Ellen + Lachy’s The Farm Yarra Valley Wedding
First Meeting
First meeting at ‘Electric Lady Land’ on Chapel Street, Lachy thought Ellen looked hot and seemed fun to talk to.
Ellen found Lachy to be kind of quiet, but she liked the way he ran his fingers through is hair, so after discovering a mutual appreciation of good food & wine, they bonded over the fact that they had both worked at wineries, both shared a love of animals, and both enjoyed each other’s company immensely.
Ceremony Details
In a laughter filled ceremony at one of Yarra Valley’s newer wedding venues, The Farm Yarra Valley, Ellen and Lachy became husband and wife.
Ellen was so on trend in a fabulous Amaline Vitale Bridal & Couture gown (with pockets – always a win in my mind!) as she stood hand in hand with her handsome groom before a giant steel + floral Ceremony Circle by Sassafras Flower Design.
After receiving the best wishes of each and every guest, we were treated to two awesome readings by close friends, before Ellen and Lachy exchanged vows declaring “It is your heart that moves me, your spirit that inspires me, your humour that delights me, and your hand I want to hold for all of our days”
Their first kiss brought thunderous cheers and applause before squeals of excitement when I announced that the newlyweds had organized an Easter Egg hunt immediately after!
So much fun!!
The Photographer
Beautiful images by Anitra Wells / Photographer who is always so fabulous work with!
Ellen + Lachy | 15.04.2017
Photography: Anitra Wells
Ceremony & Reception Location: The Farm Yarra Valley
Celebrant: Meriki Comito
Flowers + Ceremony Circle: Sassafras Flowers
Bridal Gown: Amaline Vitale
Cheese Wheel Cake: The Farm Yarra Valley
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My Top 10 Most Asked Questions!
“I’ve never done this before, so I have no idea where to start”
Every new couple I meet with, even those who have been married previously, have questions regarding the marriage ceremony and what they need to factor into their planning. Just about every couple I have “worked” with, will know that I take at least 15-20 minutes at the beginning of our initial meeting to establish what to expect during their wedding ceremony planning journey, but I will ALWAYS allow for a question/answer time, (once we have discussed all the important things like whether or not they have found their dream wedding dress!) as I know at least one of these following questions will pop up!
Main Photo Credit: Theodore & Co
Let’s start at #10 and work our way through to the #1 most popular question.
10. “IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES A GREAT WEDDING CEREMONY?”
I believe this is very similar to asking someone what, in their opinion, makes a great holiday?
A great wedding is one that is absolutely perfect for you.
Every couple is different, so the more of yourselves you put into it, the more likely your ceremony will be everything you’re hoping for!
It should reflect not only who you are, but also what you love, and what you consider to be most important in life.
It should be fun, romantic, sweet, hilarious, serious, formal, casual, lighthearted, traditional, totally random, or all of the above, but most of all, it should be meaningful to you, should be memorable for all the right reasons and should create all the feels you would like to see shine through in your photos – your memories of that one big moment you will come back to for the rest of your life.
Finding a marriage celebrant who understands you, can offer you ideas that inspire you, and with whom you feel confident can create this magical moment with you is SO very important, so please take the time to get to know a few of us!
Photo Credit: Candid Captures
9. “WHAT DO YOU (as a celebrant) NORMALLY WEAR?”
Whatever you would like me to!
This is something I will always discuss with every couple, to ensure I complement their colour scheme and dress code on the big day. In fact I wouldn’t mind at all if you requested a specific colour dress that I didn’t already have in my wardrobe – any excuse to buy a new frock is a great one in my opinion! But don’t worry, unless it is specifically requested, I will NEVER wear white, in any form – that is for the bride and the bride only!
8. “CAN OUR VIDEOGRAPHER CONNECT TO YOUR YOUR PA?”
Absolutely! It means, in many cases, that you will have a much better quality sound for your wedding video, and I’m all for working with your suppliers to ensure you receive the best outcome in every aspect of your planning!
You are also welcome to pass on my details to them so they can contact me in the lead up to the big day to discuss any connection requirements.
Photo Credit: Gerard Assi
7.“WE’RE QUITE SHY, DO WE REALLY NEED TO USE MICROPHONES?”
In short, no, as long as your two official witnesses are close enough to hear you state your legal intentions.
