Wedding Ceremony Packages and Pricing

Your ceremony should sound and feel like the two of you, while taking care of every legal detail in the background. Loretta will talk with you about the celebration you have in mind, then set out the writing, paperwork, ceremony delivery, travel and any optional extras included in your quote. Use this guide to compare the details that matter before you choose your celebrant.

• A celebrant package covers far more than the ceremony itself: most of the work is the legal groundwork and your personalised script beforehand.
• Queensland law runs on a strict timeline: your Notice of Intended Marriage must be lodged at least one calendar month before the wedding, with certificates signed on the day.
• Your quote reflects the work and travel your ceremony needs, not guest numbers alone, so ask Loretta which factors apply to your date.
• Formats range from a fully personalised ceremony to a simpler, intimate one; ask Loretta which options are currently available for your date.
• Confirm what's included before you book: PA system, rehearsal, travel and script revisions are easy to assume and shouldn't be.

Loretta builds each package around four stages: getting to know you, handling the legal groundwork, writing your ceremony and delivering it on the day. Her current package outline confirms which consultations, equipment, travel and rehearsal options apply to your ceremony.

Getting to know you. One or more consultations where you talk through your story, your must-haves, the tone you want and any cultural or family elements to weave in. This is where a personalised ceremony is actually made.

The legal groundwork. Your celebrant guides you through the Notice of Intended Marriage, your identity documents and the Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage, so nothing is missed.

Writing your ceremony. A custom script drafted around you: the welcome, the story of how you met, ritual elements if you want them, vow guidance, ring exchange wording and the legal vows and monitum every Australian ceremony must include. You review and refine it before the day.

On the day. Your celebrant runs the ceremony and completes the on-the-day paperwork with you, with your marriage later registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages. Ask Loretta whether a PA system, early arrival and a rehearsal are included for your ceremony type; she'll set these out in your quote.

Already know you want Loretta to conduct your wedding? This page helps you compare the work included, the choices that shape your quote and the questions to settle before booking. If you are still deciding what kind of ceremony you need, start with the wedding ceremonies overview.

Your quote depends on the work and travel required for your ceremony. Send Loretta your date, venue, ceremony style and personalisation preferences so she can confirm which factors apply. Do not assume that guest numbers, season or a rehearsal change the fee unless they appear in the written quote.

The factors below are typical for celebrant pricing generally, so treat them as a starting point for your conversation with Loretta, not a fixed formula:

Start with three details: whether the ceremony is legal, how personalised you want the storytelling to be, and where it will be held. Loretta can then identify the preparation, equipment and travel the ceremony requires. Guest numbers alone do not determine the quote; the format and planning involved matter more.

A quiet ceremony with your two witnesses needs a different level of planning from a celebration built around your story, family and friends. Your quote reflects the care your ceremony needs: time to hear your story, shape words that feel like you, prepare the legal details and arrive ready to hold the moment with warmth and confidence.

Your options may include a fully personalised legal ceremony or a simpler intimate ceremony. Ask Loretta which formats are currently available for your date and what each option includes; the final scope will be set out in your written quote.

Every legal marriage in Australia has the same core legal steps, and your celebrant guides you through them rather than treating them as extras.

You must lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) with your celebrant at least one calendar month, and no more than 18 months, before the wedding date (Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) s 42). If your date is close, check the timing first with the NOIM deadline checker or read the guide on when to lodge your NOIM in Queensland.

Your celebrant guides you through the required forms and certificates, including the Notice of Intended Marriage, the Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage, the official marriage certificates signed on the day and the commemorative certificate you receive at the ceremony. Afterward, the celebrant submits the required marriage documents to the relevant registry.

The ceremony itself must include the legal vows and the monitum (the celebrant's words defining marriage under Australian law). These are fixed lines that sit inside your otherwise personalised script. If you later need an official marriage certificate for a name change or visa, that's applied for separately through Births, Deaths and Marriages, not through the celebrant.

Not every celebrant package covers the same things, and the gaps usually hide in what's assumed rather than what's written down. Before you book anyone, confirm these in writing:

• PA system: for outdoor and beach ceremonies especially, ask whether a microphone and speaker are included so vows aren't lost to wind or waves.
• Rehearsal: some packages include one, some charge for it, some don't offer it.
• Travel: confirm whether travel to your Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast location is included or added.
• Signing table and legal stationery: normally the celebrant's to provide, confirm it.
• Extra consultations or script rewrites: ask how many rounds of changes are covered.

A beach or garden wedding raises the PA and weather questions in particular. The guides on planning a weather-proof outdoor wedding and choosing a beachfront spot are worth reading before you lock a location.

For ceremonies outside Loretta's standard travel area, your quote will show any travel charge before you book. For an outdoor South East Queensland ceremony, send Loretta the exact venue or ceremony point when enquiring. Access, parking, exposure to wind, amplification restrictions and the wet-weather location can affect arrival and setup planning.

Loretta confirms your exact package inclusions in your written quote. The details below vary by ceremony and date, so most are set out in your quote rather than fixed here; legal paperwork is the one constant across every legal ceremony.

Not every celebration is a wedding. Loretta also conducts:

• Vow renewal, a non-legal ceremony to recommit, with no NOIM or registration required. More on vow renewals.
• Commitment ceremony, a non-legal ceremony to mark a partnership on your own terms, structured however suits you and your relationship.
• Baby naming ceremony, a celebration to welcome and name a child, often including godparents or guide-parents. More on baby naming ceremonies.

How much does a wedding celebrant cost in Brisbane? It varies by ceremony type, guest scale, travel and how bespoke the script is, so there's no single fixed rate. A short elopement ceremony costs less than a large personalised wedding. Ask Loretta Lindsay Celebrant for a current quote based on your date and location.

Do I pay extra for the legal paperwork? Legal preparation and lodgement are normally part of a legal wedding celebrant's work. Ask Loretta to confirm exactly which documents and registry steps are included in your quoted service.

Do you travel to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast? Yes. Loretta serves Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Ask Loretta to confirm how travel to your specific venue is factored into your quote.

What if we only want a small ceremony with witnesses? That's an elopement or intimate wedding. It still needs the full legal process and two witnesses over 18, but with a shorter, personal script it usually costs less than a large wedding.

Tell Loretta where and when you hope to marry, who will share the moment with you and how you want the ceremony to feel. She can then explain the right ceremony option, the details included in your quote and anything your venue may require. Enquire about your ceremony

If your wedding date is close, run it through the NOIM deadline checker first so the legal timing is sorted before you book.