Lorna McKenzie
Pagan Weddings
Blessed be the feet that brought you here and merry met!
I embrace Pagan and Wiccan philosophies where marriage is a celebration of the sacred union of the God and Goddess embodied by the sun and the moon. Sacred rituals that celebrate the love between individuals and the elements that give power to the Earth; fire, air, earth and water.
Offbeat Ceremonies incorporates all this and more into your wedding ceremony.
Celtic, Wiccan and Pagan wedding ceremonies encompass your love and respect of nature through Gaia (Mother Earth) who brings all things good to your union.
You can choose one of the following traditions, or incorporate elements from all traditions. Anything is possible!
Celtic
A Celtic wedding ceremony consists of nine sacred elements:
- Casting and consecration of the sacred circlea
- Presentation of the Bride and Groom
- Statement of the Bard concerning marriage
- Declarations of the Bride and Groom
- Exchange of rings
- Binding (or ‘fasting’) of hands
- Passing of light
- Thanksgiving and Oath
- Blessing and opening of the circle
The Fasting of hands symbolises your coming together: I wrap your joined hands with special ribbons, forming a circle of infinity and lasting love and tying you together.
Pagan
A Pagan wedding is a celebration of the sacred union of the God and the Goddess, symbolised by the Sun and the Moon. As the bride and groom, you symbolise this elemental union of divine forces to bring fertility, growth and prosperity to the Earth and every living thing.
A Pagan wedding incorporates flowers and other symbols of fertility such as conch shells, brightly coloured eggs, God and Goddess figurines, fruit and seeds. We create a circle of candles and crystals around the area you will be consecrating.
Wiccan
As a Wiccan you know that marriage is a sacred ritual that honours the love between you and your partner and the elements that give power to Gaia (Mother Earth), of air, water, earth and fire.
Offbeat Ceremonies incorporate the important symbols that represent love and fertility. These include flowers, circles of power and most importantly the use of sacred objects; pentacles, athame, herbs, light and crystals.
Getting Started
If you commission my services for your Pagan Wedding — we make an appointment to meet and get the legal paperwork under way. There are some things you will need to bring with you, but I’ll handle the rest.
What you do need to bring to the meeting is:
- Birth Certificate:
If you are born in Australia you must produce a birth certificate. These can be obtained very quickly from the Births, Deaths and Marriages office in your state.
If you were born overseas and have difficulty producing a birth certificate, your passport will be acceptable along with a statutory declaration (which I can arrange for you).
- Dissolution of Marriage (Decree Nisi or Decree Absolute):
This is the document that proves you were legally divorced if you have been married before, with the date of the Decree Nisi identified.
- Death Certificate:
If your previous spouse has passed away.
The Legal Stuff
A Notice of Intended Marriage (known as a NOIM) has to be completed and in my hands one month and one day before the ceremony. So it is very important to organise a meeting with your celebrant as soon as possible.
Please — if you do obtain the NOIM off the Attorney-General’s website do not pre-sign it as your signature must be witnessed and dated in front of an authorised person, the Registered Civil Marriage Celebrant (like me) or a JP.
As you might have already noticed, there is a lot of legal stuff like forms, age requirements, and witnessing requirements, covered by the Marriage Act 1961–1976, that need to be covered off before you can legally get married. In our first meeting we can talk about all of this to ensure your special day is also recognised in law.
Offbeat Ceremonies — Giving You the Alternative
To create your Pagan Wedding that will seal your love with a kiss then please contact me.
Visit Fees to discover my wedding ceremony fees.
