Wedding Ceremonies ...


Jennifer Cram, Authorised Marriage Celebrant
Advanced Diploma of Marriage Celebrancy (High Distinction)
Certificate IV in Marriage Celebrancy
Advanced Diploma of General Celebrancy (High Distinction)
Advanced Diploma of Funeral Celebrancy (High Distinction)
Member Professional Celebrants Association
Member Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants
 

As a celebrant, I appreciate fully that the single most important thing that you want for your wedding is for it to be special, to be different, to be unique, to be something that no-one in your circle of friends has done before, something that everyone will remember and talk about for years.  While certain paperwork and words make the ceremony legal, it is the language of the heart that makes it real to you as a couple and to your family and friends. That is why I offer imaginative and truly personal ceremonies custom-created for you rather than restrict you to the limited choices provided by standard or mix-and-match ceremonies. And why I have developed and continue to develop unique inclusions not offered by any other celebrant.

For even more information about all the wedding choices and possibilities available to you
please go to my www.jennifercram.com.au website

A successful marriage ceremony is complex and personal. It depends on a number of factors:
  • The quality of the relationship which has been built up between you and your celebrant while developing the ceremony
  • the skill and warmth with which the ceremony is performed on the day, and
  • the efficiency and accuracy with which the legal requirements, including the paperwork, are met
It is important that you choose a celebrant with whom you feel comfortable, in whom you feel confident,  and who emotionally connects with you. A celebrant who doesn't feel like a stranger.  And, quite frankly, it is important that your celebrant is honest with you and prepared to decline the booking if she/he doesn't feel that you can work well together. Should I feel that we are not able to establish the kind of rapport necessary to ensure a great outcome for you, I'll be honest about it.
                       
Your Marriage Ceremony

As your celebrant, I am responsible for the creation and stage-management of your ceremony, but only as your facilitator. I  will do nothing to disempower you or compromise your right to make your ceremony uniquely yours.   

There is an enormous amount of flexibility possible in how your ceremony is structured and what elements are included, some of which will be influenced by the type of wedding you choose. I offer you a fresh approach to ceremonies, the benefit of my in-depth analysis of all aspects of the traditional wedding ceremony, and unique inclusions not offered by any other celebrant. I delight in creating and performing
  • Traditional wedding ceremonies with a very personal flavour
  • Contemporary wedding ceremonies
  • Theme wedding ceremonies  - modern interpretations of age-old traditional weddings (including Mediaeval, Irish/Celtic, Scottish Tartan, and True-Blue Aussie weddings)
  • Interfaith/Intercultural wedding ceremonies
  • Spiritual wedding ceremonies
  • Destination wedding ceremonies (for overseas and interstate couples)
  • Double weddings
  • Combined wedding/naming ceremonies
  • Encore weddings (second marriages)
  • Wedding ceremonies for blending families
more information about wedding types . .            

Wedding traditions comprise many and varied customs. These are merely the reflection of the history of the people and cultures concerned. They can therefore be creatively tailored to suit your own circumstances and situation.
There is no right and wrong beyond doing what comes from the heart and is authentic to you.

All wedding ceremonies have a linear structure that flows from beginning to end, and, if well-done, builds emotion to the high-point—the pronouncement that you are now husband and wife.

In addition to the essential structure, which follows a logical order—the opening, the exchange of vows and the pronouncement— there are other components which add considerably to creating a successful and emotionally satisfying ceremony

Melissa and Andrew married at Indooroopilly Golf Club

I would like to thank you for a beautiful and most memorable wedding ceremony. You managed to personalise the ceremony as we requested and many guests commented it was very emotional for them too. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
- Melissa and Andrew
Photograph by courtesy of Scott Lawler
  • Rituals, which offer an opportunity to give visual expression to an important part of the ceremony, as well as to add cultural and symbolic touches meaningful in the context of your individual or shared heritage)
    • The ring exchange is the most common but there are many other symbolic activities that can be included in your ceremony
    • Additional rituals (such as the unity candle, the sand ceremony, the rose ceremony, wine ritual, honey ritual, hand-fasting, and so on.
  • Readings (Poetry, prose or songs)
    • <><>Music (the soundtrack of your ceremony)
  • The choreography and stagecraft of the ceremony -  who moves where, when, and how the words are delivered.
A word about readings and rituals
Readings can serve a number of purposes:
  • they can bring a change of pace to the ceremony
  • they are a mechanism by which more people can actively participate in the ceremony
  • they can express many-facetted sentiments and ideas very succinctly (particularly true of poetry)
  • they can inject the words of an "expert"
But they can also be used as fillers to save the celebrant the effort of writing - a ceremony that basically consists of a series of readings strung together with a few words is destroys the potential of your ceremony and ignores the personal nature of the ceremony.

Rituals are symbolic ceremonial elements that incorporate acts highlighting some aspect of your intention for your future. They are often referred to as “ceremonies”, as in “ring ceremony”. And the objects used in the ritual can be retained as a keepsake.
Unity Candle and Sand Ceremony: A Definitive Guide to Candle and Sand Rituals in Wedding and Commitment Ceremonies  by Jennifer Cram

Am I the right celebrant for you?

