If you’re looking to change your last name after your wedding, but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone.
In my experience as a marriage celebrant, up to 90% of newly-married brides (and a few pioneering grooms and spouses) choose to change their last or family name after marriage and are super confused about how to go about it.
It’s a real process that can take around 8 hours over several days or weeks to complete. This is because every company or institution has their own unique process and is not legally permitted to share your details with anyone else.
The good news is, I can help save you a lot of time and even some money too.
Let’s get started!
Alana and Peter's wedding plans (like so many engaged couples worldwide) were thrown into disarray in 2020.
Between the NSW border closures due to COVID-19 and their original venue in Byron Bay burning down (true story!) Peter and Alana tried for a 3rd and final time to have a super low-key, no stress day just for them and their immediate family.
Something simple, but beautiful, elegant, but without any pretence.
Sam and Emily make time to see their families, to share special moments together, and they love talk on the phone often. They wanted to bring this warmth and appreciation, that had always been shown towards them, into their wedding ceremony too.
With COVID border closures, the tyranny of distance and for those who'd passed away, some of their family were not able to be with us in person, so we incorporated them and their interests as much as we could through readings, a memorial and with a big smoochy kiss right down Alex's lens. 😅
I’m not one for fluffy and OTT poetry and I think it’s fair to say that the majority of my couples aren’t massive fans either.
But I do recognise how the power of a well chosen wedding reading in a ceremony can be instrumental in bringing about a feeling of gratefulness, humanity, and hope.
And a great reader who takes the time to deliver a quote, reading or poem with poise and intention can really lift a modern wedding ceremony above and beyond the ordinary.
But first, you need a great wedding reading.
Hopefully this post, along with 5 Wedding Readings That Aren’t Too Soppy and More Unique & Beautiful Wedding Readings For Your Ceremony, will help you to narrow down the search.
What are your options if you want to include a reading in your wedding ceremony, but aren't a fan of Shakespeare and don't want to have 1 Corinthians 13?
The great thing about civil ceremonies in Australia is, apart from 3 sentences that I have to say from The Marriage Act 1961 and 1 legal sentence you have to say in your vows, the rest is completely up to you. The sky's the limit.
And you can make your ceremony even more meaningful by finding a reading (or two) that you LOVE - rather than something you think is 'just okay'. Readings can come from anywhere; lyrics from songs, quotes from movies or the words from your team's victory song (God help us all..)
Here are five of my favourites..
Paul and Rayleen, who first met when Paul was in town from Melbourne for business, were initially drawn to one another by their quirky sense of humour and shared taste in music and dumplings. It stood to reason that their wedding day should include a decent helping of laughs, music, good food and fun..
Tysen and Kelly's ceremony is a great example of what can be achieved when there is trust and consistent and open communication. Right from our first meeting around 13 months before the big day, they knew what they wanted and better still, told me all about it.
The vision was a warm and intimate, pared-back, but still elegant celebration inclusive of their best friends and family. Kelly's skills as a graphic designer were going to be at the core of the fresh and romantic aesthetic.
For Will and Abby, their search for the perfect wedding venue was a pretty short one. Longview Vineyard in Macclesfield was the place where they first said 'I love you' and so, combined with efforts of their award-winning event manager, Jess, they felt quite at home on their wedding day.
All of this would have been like a wonderful, colourful dream should the lovely Rachael Farmer of Rachael Elizabeth Photography (Rachael's Insta and Facebook) have not captured it all in such a spectacular way. The story of Will and Abby's day is brought to life in this series of photos. I tried to cull it down as much as I could (!), but really feel like each picture is an essential insight to their celebration.
The weather was near perfect, the scene set with modern decor and lush floral arrangements and Maddie and Matt's nearest and dearest had travelled from far and wide and were in a party mood. When you plan your wedding, this is the dream.
I felt so privileged to create and conduct Mr & Mrs Wigg's marriage ceremony and felt that their gracious and inclusive nature shone through in the many thanks, tributes and acknowledgements to their family, friends and bridal party. There were smiles and a fair few chuckles too, like when Matt promised to cheer on the Swans when they aren't playing the Crows 'to infinity and beyond'.
But when Maddie's good friend, Jess came forward to read a traditional Irish Wedding Blessing, a favourite of Maddie's late Nana Joan, most guests were a little misty-eyed.
Matt and Maddie's incredible supplier list included some of my absolute favourite Adelaide wedding professionals including the incredible floral artistry of Sam Burnell from Fabulous Functions and Luke Simon Photography, who kindly supplied these divine photos.
Chris and Kylie like to do things their way.
But whether it's riding their bikes, having fun with their kids, Judd and Kobe, or simply laughing at each other's expense; they live life to the full.
Kylie conceded that their house IS similar to a prison camp when she forgets to buy chicken chips and Chris promised not to hold Kylie's obsession with Johnny Farnham against her. Aaaw, how sweet!
Nathan and Stephanie wanted to make sure that their family was made to feel welcomed and appreciated on their wedding day, so we added a few personal touches to their ceremony that acknowledged the people they love the most.
Stephanie's (90-something year old) Gran was invited up to read Corinthians chapter 13 verses 1 to 13 and both of their Mums were honoured with the presentation of a single rose; Nathan giving his rose to Steph's Mum and vice versa.
These beautiful photos are courtesy of Gianna from Gpix Photo.
Jenna and Brent first met in high school over 10.5 years ago. And even though they were always close, nothing ever happened between them.
Their wedding at Longview Vineyard, captured beautifully by Ellen Heather Photography, was warm and relaxed and their decor featured lashings of deep red accents, oriental rugs and unstructured florals. Their bridal party entourage was as cool as they were well dressed and the atmosphere was simply a laid back celebration of love and life.
Creating a ceremony where everyone is made to feel special sets the tone for the entire day.
Early on in the wedding planning process, I try to encourage my couples to think about who they would like to include in their ceremony; an inclusive ceremony is warm and memorable and honours the people that you care about the most.
Lauren and Max's ceremony was a testament to their love for each other, their family and their friends. They had their twin nieces as cheeky, smiling flower girls, invited their four sisters to do a couple of beautiful (and slightly teary) readings, asked both sets of their parents to give them to each other in marriage and even recited shared wedding vows; they each read one sentence at a time.
Nicole and Hung first met over 10 years ago when they worked as ushers at Greater Union Cinemas in Arndale.
They were grateful to be given the tedious task of cleaning out the cinema rubbish bins one night because it gave them the opportunity to talk and find out a little more about each other.
Their hopes for the future are quite simply to raise an army of sausage dogs and to grow old and wrinkly together.
Photos by Luke Simon Photography.