The long answer is, your family and friends have all come along to hear you make a lifelong promise to one another and are so excited to be able to witness such an important moment in your lives, so unless you prefer that they sit and wonder what on earth it was that was said to make you smile, laugh, cry or all of the above, then yes, microphones are always a good idea, but I promise I won’t make you hold it yourself, i fact I’m happiest holding the microphone for you so you can concentrate on sharing the beautiful words you have written for each other!
Photo Credit: Vlad Savin
6. “WHAT SHOULD WE DO IF OUR BABY STARTS CRYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CEREMONY?”
Babies cry. It’s a fact. If you have young children, the best thing to do is NOT assume that it will be a magical day where they won’t cry at all. The best thing to do is to accept that they probably will, so be prepared for that, and always have a nominated carer on hand to keep an eye on them at all times so you don’t have to!
I have conducted many ceremonies where young children are involved and I find it all works out for the best when you simply follow their lead and go with whatever happens on the day.
If they want to be held by one of you for the entire ceremony, then let them. Their squishy little face between you when you share your first kiss as a married couple will be captured by your photographer and will provide you all with the best memory in the years to come.
If they want to sit on the ground at your feet and play with the flowers/dirt/sand/grass/ shoelaces/ empty ring box/ cracks between the floorboards or anything else that amuses them, then let them.
If they want to be held by you one minute, then your mum the next, or the bridesmaid or groomsman, or any other random guests that captures their attention, then let them.
And if they want to grab my microphone and say hello with a big cheesy (and sometimes dribbly) grin, then believe me, I will let them do that too 
Don’t worry if they get dirty. Don’t worry if they don’t want to smile perfectly for the camera. Don’t worry if they rip off their flower crown/boutonniere/vest/jacket/ shoes before they’ve even made it down the aisle. And don’t worry if they want to stand up the front and pull faces at you, at your guests, at your photographer, or at me – it will be really funny (about a week later for you maybe), and everyone will look really happy in all your photos! Trust me.
Photo Credit: Kate Deagan Photography
5.“WHAT AGE WOULD BE CONSIDERED TOO YOUNG FOR A FLOWER GIRL/PAGE BOY/RING BEARER?”
Well, if they can’t walk down the aisle themselves, most would consider them too young.
Unless a parent carrying their child down the aisle adds significant meaning to your day, I would advise against it, as the parent can sometimes appear embarrassed, leading to a rather awkward start to the ceremony….
Photo Credit: Nicole Taranto Photography
4. “HOW LONG DO YOU NORMALLY STAY FOR AFTER THE CEREMONY?”
Long enough to a) Watch you receive lots of congratulatory hugs + kisses from your family + friends,
b) Pass your marriage certificate on to a nominated person of your choice (that you have already decided on in the lead up to the big day), c) Pack up all my equipment, and d) Give you a hug goodbye with my very best wishes for a fabulous celebration!
Oh, and if there is champagne going around, I may make a quick toast to your future as a new Mr + Mrs!
Photo Credit:ProShot Photography
3.“WE DON’T WANT A REHEARSAL, BUT HOW WILL WE KNOW WHAT TO DO ON THE DAY IF WE DON’T HAVE ONE?”
No problem at all! That’s what I am there for!
I will always discuss ceremony details at our final meeting leading up to the big day, to ensure that I understand your brief exactly regarding every moment of how you would like the ceremony to run.
I will meet you when you arrive and will discuss your entrance with your venue co-ordinator to ensure it runs smoothly. If you don’t have a venue coordinator, I will assist you with your arrival and your entrance.
I will show your bridesmaids where to stand after they walk down the aisle to ensure they are nice and symmetrical to the groomsmen. But if your bridal party is uneven, I will work with numbers to ensure you are all still positioned perfectly for photos.
I will guide you through every aspect of the ceremony from start to finish and will ensure both you and anyone else involved directly in the ceremony knows what they are doing and are confident in their individual roles. You won’t need to worry about a thing!
Photo Credit: Blumenthal
2.“WHAT WILL I DO IF I START CRYING DURING MY VOWS AND CAN’T SAY THEM?”
Again, try not to overthink this part.
In most cases, you have never done anything like this before, so how can you possibly imagine how you are going to feel and react? You can’t. So don’t even try. Just go with it, and like with everything else, be prepared for anything.
But know that I will always be there to help you through those ridiculously unpredictable emotions.
