Wedding ceremonies · Tweed, Byron & Gold Coast
Wedding ceremonies
A full wedding ceremony with Felicity Best, a registered marriage celebrant based in Murwillumbah, is $950 Monday to Thursday and $1,200 Friday to Sunday. That includes getting to know you both, a ceremony written to tell your love story, help with your vows, a rehearsal, a PA and wireless microphone, lodgement of your legal paperwork and your commemorative certificate. Book at least four months ahead, and lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage at least one calendar month before the day.
What's included
Wedding ceremony.
The first of the tiers below, and what is inside it.
- Getting to know you both
- A ceremony written to tell your love story
- Help with your vows
- A rehearsal
- PA and wireless microphone
- Arrival well before your guests
- Lodgement of your legal paperwork
- Your commemorative certificate
What it costs
| What you get | Mon–Thu | Fri–Sun |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding ceremony Getting to know you both, a ceremony written to tell your love story, help with your vows, a rehearsal, PA and wireless microphone, arrival well before your guests, lodgement of your legal paperwork, your commemorative certificate. | $950 | $1,200 |
| Friend officiates, celebrant does the legals The legal requirements taken care of, your ceremony prepared with you, coaching for the person you have chosen, everything done correctly on the day. | $950 | $1,200 |
Australian dollars, no GST. Travel within 80 km or an hour and a half of Murwillumbah is included, whichever gets you there; beyond both it is $1 per kilometre, round trip. Booking fee $250, which comes off the total. Witnesses supplied at $60 each. Council permits for beach and park ceremonies are booked and paid for directly with the council, and are not included.
Work out your total: the day, the place and witnesses, itemised.
How it works
Four steps, from start to “I do”.
Allow about four months for a weekend date in season. Midweek and winter dates are often free at much shorter notice; the one fixed limit is the law, which needs the Notice of Intended Marriage lodged at least one calendar month before the ceremony.
- 1
Check the date
Send the date, or just the season, and where. I will tell you whether it is free and exactly what it costs, because every price is already on this site.
- 2
Meet, and lodge the notice
A first conversation, in person or on a call. You sign the Notice of Intended Marriage then or soon after, witnessed by me in person or by video link where the requirements for witnessing it that way are met. It has to reach me at least one calendar month before the day, and about four months is the sensible notice for a weekend date in season.
- 3
The words
I write the script from that conversation and send it to you in draft, to change as much as you like, with help on your vows and on any ritual you want in it, a ring warming or a handfasting, and a rehearsal so nobody hears it for the first time on the day.
- 4
The day
I'll arrive well before your guests and have a word beforehand with your photographer, your venue and anyone else working to the same run sheet. You'll leave with your commemorative certificate, signed on the day.
I'll lodge your marriage paperwork with the relevant registry within fourteen days of your wedding. If you would like an official marriage certificate, you can order and pay for one directly from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state or territory where you were married. It is an additional cost and is not included in my ceremony fee.
What you need
- Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM), lodged at least one calendar month before your wedding
- Birth certificate or passport for each of you
- Photo ID
- If either of you has been married before, evidence of how that marriage ended, such as a divorce certificate or the former spouse's death certificate
- Two witnesses aged 18 or over
The NOIM, explained: the form, the timing and the documents in full.
Or
Friend officiates, celebrant does the legals.
The legal requirements taken care of, your ceremony prepared with you, coaching for the person you have chosen, everything done correctly on the day. $950 Monday to Thursday, $1,200 Friday to Sunday.
A ceremony about you
Most importantly, your ceremony will be about you: your story, your personalities, the people you love and the things that matter to you.
I recommend booking at least four months ahead, although if your date is sooner, it's always worth asking. Keep in mind that your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) must be lodged at least one calendar month before your wedding day.
Elopements
For couples who want something simple, relaxed and personal: just the two of you, with a few of the people you love, or somewhere special that means something to you. An elopement is $750 Monday to Thursday and $875 Friday to Sunday.
It includes a ceremony written to tell your love story, a planning meeting, help with your vows, the legal paperwork, a PA and wireless microphone, and your commemorative marriage certificate. Elopements in full: beaches and parks, witnesses and the one month notice.
What the price covers
The price covers the whole job, not the hour you see me for. I do not count consultations. Some couples want two meetings and some want six, and charging for the sixth would only teach people not to ask. I write the script out of those conversations, send it to you in draft, and change it as many times as you like, until it sounds like the two of you rather than a template with your names dropped into it.
