Reasons For Eloping

Saving Money

“We want to avoid the expense of a huge wedding.” In today’s climate, there are many reasons financially to not have the expensive wedding. A larger scale wedding with the works, can cost a small fortune and couples are choosing to keep that money in their pockets for other things, and having the smaller ceremony, or an elopement.

Been Married Before

“We want a smaller wedding due to it being our second marriage.” Maybe one or both of the party have been previously married and they do not see the sense in having a full scale wedding, as they have “been there, done that”. They feel the intimate setting of an elopement suits them more, as they know what they want now.

Reduce Stress

“We want to avoid anxieties and problems that can arise planning a huge wedding.” The planning of a large scale wedding can take up to 12 months or more to execute, and due to the many facets of these affairs, there is stress and tension involved. These can be minimised or eradicated by an elopement.

Avoid Family Tensions

“We want to avoid any strain and upset arising from family issues.” There will not be hours of sleepless nights worrying about where to place family members on tables at the reception. All families have “sensitive” needs, and trying to appease all, can be like walking through a minefield. There are no worries like that with an elopement.

Doing It Our Way

“We want to experience our own day, our way, not filled with old fashioned traditions.” Some of the old traditions do not hold any sentimental meaning with people in this day and age. So, you are not bound by the traditional ways of ceremonies, you are free to do it your way through your elopement.

Having a Baby

“We are having a baby and want to marry before the baby arrives.” The delicate time frames and even dress sizes, will not be of concern for you at your intimate elopement. If the importance of your marriage date supersedes the need to have a year long, planning, time, then elopement could be your choice.

Keeping the Focus on Us

“We want to keep the focus on our love and committment to each other, without other distractions.” In this fast paced world, there are not many times where you can be totally focused on the one thing. Keeping stress factors to a minimum, an elopement can guarantee you and your partner will be able to focus on just the two of you. Very romantic!

Privacy

“We want a private, intimate, ceremony.” If privacy is important to you, then an elopement will definitely deliver.

Adventure

“We want to run away together and be adventurous.” Maybe you feel a sense of adventure in most aspects of life, maybe you are always living on the edge, being different. Then a regular large scale wedding may not be to your liking. With an elopement, you can choose how adventurous you wish to be.

Helpful Tips For Elopement

If you and your fiance decide that eloping is the right option for you, consider these variations that might avoid some of the pitfalls of eloping:

Have a ceremony that’s just the two of you, but throw a reception afterward for all your friends and family.

Hire a professional photographer to come with you to your elopement destination, then you have great pictures of the event to send out with your wedding announcement.

Invite your parents to be with you – you can all go out for a celebratory dinner afterward.

Elope now, but make plans to have a huge one-year anniversary party. On the wedding announcements you might put something like, “Our wedding day was just the two of us, but we hope you’ll come celebrate our first anniversary on [insert date here]. “

Location Location Location

Whatever ceremony location you choose, some essential things to consider are

Comfort and Safety

The comfort and safety of you and your guests. Consider how your guests will feel in the environment you have picked. For example; will Grandma feel able to walk with her walking frame on the beach? Will your sisters highly active children, be well beahved on the cliff? If you put yourself in the place of all your guests you will get an idea of their level of comfort and any safety issues to look for.

The Weather

Consider the weather of the month that your wedding is being planned for. Is there likely to be great gusts of wind? How will this affect your decorations etc? Maybe it is highly likely to be extremely hot, then are there provisions to get guests into some shade? If not, maybe consider different options. There have been some lovely weddings where the guests are given parasols for the day.

It is unfortunate, but many times bad weather can affect your wedding plans. You need to have a back up plan, for that very reason. If in all your planning, a second wet weather option is organised, then you will have less stress on the day, because every possible outcome is taken into account and planned for. You may need to consider a second venue for this reason.

Open, Public Spaces

Many couples pick open, public spaces for a variety of reasons. This can make your day very special, however you will need to look into if you need a permit for that public space. The local council can give you this information along with issues around parking and time limits and even sound limits, etc.

When you are picking a venue, think of the ways that you are able to decorate at that spot. For example a beach wedding, you can create a lovely, intimate section by using small rocks as a border. There are many themes that can be used in many different types of venues.

Difficult to get to Area

If you are thinking of a difficult to get to venue, your guests would appreciate a map, and maybe a description of the area. This way they can decide what shoes to wear, etc. The guests would also need to know a rough time it may take to get to the ceremony area, and a start time, so that they are there in plenty of time. Anything to help your guests find it easier, makes for a lovely day by all!