I am best suited to couples who want a completely original heartfelt ceremony  that is authentic to you, that is 100% personalised, that expresses the union of two adults, celebrates the depth of your relationship
as well as the breadth of your lives,  pays close attention to the visual, the subliminal and the emotional aspects of the ceremony, and fully engages your guests  — and are therefore willing to work with me to achieve that goal.

I don't offer apparently low prices for a standard ceremony. A great ceremony can't happen without a great script.
I only offer exceptional service and creative unique ceremonies at whichever of my service levels best fit your needs and  circumstances. And my pricing and service is not one-size-fits-all.  I offer a range of ceremony service levels at prices which reflect my level of input, time, and additional features and services

 Full Service Couture Ceremony  ~ Simpler Couture Ceremony ~
~No Fuss Intimate Ceremony ~  Enchanting Elopement
I seek your input (you will have to some homework!), listen to you, make suggestions, and then work with you to create the ceremony, composing a draft which I send to you for approval, corrections and changes.
The focus of the ceremony will always be on the promises you make and on acknowledgement and inclusion of all those who are important to you. You will have unlimited consultations and final approval, so that, in the end, we have the ceremony that is perfect for you, and with which you are comfortable and familiar, so that on the day you are relaxed and able to be in the moment as you exchange your vows.

Warm and Wonderful Weekday Weddings
A simpler ceremony but no less warm and personal. Less work for you. I ask you to choose vows and give me some information about the type of ceremony you want, and then create a ceremony for you. I will send you an outline so you know what to expect on the day.




My fee for a wedding ceremony
  • Developing and performing a custom-created wedding ceremony takes commitment, creativity, knowledge and time that goes far beyond the visible half hour of the actual ceremony.
  • The invisible hours (at least 15, and generally more, for a full-service couture ceremony) include:
  • Initial (for all ceremony types) and unlimited followup meetings (for full-service couture ceremonies) with you and communicating with you by email and/or and/or email. Where it is logistically possible, I prefer to meet face to face at least once, but I am comfortable with using other means - email, phone or mail - to communicate where distance or other factors make this more convenient.
  • Providing you with information about the legal process, the framework for the ceremony, and exploring with you ideas and opportunities to ensure that your ceremony fits with the overall style of your wedding celebrations but also provides substance.
  • Preparing and completing all the legal paperwork and lodging the paperwork after the ceremony
  • Writing a unique ceremony that is centred on you, reflects your love and your values, and respects and honours your beliefs and cultural traditionsNo-Fuss Intimate Wedding
  • Working through and refining the ceremony draft
  • Conducting the rehearsal (full-service couture ceremony)
  • Delivering your ceremony on the day in a joyful, engaged and meaningful way
  • Travel to and from meetings with you and to and from the ceremony venue
  • Liaising with your photographer, videographer and musicians
While fees and services of celebrants vary widely, you would expect to pay a higher fee for a ceremony with substance that, through both its language and its style reflects your unique relationship, and that serves as a blueprint for your marriage, a ceremony which supports and sets off your vows, like the setting of your engagement ring sets off the gem.

A cheap ceremony may not necessarily be value for money. It may actually be quite expensive if broken down to per hour of effort put in by the celebrant. A low fee is generally an indicator of one of two things:
  • the celebrant is a 'conveyer-belt' celebrant, that is, he/she performs multiple ceremonies on the same day, generally scheduled close together to maximise earnings on high-demand days.  Your ceremony will be pretty standard, and there is a high risk that if an earlier ceremony runs late there will be a ripple effect, compromising every subsequent ceremony on that day.
  • the celebrant is attempting to gain experience by undercutting the market and may well lack the infrastructure and skills required to deliver a professional ceremony in a poised, professional and engaging manner.

No hidden costs, add-ons, or extra 'surprise' charges.
  Preparation of letter for shortening of time at no extra cost
No additional charges other than travel beyond 100km return and parking fees (where required due to the nature/location of the venue).
Where additional services are required relating to application for a Prospective Marriage visa   (commonly called a Fiance Visa), there will be a small additional charge.
Payment accepted by Cash, Cheque, Direct Deposit, and Money Order.




jennifer cram civil celebrant brisbane queensland australia


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jennifer cram civil celebrant brisbane queensland australia

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Jennifer Cram is a secular humanist celebrant
in Queensland Australia
Serving all of Brisbane, Redlands, Redcliffe, Pine Rivers, Logan and Ipswich
Ceremonies performed in private homes, parks, gardens, hotels, clubs, restaurants, chapels, function centres, reception centres, wedding venues.
Day or evening ceremonies 365 days a year

Her Celebrant Services include:
Wedding Ceremonies: Contemporary, Traditional, Spiritual, Inter-cultural, Scottish, Celtic, Chinese, Buddhist, Mediaeval; Handfasting; Renewal of Vows; Commitment Ceremonies for gay, lesbian, and straight couples; Naming Ceremony; House Warming; Launching; Divorce Ceremony;  Separation (End-of-Relationship) Ceremonies