ceremony at her Naming Ceremony at Daisy Hill Forest Park in Logan South of Brisbane.

Digeridoo Playing

Bob played the digeridoo while the Wedding Party entered the Sacred Space for the Wedding of Cassandra and Alejandro. Cassie relaxes after the wedding and celebrates.

Cassandra & Alejandro acknowledged the traditional owners of the land on which they gathered.

Inclusion of Your Treasured Pets

Are your pets a big part of your life? Are they part of the family? You can include them in your ceremony in a wide variety of roles.

Amelia & Gohan are the treasured pet Pugs of Sara and Dan and are part of their family. Amelia & Gohan wore bridal outfits and were led into the Ceremony space for the Wedding by the junior Bridesmaid and flowergirl.

Featuring your pets in your Wedding can be fun especially when they are dressed to kill in black tie!