by Susan Artup | Jan 13, 2018 | Locations, Seasonal weddings
Following the tradition of “Christmas” in July, it makes perfect sense to organise your wedding in the winter months in the mountains. The allure of settled weather, crisp mornings, noondays when the air is frosty but the sun is warm, the invitation of crackling open... 
by Susan Artup | Apr 16, 2017 | Locations, Seasonal weddings
After the heat of summer, March and April are glorious months to be married in the mountains. It is always a busy time of year for the wedding industry, coinciding as it does in Australia with Easter. Yet to be married during Easter is a civil, not a religious wedding... 
by Susan Artup | Mar 1, 2017 | Commitment, Love
Susan Artup is a straight woman with a 45-year connection to the gay community and is delighted with the recent change in marriage law. She has been a civil celebrant since 1995 with “ A Ceremony by Design … true to your relationship…”, defining her approach to... 
by Susan Artup | Feb 10, 2017 | Love, Valentine's
Before it was ever associated with love, February 14th was a feast day held in Roman times to honour various martyred saints called Valentinus, in particular St Valentinus of Rome. This Valentine was imprisoned for his faith in 269 and executed because he wouldn’t... 
by Susan Artup | Dec 16, 2016 | Locations
Driving up the mountains and through the Hawkesbury on my way to conduct a wedding at Allview Escape at Blackheath, I stopped off to deliver some Christmas cheer to three of my most frequented ceremony venues. I am grateful to have been working at these venues for... 
by Susan Artup | Dec 9, 2016 | Ideas
Marriage. With a capital ‘M’, the word has become so charged. It is locked in as the legal definition of union between a two people. With a small ‘m’ , the word is bandied around much more liberally : it has come to mean a blending, a natural joining, a dovetailing –... 
by Susan Artup | Dec 2, 2016 | Processes
In my job sometimes I start communicating with a couple over a year before the wedding, we become friends on Facebook, and I get to share every step of their preparation. One of “my“ brides was beyond organised! My kind of girl! She shared with me the running sheet,... 
by Susan Artup | Nov 25, 2016 | Legal Processes
Here is a design template for your wedding – too easy! The average civil ceremony will take just under half an hour – including a couple of readings and the signing of documents. It will print out on about two A4 pages. You will note there are only two sections which... 
by Susan Artup | Nov 11, 2016 | Readings
This reading would be beautifully placed at the beginning of the ceremony – maybe after the introduction and welcome to guests. It is a personal view on what the commitment to marriage means. The reading talks of a certain integrity, a quality which the bond of... 
by Susan Artup | Nov 4, 2016 | Readings
There are hundreds and hundreds of poems and formal words of wisdom that could be read at wedding ceremonies. I’ve chosen just a few that have proven to be popular over the years, and some which are my favourites that I wish people would choose. This last one I offer... 
by Susan Artup | Oct 28, 2016 | Readings
This anonymous reading is often used as a final blessing … the fact that it suggests that the success of your marriage should be based on gentle manipulation is beside the point I suppose! It’s humorous and realistic and talks of the balancing act that it sometimes... 
by Susan Artup | Oct 21, 2016 | Readings
These two blessings are not overly laden with philosophy but in their simplicity they appeal to the universe, like the original epithalamia, to look after the newly-weds as they embark on their new journey through the seasons and twists and turns of life. Both suggest...