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. And because in Queensland, where I applied, being wed according to Pagan beliefs has only just been decriminalized for just over a year. But 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. Shé D'Montford MARRIAGE CELEBRANT
Shambhallah
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However there are moves afoot in Queensland to have the law change repealed.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.
