I am Australia's First legal pagan marriage celebrant
and it has been my privilege to be the celebrant at many legal and traditional
handfastings.
To be a legally recognized celebrant means that
I can perform both legally binding ceremonies that are defined under Australian
law as:- `The union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others,
voluntarily entered into for life.` and non-legal traditional handfasting
ceremonies.
It took me nearly 5 years to gain my
registration, as they did not want to admit that Paganism is a 'faith' that
required its own marriage rites. Additionally, in Queensland, where I applied,
being wed according to Pagan beliefs had only just been decriminalized. However,
I pinned them down in the end. As far as I knew, according to the 'Attorney
Generals Office', I was the only one registered in Australia.
Happily now, I have been told that there are 3
Pagan Celebrants. One in Melbourne, one in South Australia and myself in
Queensland. The 'Attorney Generals Office' are unwilling to allow any more
Pagan celebrants at this stage. So now it's just a numbers game. If there
are enough Pagans and Pagans wanting to be legally married according to their
own rites- after the census - they will allow more.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES Rev. She` D`Montford MAGICKAL
MARRIAGE CELEBRANT
Asking for a blessing from spirit on this new union
On December the 2nd 1.00pm at the Festival of Witchcraft and Magick
in Brisbane at the RNA show grounds it will be my pleasure to officiate at
Queensland's first public handfasting. On this day, Paul Parkinson and Theresa
Gray invite all that wish to be witnesses to their joy to come and celebrate
this special day with them. This will be an especially joyful time for the
Pagan community as a whole, as this is the first time we have been able,
in Queensland, to legally publicly celebrate 2 peoples love according to
their personal beliefs.
However there are moves afoot in Queensland to have the law change
repealed. I invite all to come and join us there and send a message clearly
to the Queensland parliament that we have as much right to legally celebrate
our beliefs as any one else.
Blessed be She`
Hi She!
Hopefully you remember me! My name is Sam, and you married me and my husband
Steve on June 28th 2008. I just wanted to say thanks. After 1 year of marriage,
everything is going well. In fact, I recall you saying at our rehearsal
(after you saw the koala in the park) that it was a good sign. Well, I'm
happy to say that in the year since the wedding, Steve has managed to get
a job (not 3 months after the wedding!), we've moved into a really nice house,
and I am currently 17 weeks pregnant! All is going well, and we're really
hoping to have a girl. We'll find out in a few weeks. Do you do naming days
at all? (I SURE DO!)
Well, I hope all is well with you and yours.
Gratefully,
Sam and Steve
Hi She
It's Tracey and Garth here. we just wanted to thank you so much for performing
our wedding in May. I was a little shy and nervous that day, I didn't get
a chance to ask you to stay and thank you for a great ceremony. Our guest
enjoyed themselves totally. I am very great full and blessed to marry a great
guy and have our wedding how we wanted, so thank you so much. I attached
a few pics of ceremony
Click
Here 1, 2, 3 to see the picture that Tracey
and Garth have shared
Blessed be
Tracey & Garth
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