The Assistant
That's me - Francois. I am Erica's husband and speak with a slight
French accent. I met my Aussie girl in Europe over 30 years ago.
My Role
My role is to assist the Celebrant in conducting a
flawless ceremony. I meet
the Bride and her attendants on arrival and co-ordinate their entry to the
music.
Seamlessly, the Celebrant's voice takes over, to be heard clearly by all the
guests, as are the voices of any speakers.
During the ceremony, my role is also to take care of any unforseen disturbance
such as noisy bystanders or whatever else may occur.
My Job Description
•To take responsibility for the sound system.
We use fully portable 50 watt Mipro
systems, with disreet wireless microphones, for Celebrant and guest
speakers
( we always carry spares).
• To take responsibility for the music via CD or MP3 input. Usually
we play music
before the ceremony; for the arrival of the Bride; during the signing
of the
documents and at the conclusion of the ceremony.
• I also oversee the set-up of the ceremony, so nothing is overlooked.
My Experience
Nine years as a Celebrant assistant and before that,
I had for a long time, my own
photographic studio - therefore, for the last 27 years, wedding ceremonies
have
been part of my life.
My Thoughts and Observations
• Plan your wedding, so the day will be a success,
no matter what the weather.
• Do not try to do too much on the day.
• Avoid skipping meals before the ceremony, as it may result in the
blood sugar
level dropping too low; fainting as a consequence is not that uncommon.
• Make-up is to enhance beauty, not to hide it - too little
is far better than
too much (the same applies for spray-tan) and avoid
facials a good week
before your wedding.
• To be comfortable, wear appropriate clothes for the location and weather
(I have
seen lots of suits and high heels on the beach and summer dresses in
winter).
Ensure also that your shoes are comfortable as you will spend quite
a few
hours in them and if possible wear them in beforehand.
• Be on time and to make sure your guests are, invite them 15 minutes
earlier.
• You could consider taking photos before the ceremony to save waiting
time
for your guests and it can also be a plus, once daylight saving finishes.
• At the reception, long speeches and inappropriate stories or jokes
can be an
ambience killer (choose your Best Man wisely!).
• and last but not least, have a checklist.
Wedding emergency kit
A small emergency kit could come in
handy and could include among others:
tissues, panadol, bandaids, hair ties, nail file, small scissors, mirror,
tampons,
spare stockings, eye drops, threaded needle, safety pins, small towel, straws
(for a quick drink without messing up the lipstick).
How to choose a Civil Celebrant
Ask friends, relatives and people "in the know".
Select a few:
• look at their web-sites and speak to them over the phone.
• visit them at their office (and see how well organised they are).
• ask to witness one of their ceremonies.
Be aware: some venues and wedding service providers do not recommend
celebrants on merit, but on financial incentives (kickbacks).
We strongly believe that merit should be the only reason for endorsement
and therefore reject the use of financial inducement or gifts to gain approval.
---------------------------------------------
Foremost, it
is your day, and it will be remembered far more for your
smiles, charm and happiness, than for the size of the limo or the
cake.
Enjoy each moment as it occurs and have a beautiful
Wedding.