Trust me, I’ve done this a few times now and I’m pretty good at keeping those words flowing and turning sobs into smiles, but I will always let the tears with the feels fall if it means that your partner (and all your family and friends) can see just how much you mean to each other x
Photo Credit: Doux Wedding Corp
And the number one question most brides ask……..
1. “WHAT NAME DO I SIGN ON THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE AT THE WEDDING?”
Your usual name! You have to actually sign the marriage certificate before you can be considered legally married and eligible for a change of name!
Photo Credit: Luke Lornie Photography
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As I said, these are only MY top 10, but if you have any other questions in regards to your wedding ceremony (and there is absolutely no such thing as a silly one!) please feel free to contact me at any time!
Sarah & Tysons’s Private Estate Rustic Wedding
Amy Deluca & her team at Blakes Feast catering, together with the styling brilliance of Georgie Campbell & The Marquee People created the most amazing space on Tyson’s family property for the celebration of their amazing private estate rustic wedding.
The Meeting
Sarah & Tyson met whilst they were working as extras on a Bollywood movie set and clicked immediately, but spent their first few dates as self-appointed wing men when Sarah’s sister & Tyson’s brother developed an interest in one another. A fabulous friendship soon developed into something more serious, with Tyson & Sarah deciding to take the next step into becoming an official couple after a highly entertaining Super Mario Cart challenge!
The Vows
After his impressive Canadian Rocky Mountains proposal, Tyson stood before Sarah on their wedding day and declared “As soon as we met I knew it was something I had never felt before, as if I had known you my entire life”, after Sarah, composed and absolutely exquisite in a Jane Hill gown, named Tyson as “the most generous, loving and captivating person I know”.
Wonderful readings from Tyson & Sarah’s sister’s provided a warmth and joy that only comes from loving members of the family, before the newlyweds shared their first kiss as husband & wife to whoops & cheers from their thrilled family & friends.
The Photographer
I hope these amazing images by dynamic duo superstars Melissa & Jerry Ghionis give you a little bit of an insight as to how incredibly beautiful this celebration was!
Sarah & Tyson | 17.01.2015
Celebrant: Meriki Comito
Ceremony & Reception Location: Tyson’s Family Property
Photography: Melissa & Jerry Ghionis
Bridal Gown: Jane Hill
Men’s Suits: Yd
Bridesmaid Dresses: Review
Catering: Blakes Feast
Florals: Georgie Campbell
Marquee: The Marquee People
Seryn & Stuart’s Emu Bottom Homestead Wedding
After a hilarious proposal with a Cheezle ring during a camping trip, Seryn and Stuart chose to become husband + wife at at the beautiful Emu Bottom Homestead.
When Seryn’s busy life saw her give internet dating a try a few years ago, she was hoping to find someone who was down to earth and who possessed good manners. When Stuart was first introduced to Seryn’s smiling face, he thought there was a chance she could be a little too high maintenance due to her love of “cocktails and horses”, but he thought her to be so very pretty, that he decided to take a chance.
Their smiles on the big day proved that chance was well worth it!
Flanked by four gorgeous flower girls as their only bridal party, Seryn & Stuart’s parents made a promise to love & support their children throughout their lives together as husband & wife before the the loved up pair vowed to “respect you, laugh with you, cry with you and love you faithfully through the good times and bad”.
A Holding Hands ritual and three sensational readings by members of Seryn & Stuart’s families ensured that the ceremony was romantic, personal and highly entertaining, before their first kiss as husband & wife almost raised the roof (with the groom’s head already practically touching it!)
Many thanks to Kim Selby Photography for these beautiful images of Seryn & Stuart’s perfect day xx
Seryn & Stuart | 21.03.2014
Celebrant: Meriki Comito
Venue: Emu Bottom Homestead
Photography: Kim Selby Photography
Stef & Todd’s NGV Wedding
Stef & Todd married within the incredibly stylish Grollo Equiset gardens at the National Gallery of Victoria on a perfect Spring day.
We were off to a terrific start when, before Stef had even arrived, her mother handed out traditional Panama hats for all the guests to wear during the ceremony – a gift from a Colombian relative who was unable to attend. Everyone was more than happy to oblige and they certainly created a festive feel! I have to say it was a sight to behold from where Todd & I were standing – looking out into a see of smiling, happy faces, all wearing white hats!
All attention soon turned to the bride’s brother as he guided the couple’s adorable fur baby (and ring bearer), Sambucca, down the winding path, along with the equally adorable 2 year old flowergirl, who didn’t even bat an eyelid when she lost one shoe along the way – a true professional!
