Its already 16th November and a countdown until Christmas!  I am still busy and the bookings for 2009 and beyond are coming in fast now. I have performed several ceremonies in the Angsana Chapel at Palm Cove and also Paradise Palms Country Club -lots of beautiful people and happy couples!  Drove up to Mossman Gorge and had to have special permission to have a ceremony in Mossman Gorge - a couple eloping and a lovely day - such a beautiful place! Also my first ceremony at the Sea Temple in Port Douglas which was fun.  Yesterday I was in the Botanic Gardens for a midday wedding  - lots of tears in this ceremony - happy ones of course!  Looking forward to driving up to Speewah in a week - haven’t been up there for a long time and I also have a booking for the Hilton Chapel shortly.

Well its almost the end of an incredibly busy month but I did manage to get two days away to recharge!  Some more great ceremonies since my last entry and some funny moments as well.  I was conducting a ceremony in a backyard under a mango tree and a small green mango fell on my head - as there was a video being taken at the time it would be interesting to see my vocal reaction but I haven’t dared to ask!  The Hilton Chapel again - a beautiful venue and I also drove down to Paronella Park near Innisfail - my first ever wedding there - I managed to get lost but got there in good time to conduct a ceremony on a rainy day.  The same weekend found me at Sea Temple and Peppers -both at Palm Cove  - the ceremony at Peppers was possibly one of my favourites this month and Sea Temple is always such a great place - this one was at twilight on the beach with bamboo flares.  Conducted a ceremony in the Botanic Gardens for a couple from Sweden who had to apply to the court in Cairns for a shortening of time, as they were not aware of the legal timing for documents -this was fortunately successful and we had a joyful ceremony!  I also travelled up to Tarzali to the Canopy Treehouses to meet a couple from Arizona who had eloped - it is such a lovely drive across the Tablelands and I managed to have a couple of hours at the Yungaburra Markets as well.  This week I was on Green Island to meet another couple eloping - this time from Germany - the staff did a great job with a ceremony on the beach complete with scenic helicopter.  Great day…

I received these in the last couple of days -

“We just wanted to say thank you so much! What a lovely ceremony! You did a beautiful job!   We had such a fabulous day/night - it just went way too fast :)  Thanks again, we very much appreciate it”

“If ever you need a testimonial letter or comment for your website as to how lovely you have been as a Marriage Celebrant then I would be happy to write one.Thanks again for all your help.“

“I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR WEDDING DAY SO SPECIAL. OUR WEDDING CEREMONY WAS EVERYTHING I IMAGINED AND YOU DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB. I HAVE A LOVELY PHOTO OF THE THREE OF US, AS SOON AS I DOWNLOAD THE PHOTOS I WILL SEND YOU A COUPLE TO SEE. OUR HONEYMOON WAS GREAT, ITS SUCH A LOVELY SPOT IN PALM COVE, I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.  
AGAIN THANKYOU FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL DAY….”

“Sorry for the delay, I have been meaning to email you for a while.  I just wanted to say many thanks for making the wedding such a special day.  We had a fab time and the wedding was just what we imagined and so much more. We hope you are well. We have been back in the UK for just a week now and it is cold and raining! We would both like to say a massive thank you for making our wedding ceremony beautiful, peaceful and perfect! We had the most amazing day, but the actual ceremony was just beautiful and exactly what we wanted. Natural surroundings and heart felt words said by a brilliant celebrant. We are absolutely loving being married to each other and it is the best thing we have ever done. It was meant to be and we thank you again for being part of our day x”

I can’t believe how fast this month is going by - perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it has been so busy!It is usually one of the best months of the year for weather, and consequently Fridays and Saturdays are booked sometimes 18 months in advance.  A very small ceremony in the Botanic Gardens and much happiness. Up to Port Douglas for an elopement ceremony in Rex Smeal Park - they were going to call their families and friends shortly afterwards.  Performed a sunrise ceremony in the rain at Thala Beach Resort - so much fun with lots of photos with umbrellas - lovely people and lots of emotion.  A couple of weddings in the Cairns Colonial Club Resort - always such a popular venue - they are having a Wedding Expo there on Sunday 2nd November - drop in and see me if you are going to be in Cairns!  Holloways Beach was the venue for another beautiful ceremony - lots of laughter and tears!  Also a ceremony in a newly renovated back yard and the bride had given birth to a beautiful baby girl 5 days earlier - they were all so very happy.  Palm Cove again - one ceremony on the beach just in front of the Angsana Resort on one of those beautiful summer days - a little breeze and a calm sea and sunny and warm, and the other ceremony in the Angsana Chapel - a little more formal with the Cairns String Quartet which always provide beautiful music. Paradise Palms on Saturday - perhaps my favourite ceremony so far this month - a great couple with lovely family and friends - I really enjoyed acting as their Celebrant!  Clifton Beach - Dead Man’s Gully - fairly breezy and lots of guests to help them commit to each other.  Today I have a day off…..

It seems no time at all since I last added some words, and again some lovely ceremonies recently - a beautiful deserted beach and an incredibly happy couple from Ireland - it was such a pleasure!  A same sex commitment ceremony in the Botanic Gardens with lots of tears and laughter and such sincere and moving words spoken by the girls.  A new venue for me  for last week - the Trinity Beach Palace - a palatial beachfront  residence - totally private and absolutely amazing - loved it!  An intimate ceremony in the Blue Horizon Chapel at the Hilton Hotel - complete with a sand ceremony to symbolise the blended families.  And lastly, I had a great time yesterday on the little beach at Yorkeys Knob, near the Yacht Club - again a private little area and I had a lot of fun marrying two lovely people and also bumped into a couple I married a couple of years ago, who are expecting their first child - they want me to do the Naming Ceremony for them - I would love to!

Last week I conducted another suicide ceremony - sometimes they break my heart.  So many friends there - many more than he probably realised he had.  I wish you had told someone of your pain.

Not much time to write lately - very busy!  A beautiful and very moving wedding between two soul mates on the beach at Thala Beach Resort - absolutely lovely!  My first ceremony for a while at the Barrier Reef Chapel in Whitfield - I love the feeling of peace in this chapel - it should be used more!  One of my favourites - the Cairns Colonial Club Resort in their gazebo - lots of tears and laughter.  Silky Oaks - deep in the rainforest - two people in love with eyes only for each other - what a great job I have….Last Saturday I drove up to Bali Hai - north of Mossman - a private executive retreat - lots of very well dressed and beautiful people - enjoyed the glass of champagne….

AUGUST - THE MONTH OF WEDDINGS

I have had a very busy couple of weeks as August is such a lovely month for weddings.  Whitfield House was one of the venues with a lovely wedding complete with a dove release.  Also a recent ceremony at the Sea Temple at Palm Cove proved popular - such a beautiful venue.  Paradise Palms was also very popular with one ceremony in their new “Chapel Room” and another one tomorrow on the green - so let’s hope for a beautiful sunny day!  Early September finds me at the Angsana Chapel on a few occasions - which is one of my most favourite venues.  So much choice in Paradise!

8th August was a huge day as usual.  I managed to perform 5 ceremonies ranging from really small to much larger.  My smallest was just the bride and groom and three guests and then I had a lovely blended family wedding at the Sebel Reef House at Palm Cove which was great.  This was followed by a ceremony in the Angsana Chapel which again was a pleasure to perform.  My next ceremony was at Coolums on the Beach at Holloways Beach - an intimate setting for a small ceremony, and my last one for the day was at 8pm - again at Holloways Beach but at a private house.  A very emotional ceremony and I really loved it! Then home to relax….