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
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Hey, I'm Camille..

,
Hey, I'm Camille..

I've been meaning to make a celebrant video for my website for ages.

You know, something simple and to the point, just to say hi and let people know a little of what I'm about. And I am well aware that if I were 20 years younger, I'd be snapchatting my way through most weekends.

But when I tried to take a handful of short videos for Bridechilla Club last week at Luke Simon's studio (thank you again, Luke), I discovered that it wouldn't be the walk in the park I hoped it would be.

But then, I had a revelation.

Do we have to include religious content in our wedding ceremony?

Do we have to include religious content in our wedding ceremony?

In Australia, there are three different ways to get married. The Marriage Act 1961 allows for marriages to be solemnised by:

1. Ministers of religion of recognised denominations,
2. State and Territory Officers (most commonly at a State or Territory office of Births, Deaths and Marriages) and
3. Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants. This category contains both civil (non-religious) celebrants (like me!) and ministers of religion who are not aligned with a recognised denomination.

London calling - Leonie and Lee

London calling - Leonie and Lee

Lee and Leonie value their families and close friendships above everything else; in fact, this was one of the qualities that first attracted them to each other. With all of Lee's family in England and all of Leonie's family in Australia, they decided to chase this sunshine with an Adelaide hills winery wedding and timed it to maximise the number of friends and family who could make it from overseas.

It was imperative for them to be able to relax, laugh and truly enjoy their guests' company on their wedding day and Barrister's Block in Woodside was the perfect backdrop for their laidback celebration. So much love and warmth. 

I hope you enjoy their photos from Leonie's very talented brother, Pete Thornton and Karina from What Pete Shot.

Festival of fun - Kat & Matt

Festival of fun - Kat & Matt

After almost 8 years as a celebrant in Adelaide, it's rare that I get the chance to visit a new wedding venue. But when Kat and Matt first met with me and told me about their ideas for an outdoor extravaganza of activities and dancing at The Oaks in Hahndorf (2202 Mt Barker Road), I was excited to check it out. 

It's a beautiful, undulating property with lots of trees, a little stream and several open grassed spaces for marquees. The owners are lovely and accommodating too which just added even more ease and goodwill into Kat and Matt's unconventional celebration. I mean, the confetti cannon fist bump when Matt collected Kat from the top of the aisle was just the beginning!

I could try describing their wedding to you, let alone the beautiful and generous people they are, but I think these shots by Akil Madan Photography do the job so much better than I ever could. Congratulations again, Kat and Matt ox.

Enjoy!

Sunny fun love - Nicole and Rick

Sunny fun love - Nicole and Rick

When your husband-to-be vows to protect, care for and love you just as much as he loves North Melbourne, you know you're special (and that he has a wicked sense of humour). 

Nicole and Rick have a wonderful attitude to life - they laugh with each other, at each other and regard the complexities of life with curiosity and enthusiasm. It was an absolute pleasure to get to know them a little over the months that we worked together on their ceremony. With Rick and Nicole being very clear about what they wanted, we created a gorgeous and very personalised celebration that all of their guests enjoyed as well. 

Photos are courtesy of Courtney of Macfarlane Photography.

Enjoy!

Freaking cool boho - Sarah & Ricky

Freaking cool boho - Sarah & Ricky

Picking my favourite wedding couple is like picking my favourite child. Except I only have one child, so that's infinitely easier..

Suffice to say that Ricky and Sarah are definitely in the top 460.  :)

They first met over 14 years ago and are still madly in love, which in my job, is a beautiful thing to witness and as a (relatively new) newlywed myself, affirming. It seemed like their entire circle of family and friends were touched by them too as demonstrated by the substantial use of tissues throughout their ceremony.

Their photos are courtesy of the lovely Emme Jade Photography.

Family love - Amy and Mark

Family love - Amy and Mark

I love when I am lucky enough to be referred to a couple through their friends. There's a better than average chance that I am going to get along really well, be able to have a laugh and create a really special, personalised wedding ceremony with them. Such is the case with Amy and Mark; I don't think they have many friends left who I haven't married!

Mark and Amy were married in October in the relatively little-known Meeting Hall of the Adelaide Town Hall with their adorable baby-girl, Hannah, included in the processional and the ceremony.

Photos courtesy of Elle DS Photography.

Enjoy! 

Amicus Strings

Amicus Strings

One of the most uplifting, and yet sometimes subconscious, first impressions a guest has of a wedding ceremony is conveyed via the music they're greeted with. The atmosphere live music creates at a wedding can be emotional, calming and magical.

Enter Amicus Strings; a professional string quartet founded in 1996 by Carolyn Lam. I've worked with the girls at several wedding ceremonies over the years and have admired their professionalism and polished performances. 

Carolyn and I got the chance to sit down for a chat last week about what sets Amicus Strings apart from other quartets and how couples CAN afford live music no matter what their wedding budget.