Preceding the bride was cuteness #3, in the form of the 4 year old page boy with a sign reading “This is your last chance to run uncle Todd!”
When the stunning bride finally came into view, wearing a figure hugging Jane Hill Bridal gown, there was an immediate murmur of excitement amongst the guests. But no one was more appreciative of the bride’s appearance than the handsome groom!
After a hilarious (yet seriously touching!) “giving away” by the bride’s father, and a reading in Spanish by two of the couple’s close friends, Stef promised to hold Todd close and make him laugh for as long as she lived, while Todd declared that Stef would “always be the best part of my day”.
We concluded the ceremony with a sensational spoken rendition of Adam Sandler’s “I Wanna Grow Old With You” from ‘The Wedding Singer’, before an extremely passionate first kiss as husband & wife, followed by an adorable high five from Sambucca!
With stunning flowers by Flowers Vasette and styling by the bride herself, along with Steph and her team at Peter Rowland Catering, everything about this wedding was stylish, elegant, fun and simply beautiful.
I hope you enjoy these sensational photos by the ridiculously talented Lauren at LJM Photography.
Stef & Todd | 16.11.2013
Celebrant: Meriki Comito
Venue: National Gallery of Victoria
Photography: LJM Photography
Bridal Gown: Jane Hill
Catering/Styling:Peter Rowland
Florals:Flowers Vasette
Jade & Josh’s Zonzo Estate Wedding
The Meeting
When they were both only 16 years old, Josh would walk Jade to the train station after school every day, where Jade would miss the first train on purpose, just so they would have an extra 15 minutes together before the next one arrived.
Nearly 10 years later, in a beautiful Zonzo Estate wedding, the high school sweethearts finally became husband and wife.
The Event
There were tears of joy a plenty as Jade declared that “never have I experienced happiness like what I experience when I am with you”, before Josh vowed to “always try as hard as I can for the rest of our lives to make you feel as special, as happy and as loved as you make me feel every single day”.
After sharing their first kiss as husband & wife to rapturous cheers & applause, family members then placed letters they had written to Jade & Josh into a box with a bottle of wine for the couple to enjoy on their 5th wedding anniversary, before the newlyweds added their own special words to the time capsule before taking each other’s hand and joining their guests in celebration as a married couple for the first time.
The Photography team
Jade & Josh’s perfect day was captured by the lovely and extremely talented, Kim Cartmell at Hello Kimbo Photography and the superstar duo from Humdrum Films
Check out the video by the talented team at Humdrum Films
Jade & Josh | 10th May 2014
Celebrant: Meriki Comito
Venue: Zonzo | Train Trak Wines
Photography: Kim Cartmell @ Hello Kimbo Photography
Videography: Humdrum Films
Ceremony Music: Downtime Jazz Band
Flowers: Flowers of Yarra Glen
Peta & Shane’s Melbourne Town Hall Wedding
“This is the hottest day EVER” exclaimed Peta as she made her way toward the Portico Room entrance where her Melbourne Town Hall wedding was about to commence. She appeared like a breath of fresh air when she stepped out onto the balcony however, pausing for a moment as guests rose from their seats, and then gracefully making her way down the aisle to her overjoyed groom.
The ceremony commenced with the acknowledgement of the couple’s families, thanking them for their love and support and receiving the blessing of both Peta & Shane’s parents.
An incredibly romantic poem followed, that the groom had penned himself for the day, and was recited absolutely perfectly by one of Peta’s lovely bridesmaids.
After sharing a few laughs over their slightly awkward first date nine years earlier, Peta promised Shane that she would “always encourage, inspire and support you to live the life we both dream of living”.
Shane declared to Peta that she was “the most beautiful, loving and caring person I have ever known”, before the couple took part in a Holding Hands ritual, symbolically bringing their two hearts together.
They shared their first kiss as husband & wife to ecstatic cheers and applause from family & friends before heading out into the sunshine for photos in around the city.
And these stunning images, taken by the talented team at Lens to Life Photography, really do prove that a happy bride is the most beautiful x
Watch the highlights movie by Moon + Back Co
Peta & Shane | 8th February 2014
Celebrant: Meriki Comito
Venue: Melbourne Town Hall
Photography: Lens to Life Photography
Videography: Moon & Back Co
Bridal Hair & Make up: Kendal Deckert
Hoa & David’s Melbourne Museum Wedding
The Event
Hoa & David decided on a Melbourne Museum wedding to celebrate their love and they did it spectacular style!
