wedding planning, wedding advice
Camille Abbott
How to Change Your Name After Your Wedding in ...

If you’re looking to change your last name after your wedding, but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone.

In my experience as a marriage celebrant, up to 90% of newly-married brides (and a few pioneering grooms and spouses) choose to change their last or family name after marriage and are super confused about how to go about it.

It’s a real process that can take around 8 hours over several days or weeks to complete. This is because every company or institution has their own unique process and is not legally permitted to share your details with anyone else.

The good news is, I can help save you a lot of time and even some money too.

Let’s get started!

How to Change Your Name After Your Wedding in Australia
real wedding
Camille Abbott
Alana and Peter’s McLaren Vale Micro wedding

Alana and Peter's wedding plans (like so many engaged couples worldwide) were thrown into disarray in 2020.

Between the NSW border closures due to COVID-19 and their original venue in Byron Bay burning down (true story!) Peter and Alana tried for a 3rd and final time to have a super low-key, no stress day just for them and their immediate family.

Something simple, but beautiful, elegant, but without any pretence.

Alana and Peter’s McLaren Vale Micro wedding
real wedding
Camille Abbott
Emily and Sam's Romantic Adelaide Hills Wedding

Sam and Emily make time to see their families, to share special moments together, and they love talk on the phone often. They wanted to bring this warmth and appreciation, that had always been shown towards them, into their wedding ceremony too.

With COVID border closures, the tyranny of distance and for those who'd passed away, some of their family were not able to be with us in person, so we incorporated them and their interests as much as we could through readings, a memorial and with a big smoochy kiss right down Alex's lens. 😅

Emily and Sam's Romantic Adelaide Hills Wedding
wedding planning
Camille Abbott
EVEN MORE unique wedding ceremony readings

I’m not one for fluffy and OTT poetry and I think it’s fair to say that the majority of my couples aren’t massive fans either.

But I do recognise how the power of a well chosen wedding reading in a ceremony can be instrumental in bringing about a feeling of gratefulness, humanity, and hope.

And a great reader who takes the time to deliver a quote, reading or poem with poise and intention can really lift a modern wedding ceremony above and beyond the ordinary.

But first, you need a great wedding reading.

Hopefully this post, along with 5 Wedding Readings That Aren’t Too Soppy and More Unique & Beautiful Wedding Readings For Your Ceremony, will help you to narrow down the search.

EVEN MORE unique wedding ceremony readings
wedding advice
Camille Abbott
5 wedding readings that aren't too soppy

What are your options if you want to include a reading in your wedding ceremony, but aren't a fan of Shakespeare and don't want to have 1 Corinthians 13?

The great thing about civil ceremonies in Australia is, apart from 3 sentences that I have to say from The Marriage Act 1961 and 1 legal sentence you have to say in your vows, the rest is completely up to you. The sky's the limit.

And you can make your ceremony even more meaningful by finding a reading (or two) that you LOVE - rather than something you think is 'just okay'. Readings can come from anywhere; lyrics from songs, quotes from movies or the words from your team's victory song (God help us all..)

Here are five of my favourites..

5 wedding readings that aren't too soppy

Winter warmer wedding - Justine and Michael

Winter warmer wedding - Justine and Michael

Justine and Michael are a gorgeous couple inside and out. They are understated and generous and their love for their little son, Mitchell is just beautiful to witness. It was a pleasure to work with them on their winter wedding at TEN22 Boutique Venue; a welcome addition to the list of indoor wedding options in Adelaide. Located a few minutes south of the city, it's a veritable blank canvas for those who want to create a unique space that expresses their personality. 

And that's just what Michael and Justine achieved on their wedding day - a gorgeous, understated and generous celebration of love. Enjoy!

Kicking goals in 2015 - good job everyone!

Kicking goals in 2015 - good job everyone!

2015 has been a massive year for me and my business.

On top of all of the incredible weddings, renewal of vows, commitment and naming ceremonies that I have been a part of and all of the beautiful people that I have met along the way, I have also achieved some big business and personal goals too.

I was absolutely thrilled to have my first article: 'No Ugly Crying' published in the Huffington Post earlier this month. A little surprised and very grateful to receive the 2015 ABIA Marriage Celebrant Award in October. And then on Thursday I was told that I had been chosen as a finalist in the Flying Solo Business Awards for customer service.