Central Coast Locations

Alison, Avoca Beach, Bar Point, Bateau Bay, Bensville, Berkeley Vale, Blackwall, Blue Bay, Blue Haven, Booker Bay, Bouddi, Box Head, Budgewoi, Budgewoi Peninsula, Buff Point, Bushells Ridge, Calga, Canton Beach, Cedar Brush Creek, Central Mangrove, Chain Valley Bay, Charmhaven, Cheero Point, Chittaway Bay, Chittaway Point, Cogra Bay, Colongra, Copacabana, Crangan Bay, Daleys Point, Davistown, Dooralong, Doyalson, Doyalson North, Durren Durren, East Gosford, Empire Bay, Erina, Erina Heights, Ettalong Beach, Forresters Beach, Fountaindale, Glenning Valley, Glenworth Valley, Gorokan, Gosford, Green Point, Greengrove, Gunderman,

Gwandalan, Halekulani, Halloran, Hamlyn Terrace, Hardys Bay, Holgate, Horsfield Bay, Jilliby, Kangy Angy, Kanwal, Kariong, Kiar, Killarney Vale, Killcare, Killcare Heights, Kincumber, Kincumber South, Kingfisher Shores, Koolewong, Kulnura, Lake Haven, Lake Munmorah, Lemon Tree, Lisarow, Little Jilliby, Little Wobby, Long Jetty, Lower Mangrove, MacMasters Beach, Magenta, Mangrove Creek, Mangrove Mountain, Mannering Park, Mardi, Marlow, Matcham, Mooney Mooney, Mooney Mooney Creek, Mount Elliot, Mount White, Narara, Niagara Park, Norah Head, Noraville, North Avoca, North Gosford, Ourimbah, Palm Grove, Palmdale, Patonga, Pearl Beach,

Peats Ridge, Phegans Bay, Picketts Valley, Point Clare, Point Frederick, Pretty Beach, Ravensdale, Rocky Point, St Huberts Island, San Remo, Saratoga, Shelly Beach, Somersby, Spencer, Springfield, Summerland Point, Tacoma, Tacoma South, Tascott, Terrigal, The Entrance, The Entrance North, Toowoon Bay, Toukley, Tuggerah, Tuggerawong, Tumbi Umbi, Umina Beach, Upper Mangrove, Wadalba, Wagstaffe, Wallarah, Wamberal, Warnervale, Watanobbi, Wendoree Park, West Gosford, Wondabyne, Woongarrah, Woy Woy, Woy Woy Bay, Wyee, Wyee Point, Wyoming, Wyong, Wyong Creek, Wyongah, Yarramalong, Yattalunga.

Blessings and Prayers

Many couples love to have some family members or friends reading a love poem, or a Religious Reading at their ceremony. This is a fantastic way of involving significant people in the proceedings. There are masses of poetry, poems, readings, and blessings that you can choose from, and thankfully, you can find most of them online. You will find some links (at the top of this page) of internet sites with dozens of prayers, readings and blessings.

Costs of a traditional wedding

Not all couples will need or want everything available.
Not all couples will spend the same amount of money.
Not all couples will have the same ceremony.
However, ALL COUPLES need a legal officiant at their wedding.

ALL COUPLES need a Celebrant to get married.

Only the celebrant is absolute necessity.

Approximate costings…..

  • Chauffeured limousine/s $1500
  • Photo Albums $2000
  • Flower $1500
  • Invitations $700
  • DJ and MC $1000
  • Bridal Gown $1500
  • Reception $15,000
  • Suit hire $250
  • Bridesmaid dresses $300
  • Hair make up $500

The celebrant’s fee is really quite a small part of the cost of your wedding, yet an enormously important consideration to ensure you wedding day starts just as you wish, with that ever-so-important, beautiful and memorable marriage ceremony, ensuring you are now, legally,Mr.and Mrs. Married Couple!

Types of Rituals

The Wine Ceremony

This ceremony symbolises the joining together of the bride and groom. With two different colored wines, the celebrant talks of the “cup of life” and the coming together of the couple. The couple then take turns to add a different colored wine to each others glass, and the two drink together the “new” wine. The Groom may now toast his Bride with “Now our lives are one” or, “To our lives together”. His Bride lifts her glass and gives the same toast, or she may change the words. You each can create your own toasts,
to make it personal and more meaningful to you both.

The Sand Ceremony

This is a beautiful ceremony where different colored sands can represent different people, the couple, the parents, children from previous marriages, etc. There is a time in the proceedings where the sands are joined together…never to be separated. It is very symbolic and is useful to involve certain members of the family. There is an online shop to view and purchase sands and glasswear.

Hand Fasting Ceremony

You stand facing each other, cross your arms in front of your bodies, now, hold your partner’s hands, your arms will create a figure eight which is the symbol of infinity. In a Handfasting ceremony you can choose silk, cotton, or hemp; you can include a gold chain, ribbons, or something that belonged to your much loved grandmother or grandfather. While the Celebrant gives a Blessing of the Hands, somebody special to you, maybe your best man or maid of honour takes the material and ties it around
your wrists and through your hands to bind them together.

Candle Lighting Ceremony

This ceremony usually has one middle candle and two taper candles that are placed either side of it. At the beginning of this ceremony the two taper candles are lit by somebody special either a family member or friend, but it can be both mother’s who come up and light their own child’s candle. The couple then light the main candle together, symbolising that they are individuals who are now joined as one.

Heart Padlocks Ceremony

Love locks, love-heart locks, or simply old-fashioned padlocks… whatever you call them, using a padlock in a marriage ceremony is symbolic gesture of everlasting love. The story goes that once a couple close a padlock together, just as the lock cannot be unlocked, nor can their love and commitment to one another. If the padlock comes with a key, the key is tossed into a river (or ocean), or tied to a helium balloon and released during the wedding ceremony.