On the day I arrive well before your guests, with a PA and a wireless microphone that holds up outdoors and into a sea breeze. Then the ceremony, the signing, and three certificates. I lodge the paperwork with the registry inside fourteen days, which is a legal deadline rather than a courtesy, and your commemorative certificate is yours to keep. An official marriage certificate is ordered and paid for separately, directly from the registry.
If you want a friend to do the talking
A friend cannot legally marry you unless they are a registered celebrant, but they can do very nearly everything else. For $950 midweek or $1,200 Friday to Sunday I take the legal words and the paperwork while your friend runs the ceremony. I coach them beforehand so they know what they can say and what they cannot, and on the day there is somebody standing beside them who does this for a living.
It is a well established way to do it, and it suits couples who have somebody obvious to ask and would rather not have a stranger at the front of their wedding.
What couples say
In their words.
We got married the day before covid lockdown and it was absolute chaos. People were cancelling left, right and centre, our photographer cancelled last minute, we had people already here from overseas and we weren't even sure we'd be able to get married. I'll never forget Fe saying, "Son, it doesn't matter, you're getting married! I'll come to the house and marry you two with your family. I don't care, we'll make it happen!" And that's exactly the kind of person she is. Nothing was too much trouble, she was so reassuring and genuinely cared about making our day happen. We ended up having the most fabulous wedding, and lockdown started the very next day! I'll never forget how amazing she was through all that chaos. Couldn't recommend her more!
Sonia & Des2020
I could not imagine a better celebrant! Felicity was personable, professional, warm and simply a pleasure to work with. She took our ideas and incorporated them into our ceremony flawlessly, creating something that felt so personal and true to us. She made us laugh, cry and feel genuinely connected to each other and our guests. The whole experience, from start to finish, was wonderful. Felicity made everything feel so easy, guiding us through the entire process with warmth and care. Beyond being an incredible celebrant, she is just a beautiful person! Our wedding ceremony was everything we could have hoped for and more, and we truly cannot thank her enough.
Sam & Talitha2025
Felicity is an absolutely wonderful marriage celebrant, and we couldn’t recommend her more highly! She is warm, genuine and caring, and makes the whole experience feel so special and personal. You can tell she truly loves what she does, and that shines through in every part of the ceremony. Felicity has such a beautiful way of making you feel comfortable and ensuring everything is just right. If you’re looking for a celebrant who genuinely cares and puts her heart into what she does, Felicity is the one. Thank you, Felicity, for being such a special part of such an important moment!
Tricia & Andrew2019
Questions
Questions people ask
- How much does a wedding celebrant cost?
- A wedding ceremony is $950 Monday to Thursday and $1,200 Friday to Sunday, no GST. Most celebrants across the Tweed, Byron and the Gold Coast sit between $990 and $1,350 for the same thing, so a weekday here is under that band and Friday to Sunday sits inside it.
- How far in advance should we book a celebrant?
- I recommend at least four months, and more for a Saturday between September and April, which are the busiest months here. If your date is sooner it is always worth asking. The one hard limit is the law: I have to receive your Notice of Intended Marriage at least one calendar month before the ceremony.
- What paperwork do we need to get married in Australia?
- A Notice of Intended Marriage lodged at least one month ahead, a birth certificate or passport each, photo identification, and, if either of you has been married before, a divorce certificate or the former spouse's death certificate. On the day you sign three certificates in front of two witnesses aged eighteen or over, and I lodge everything with the registry inside fourteen days.
- Do you travel for weddings?
- Yes, and for almost everywhere in the region the travel is already in the price. Travel within 80 km or an hour and a half of Murwillumbah is included, whichever gets you there, which covers the Tweed Valley and Coast, Tweed Heads and Coolangatta, Byron Bay and its hinterland, the Northern Rivers, the whole Gold Coast and Tamborine Mountain. Past both rings I charge $1 per kilometre round trip, and I take on anywhere inside about two hours by arrangement, Brisbane included.
- Can we write our own vows?
- Yes, and most couples write at least part of them. You each have to say one legal line word for word, and I have to say a short legal statement. Everything either side of that is yours. I help with the drafting as part of the full ceremony price rather than charging for it separately.
- Is a wedding officiant the same as a celebrant?
- They are the same job under two names. Officiant is the American word; in Australia the legal term is celebrant, and only a celebrant registered under the Marriage Act 1961 may solemnise a marriage here. You can check any celebrant on the Attorney-General's public register of marriage celebrants before you book one.
Get in touch
Check my date
Send the date, or the season, and where for wedding ceremonies. I will tell you whether it is free and exactly what it costs. No obligation.
Most days, 9am to 7pm.