It is summer in the mountains – the sun is shining, the birds are singing and the brides are simply radiant!  I love this time of year.

Here are some pics of my most recent gorgeous weddings!

Themed weddings – do they work!  Of course they do!  If it is a reflection of the couple, their individuality, creativity and sense of style yes they will work every time.  When a couple are true to themselves and aren’t afraid to show it you can expect great things.

Yesterday was a fabulous, glitzy and glamorous Great Gatsby themed affair at the Carrington Hotel in Katoomba (coincidentally one of my favourite places for a quite Friday night cocktail too).

As we hear about all the traumatic world events taking place I am reminded of how truly grateful I feel to be living in this wonderful country.  Yes we certainly are not perfect (come on Aussie with passing the Marriage Equality laws!) but we certainly have a lot to be thankful for.

Let us continue to embrace cultural diversity.  Let us continue to remember that there is more we have in common than we have points of difference. Let us be delighted by the rich and colourful tapestry of the Australian landscape.

Lovely spring has arrived as so has the flurry of gorgeous spring weddings.  Think buds on trees, birds singing sweetly, blue skies and sunshine.  But let’s face it this is the Mountains so you still need a jacket.

James and Peter were handfasted at the Fairmont Resort – it was a beautiful ceremony and I had a ton of fun meeting their lovely families who were delighted to be there. (hopefully a photo will be forthcoming – they looked amazing)

I must admit I have a soft spot for handfastings.  I love all things celtic and ancient and the Mountains provides that earthy, natural bush setting that goes so well with a handfasting ritual.  Whether it is coloured ribbons or traditional cord it is an absolute joy. But it isn’t for everyone – that is what is so great about being a celebrant. I get to participate in a wide variety of wedding ceremonies, everyone is different and every ceremony should reflect the couple’s personality.  I have done Lord of the Rings, Dr Who, Faery, Victorian, Buddhist, Wicken, Hindu, Chilli, Barefoot, Under a Waterfall in Gumboots, and even a wedding in a cafe (and the waiters threw rice at the end!)

And all this kerfuffle about the simple task of making marriage a right for all Australians is madness.  All it takes is for the politicians to change the Marriage Act – which is by my understanding not a difficult thing.  But it has to be drawn out into an expensive and potentially hurtful plebiscite. I truly hope that marriage equality will not be far away for our beautiful country.

Time for an update.

We haven’t had very much snow up here in the Mountains this winter (boo hoo). But we have had days full of spectacular sunny winter skies and crisp clear air. Perfect for winter wonderland weddings!

I love the way weddings are an opportunity for couples to show their individuality and quirkiness. Everything from angel wings to wooden wedding rings to snow flake decorations and a ring box shaped like a Tardis!

Be bold, be brave – create the ceremony that is in your heart. Remember it is your day so do it your way!

This month I had the absolute pleasure of performing a couple of “elopement” style weddings. One in a gorgeous rustic cabin in the middle of the bush. Very secluded and private with the lyrebird’s song to accompany the ceremony.

And another in a gorgeous boutique hotel – with french champagne and an open fire. Beautiful!

My bad.  I keep forgetting to blog. I promise I will do better.

Well winter has settled in and the beautiful winter days have been the perfect backdrops for wedding ceremonies.  Now normally winter is my downtime but the idea of Winter Weddings must be catching on because I have been flat out over the past month.

My Carrington Hotel couple almost had a “white wedding” with the threat of snow looming.  It ended up only being a light flourish but very pretty nevertheless.

A few couples braved the weather for spectacular scenic lookout weddings.

Even though Autumn is my favourite season – winter is not far behind it.  I think Winter Weddings are wonderful (and I do offer a 10% discount too).