2015 wedding stats in Australia: How to use them to your advantage

2015 wedding stats in Australia: How to use them to your advantage

Australia's big wedding website, Easy Weddings, released the results of their 2015 annual survey of around 2200 brides and grooms last week. And I'm not going to lie to you, there are some pretty scary figures in there. But if you look close, behind the stats, there is also some useful insider information that you could use to your advantage to get the very best result possible from your months (and months!) of wedding planning and your hard earned dollar. 

Here are my top-line takeaways from this year's survey.

A Theatrical Affair - Emily and Darcy

A Theatrical Affair - Emily and Darcy

"Darcy proposed to Emily at the picturesque Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens, equipped not only with a ring, but also with French champagne, Haigh's chocolates, and the key to Emily's heart, Mexican food. Needless to say, her answer was a resounding ‘yes’."

When we were planning Emily and Darcy's ceremony, they made it clear that they wanted their wedding to be a fun and relaxed celebration. Not being ones to take themselves too seriously, they also wanted to include a generous dose of humour as well, which meant Darcy promising to feed Emily when she is hungry (Mexican, of course) and Emily promising to treat Darcy with patience and understanding, even when he does things that are gross. 

David of Griffin Alliance (they're DJs, people..)

David of Griffin Alliance (they're DJs, people..)

Did you know that there is just one question you need to ask to help determine if someone is a trained, experienced and professional wedding DJ? 

It was during my interview with wedding photographer and nice guy, Luke Simon, when I first heard about this cool DJ/businessman that I have never crossed paths with before; David Bartholomeusz. David's level of commitment to client satisfaction and business excellence is inspiring. And even though David and I couldn't match our schedules for a face to face chat, he generously volunteered to record his answers to my hard-hitting questions for us.

I hope you enjoy his take on DJ trends, the science of holding a crowd and the difference between extroverted and introverted DJs as much as I did. One day, we may even get to have that face to face chat.

***READ ON TO FIND OUT HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE 14-PAGE, 300+ SONG EBOOK: WEDDING CEREMONY MUSIC GUIDE!***

Over to you, David!

Bohemian Barossa beauty - Paris and Sam

Bohemian Barossa beauty - Paris and Sam

It's been almost 6 years since I first met the Shobbrooks, when I conducted the ceremony for Emma and Tom's amazing, travel-themed wedding extravaganza. Fast forward to 2015, and I found myself at the family's Seppeltsfield property again, ensconced in their welcoming warmth and humour, for Paris and Sam's special day. 

Photos are courtesy of Chanel of The Visionary Photographic Art of Chanel Baran. 

6 things I have learned about beach weddings

6 things I have learned about beach weddings

One of the most romantic and naturally beautiful venues for a wedding ceremony in Australia is on one of our many stunning, sandy beaches. On a sunny day, there is an atmosphere of freedom and fun that is hard to replicate in any other setting.

That said, with the experience I’ve had conducting beach ceremonies over the last 7 years, I have learned a lot about the difference between a successful, enjoyable celebration and those that have proved to be challenging at best. With a little prior planning you can be sure to get the most from your beachside location while avoiding some common pitfalls.

Luke Simon of Luke Simon Photography

Luke Simon of Luke Simon Photography

Luke is just one of those perennially 'up' kinda guys - always brimming with energy and enthusiasm whenever our paths cross. But the best part about working beside him is how inspiring and talented he is as a wedding photographer and businessman. From the outside at least, he seems to do a stellar job of balancing his family life with his ever-growing business interests, which include yearly trips to the Maldives for work (yeah, right..!)

I caught up with Luke in his Colonel Light Gardens studio for a chat about his process and why couples really need a wedding photographer who is always 3 steps ahead.

How to look amazing in your wedding photos

How to look amazing in your wedding photos

I feel very fortunate to frequently work beside some of the most exceptional wedding photographers in South Australia. I can't help but admire their dedication to the craft and how talented they are. But the bonus for me, on top of their fun and friendly personalities, is their wealth of knowledge. They have shot hundreds of weddings in their time and know all the tips and tricks. So here are their little pearls of wisdom, their best ever advice, on how to look AMAZING in your wedding photos.

Give good mic - Part 2

Give good mic - Part 2

I can certainly understand how, if you don't use a mic in your line of work or on a regular basis, it can be a bit intimidating to have to use one on one of the biggest days of your life. 

In Giving good mic - Part 1  we learned that getting the attention of your guests (and keeping it) is as much about being heard as it is about a heartfelt and relevant ceremony. And now we can all (albeit begrudgingly) agree that mics are not evil and are in fact very helpful. 

So in the interests of keeping your stress levels low and your confidence high, here are my answers to the top 3 questions about mics that I am asked by my brides and grooms.