After all the traditional Chinese customs were celebrated in the morning, Hoa made her way down the aisle of the Melbourne Museum North Terrace to Pachelbel’s Canon in a stunning Karen Willis Holmes gown, ensuring the groom’s attendants were kept very busy handing out the tissues!!
With Hoa finally by David’s side, we all took a moment, or 10, to allow for the groom to compose himself and for his family to stop laughing at how emotional he had become!
The laughter started again as I shared the story of Hoa & David’s earlier days together, before the lovebirds recited their personally written vows.
Through emotion charged tears, Hoa declared that David enriched her life and that “I am who I am today because of you”, while David announced “I feel like everything in my life has led me to you”.
And to top it all off, David literally swept Hoa off her feet to carry her back down the aisle – “she’s finally mine” he called – SO sweet!!!
The Photography
A huge thanks to Alvin + his team from Doux Wedding Corp for allowing me to publish their gorgeous images!
Hoa & David | 9th November 2013
Celebrant: Meriki Comito
Venue: Melbourne Museum
Photography: Doux Wedding Corp
Dress: Karen Willis Holmes
Suits: M.J.Bale
Flowers: Flower Jar
Ceremony Music: Lilium Strings
A Marriage Celebrant in Melbourne
Welcome to my blog!
I have to admit that I was initially quite adverse to the idea of blogging, mainly because I naively didn’t think anyone actually read them, and wasn’t sure I’d even have the time to post on a regular basis even if they did, but I have since discovered that the world of blogging is a LOT bigger than I had initially assumed and therefore decided I needed to be a part of it all.
So here I am.
I am a fully authorised marriage celebrant in Melbourne and believe without a doubt, that I have the best job in the world.
I have always loved weddings and still, in a bottom draw with tons of other random memorabilia from my childhood, have a diary full of wedding ideas, pictures of bridal gowns cut from my mums magazines, photos of the “type” of husband I thought I would marry one day and a bunch of those games I used to play with my friends to find out the name of the man I would marry one day – you know, the one where you take the first letter of your favourite colour and the 2nd letter of the suburb where you would like to live…?
Here’s a more tech savvy predictor quiz for you…. DO THE QUIZ
ANYWAY, when I finally became engaged over 15 years ago, I put a lot of effort and planning into our special day, carrying out 99.9% of the organising myself. I didn’t have internet access at home and whilst I did try to sneak in some online searching into work each day, I pretty much spent every weekend driving around from shop to shop to source suppliers. And I had an absolute ball.
18 months later, I finally married my amazing husband during one of the best days of our life and then, whilst on our honeymoon, I took to my banana lounge, cocktail in hand and pondered how I could ever re live that most incredible day. “I could become a wedding planner! Of course! I could do all the planning for other couples! Perfect!” And then I fell pregnant with our first child.
Lucky enough to be able to take on my new role as a permanent stay at home mum, thoughts of work took a backseat while I raised my son, realising very quickly that I would most likely never be able to commit to the amount of time it required to be a wedding planner!
So while planning weddings was now off my list of possible future career paths, I knew I still wanted to work in the wedding industry and was keeping my options open, when, whilst pregnant with my second son, I was browsing the HeraldSun classifieds when I came across an ad asking me if I would like to become a marriage celebrant.
“Yes! Yes I think I would!
But it took me another couple of years of raising child number two, until I finally completed my course and received the Attorney Generals’ tick of approval to become a registered marriage celebrant.
That was four years ago, and apart from now having THREE children (we have a beautiful princess now too!), I conduct about 60 ceremonies a year and couldn’t be happier.
Every ceremony is an absolute joy to be a part of and I absolutely LOVE the diversity of the couples I meet and the ceremonies I help them to create. The life of a celebrant is pretty special.
And so, via this blog, I look forward to sharing my experiences as a celebrant with you, including all the laughter, tears, style, romance, and most importantly love, that I am so very privileged to be a part of.
And hopefully, somewhere along the way, I will provide some insight, some inspiration or just some simple browsing enjoyment for any of you who choose to join me on this magical journey.
In Life & Love always ~
Meriki x
Photos courtesy of Ninnie Photography, Tiny Sparrows Photography, LJM Photography, Doux Wedding Corp