What’s the process of planning a ceremony with a celebrant?

I can’t speak for every celebrant, but my goal is to make your ceremony planning process easy, collaborative and (at times) really fun. I aim to have everything we need sorted at least a month out from the big day, so there’s no last-minute panic or stress - just excitement and calm heading into your wedding day. You’ll feel completely supported from start to finish, with a ceremony that’s everything you want it to be (and nothing you don’t).

The CC Celebrancy process

Send me an enquiry to check if I’m available on your wedding date. I’ll get back to you within 48 hours. It’s never too early to reach out – popular dates book really quickly.

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Step One: Get in touch

Around three or four months before your wedding day, we’ll catch up – ideally in person over a coffee or wine – and plan out the specific details of your ceremony. You’ll share how you want your ceremony to feel and I’ll make sure I have everything I need to bring that vision to life.

We’ll also complete the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM), which is a legal document that needs to be lodged with your celebrant at least one month before your wedding day. I’ll guide you through the form and sight the required supporting documents.

Once you’re ready to book your wedding ceremony with me, I’ll send over a booking fee invoice and celebrant contract.

Once the invoice has been paid and contract signed, you’ll receive an organised checklist of everything we need to tick off together before your wedding day. It’s all super clear and super organised.

If I’m free, I’ll send over a quote, some helpful information and next steps. If you feel like I’m the right wedding celebrant for you (maybe because you’ve seen me in action at a wedding or just have a good ol’ gut feeling) then we can lock things in straight away.

If you’d prefer to chat first and get to know me better, then I’m more than happy to catch up over the phone or Zoom for a vibe check.

Step Two: Let’s chat

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Step Three: Lock it in

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Step Four: Plan the ceremony

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You’ll each fill out a wedding questionnaire that helps me get to know you  and your story. This outlines everything from how you met to the little things you love about each other and why out of everyyyyyyyy single person in the world you’ve chosen to marry your partner. These insights and stories will help me to craft a ceremony that’s personalised, meaningful and fun.

Step Five: Tell me your story

Step Six: It’s vow time

If you’d like to write personalised vows for your wedding ceremony, then I’m here to help. I’ll send over a vow writing guide and am here to support you through the process if you need a hand.

Once you’re happy with your vows, I’ll print them for you and place them in sturdy vow card holders – perfect for shaky hands.

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A week or two before your wedding day, we’ll have a short Zoom chat to confirm all the ceremony details and I can answer any last-minute questions you have. I’ll also send over my wedding ceremony guide with tips for the day. The goal is to leave you both feeling confident, ready and excited.

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Step Seven: Final check-in

Step Eight: Let’s get married!

The last and most important step is to get hitched! You’ll stand beside your favourite person, surrounded by loved ones and experience a ceremony that’s everything you want it to be and nothing you don’t. I’ll be there to guide you both through the moment and ensure everything flows seamlessly.

After the celebrations, I’ll lodge the paperwork with Births, Deaths and Marriages. If you’ve selected it as an add-on, I’ll also order your official marriage certificate.

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 Frequently asked questions

  • The Notice of Intended Marriage (also known as NOIM) is a legal form that needs to be lodged with your celebrant at least one month before your wedding day. The form asks for some basic details including your full names, birthplaces and occupations. It must be signed in front of an authorised witness like a JP or a celebrant (that’s where I come in!). When we sign the form during our planning meeting, I’ll also need to sight key documents like your passports or birth certificates and, if applicable, divorce or death certificates from a previous marriage. I’ll walk you through it all step-by-step to make sure it’s filled out correctly and lodged with me at least one month before your big day.

  • The NOIM must be completed at least one month before your wedding day and no more than 18 months in advance. We’ll fill this out together during our ceremony planning meeting, around three to four months out from your wedding day.

  • The Happily Ever Before and After is a short, government-issued document that your celebrant is legally required to give you when you’re getting married in Australia. It’s main purpose is to inform you about the legalities of getting married and the support services available to you throughout the process. You’ll find information about what marriage means under Australian law, your legal rights and responsibilities as a married couple and where to go if you need support.

  • We’ll have a Zoom check-in the week of your wedding to run through all the final details and make sure you’re feeling confident and ready to go. I’ll also email through my ceremony tips guide filled with helpful information about what to expect during your ceremony. In-person rehearsals can also be arranged if needed.

  • To get everything ready for your ceremony, here’s what I’ll need from you:

    - A completed, signed and witnessed Notice of Intended Marriage form at least one month before your wedding day. I’ll also need to sight all supporting documents (like passports or birth certificates and, if applicable, divorce or death certificates from a previous marriage).

    - Your completed questionnaires so I have everything I need to make your ceremony personalised, meaningful and fun.

    - If you’re writing your own vows, I’ll need you to send them over at least 48 hours before the wedding day so I can print them and pop them into sturdy vow card holders.

  • Yes! Booking a wedding celebrant is a big decision, so I understand if you want to make sure the vibes are right. If you’d like to chat before making things official, I’m more than happy to catch up via Zoom or over the phone. It’s a great way to get to know each other and make sure I’m the right fit for your big day.

Don’t just take my word for it…

Bella and Jack

My partner and I had the privilege of Claire as our celebrant for our destination wedding this year. Where do we even start? We found Claire online, and fell in love with her gentle, calm persona when we first spoke to her. Claire was an literal angel. She was a calming and soothing soul the entire wedding planning process and every time we got off the phone to her, everything seemed to feel extremely organised and relaxed, so we felt at ease about everything immediately after chatting to her every time.

On the day, Claire was phenomenal and she coordinated the ceremony process as well. Honestly, Claire was our most treasured aspect of the day and she made everything 10 times more organised, better and enjoyable for us both.

Eily and Nate

We couldn't be happier with Celebrate with Claire! Claire brought such warmth, energy, and joy to our special day, making every moment feel personal and memorable. From the heartfelt ceremony to the fun, light-hearted touches throughout, Claire knew exactly how to create the perfect vibe.

She took the time to really understand us and what we wanted, and it showed in every detail. If you’re looking for a celebrant who’s as professional as she is personable, Claire is absolutely the one! Thank you, Claire, for making our day everything we dreamed of and more!

Sonia and Sean

If you're looking for someone who's a true professional, but feels like a long-time friend, Claire's your girl. Claire was nothing but a pleasure to communicate with throughout the whole process leading up to our wedding, both online, and in person! We truly felt at ease and confident with everything put in Claire's hands.

We wanted our ceremony to be the perfect mix between light-hearted and sincere, and we wanted someone who was funny, but wouldn't treat our ceremony like their own comedy gig! Claire was perfect for us. She really learnt about our story and our ceremony was everything we could have asked for.

Get to know Claire

I’m Claire Considine (but you can call me CC). I’m a wife, mum of two, marketer by trade, civil marriage celebrant, one-time Guinness World Record holder and game show contestant winner. I’m known for my quick wit, love of a good pun, calming presence and ability to talk to anyone about anything.

I love asking hypothetical questions, collecting and sharing good stories and helping people feel completely at ease. Girlfriend magazine once described me as ‘more organised than a super-cute stationary store’ - and honestly, I’ve been riding that high ever since.

A big thank you to the talented photographers who feature on this page: We Made You Look, Artisan Photographs, Shani Wegener Photography and James Bennett Photography.