On Thursday 13th November 2008, I flew from Albury to Hamilton Island to officiate at  two weddings.

Why you might ask would you travel  two thousand kilometres to be part of a couples special day and take a day to get there and a day to get back Its  quite simple actually I LOVE IT AND IT GIVES ME A GREAT THRILL.

Imet Nick and Kellie on Friday at 4.00 pm at Catseye Beach to spend some time with them, to meet the bridal party to have a bit of a laugh and walk through the ceremony. It was absolutely fantastic and it cemented a personable feeling for the next day. I might also add that many hours had been spent e-mailing fromKarratha Western  Australia to Albury n.s.w. creating  and writing their unique wedding ceremony.I also calligraphy  their wedding certificate and include various bits of information that Ithink may be useful in their package such as name change checklist, marriage certificate informatiopn etc As we communicate often prior to meeting on HAMILTON ISLAND i am very familiar with their needs and wants for the wedding ceremony and Nick and Kellie and their guests very enthustically applauded me for my very personal approach and how they all felt they had known me for years. Kellie looked  very beautiful the warming of the rings ritual brought tears to everyones eyes and the last isaw of the group they were all sipping champagne  and skipping off  into the sunsetI

On Sunday the 16th November Natalie and Adam  married and the same ritual was followed by myself as the celebrantLots  of communication  before meeting them and the rehersal again the day before. They had a different idea for the spot to marry much further up the beach We all  wore thongs and the gorgeous friends made an aisle of coconut shells for the lovely bride to walk down. Very nice indeed– and Ibelieve they just fell off the trees  shortly before the ceremony. Again a wonderful memory for us all.

So it’s simple isn’t it; you love each other. 

You want a good life together whether you are just about to commit to a long term relationship or you’ve been a couple for years.

You want your relationship to last through all the twists and the turns that may lie ahead. 

It’s a wonderful goal to share.  But great  relationships don’t just happen.

Like your health or your career, the relationship is something  you should look after and nurture so put in some time today to building a strong partnership, and plan your future together so your relationship will last the distance.

There are many relationship counselling courses in the immediate area of Albury and Wodonga and they all prepare and offer programs which will help you to identify and build on the strength of your relationships, share different prospectives, strengthen your communication skills, explore ways to resolve conflicts, set you individual and shared goals for the future, and help you to develop a mutual approach to finances.

These courses will help to give you a wonderful gift and make a great investment in your future.  So contact Lifeline or Centrecare or your local church for counselling.  I cannot stress enough what a great investment before you marry.

A verse I would like to include:

Learn how to love

Every day you live learn how to love
Take time with each other
Restore each others soul with loving words
Receive love with as much understanding as you give it
Find that which is within yourselves
then you can share it with each other
Do not fear this love
and do not fear this marriage
but keep open hearts and sincere minds.

Very importantly be sincerely interested in each others happiness.  Be too constant and consistent in your love and in your actions.

From this, as you know, comes security and strength.  All that we love deeply becomes a part of us. 

So even though you retain your individuality today, in the real sense, you also become one in the true unity.

All the very best,
Annie.

What is the secret to a successful marriage?

The question is as old as the institution.

Now Flinders University researchers are seeking a definite answer to this age old question.

The university is embarking on a world wide study of 50 couples whose union has lasted more than 25 years.  Each partner is interviewed separately.

Professor Mary Lusczcz says the project could finally unearth the secret to wedded bliss.  

“It is world-first research looking at marriage and other family relationships and their impact on psychological wellbeing”, she says.

“But anything is possible and we may unearth the secret to successful marriages”.  The studies findings will be reported in November. For many years I have collected prose and verses suitable for ceremonies including weddings, funerals and namings.

Some are gushy, some are mushy and, like the porridge in the story of the three bears, some are just right, for example, the verse I Promise by Dorothy Colgan. 

It begs the question, if the promises that have been written are honoured, does this make the ingredients for a successful marriage?

          I Promise.

          I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give.

          I promise to respect you as your own person and to realise that your interests,
               desires, and needs are no less important than my own.

         I promise to share with you my time and my attention and to bring joy, strength and
               imagination to our relationship.

         I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my world
               into my innermost fears and feeling, secrets and dreams.

        I promise to grow along with you to be willing to face changes in order to keep our
              relationship alive and exciting.

        I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all I feel
              inside in the only way I know how.

       Completely and forever.

Returning to the question of what makes a successful marriage, it would be wonderful if readers could take the question on board, discuss it around the kitchen table and share their thoughts with other readers.

Feel free to email your thoughts to my new address: annie@celebrant-services.com  so I can include your contributions in this column in the weeks to follow.

If marriage solemnises love, by giving this most inward of feelings an outward form then perhaps couples need not only a pre-nuptial agreement but a written plan of how they will keep “love” alive and kicking for the rest of their lives together.

Zip or Zap: Pre-marriage counselling is a great idea.  As well as hearing how much your partner loves you, it also gives an insight into what makes your partner tick.   

If you are rcently married, the Australian Bridal Industry Academy (ABIA) are holding a competition to find the best provider of services in the Bridal industry.   Providers are the caterer, the photographer, the florist, your hairdresser and so on. 

Of course it includes the Celebrant who performed your service.

You have a chance to win a holiday for two, flying Virgin Blue Airlines from any capital city in Australia to Coolangatta, Gold Coast .  You’ll be greeted by the professional staff of A Atlantis Statesman Executive  Cars. Sip your chilled champagne as you  cruise leisurely towards your next exciting destination.

Be pampered by the friendly staff of  Lisson Grove– Tambourine Mountains. Arranged around an English village green are six romantically inspired cottages, each with its own theme, offering “the ultimate” in privacy and intimacy. Wake up to the sounds of beautiful tropical bird song in sumptuous cottages that are private, fully self contained and offer a range of personal services that will make your  winter weekend of self indulgence memorable.

Dine at the Heritage Wines of Mt. Tamborine. It is the perfect way to enjoy a wine tasting in style, with a graceful restaurant overlooking the rainforest down to the indigo ocean in the distance. Focusing on premium Queensland wines and gourmet food, this is the perfect place for wine and dining.

Spoil yourself at the Paradise Spa and Bath House.  A true Spa & Bath House featuring world class Hydrotherapy facilities, and exclusive Face & Body treatments – catering for your every Spa Therapy need.

INTERESTED?  You can find the voting page on the right hand side.  Just click on the link and ente your details.

Don’t forget to put me in as the number 1 supplier.  Hey, without me, you wouldn’t have a wedding would you?

GOOD LUCK with it,…
Annie.

I spent a few long hours with Graham today.  He’s the bloke who’s building my website and it’s starting to look really great.  There’s about 60 pages in the website so far as 48 of those, are my “Ask Annie” articles from Albury’s Border Mail newspaper. 

Check ‘em out by clicking the “Ask Annie Articles” link on trhe right –> 

Next is to add some more information on the naming ceremonies, add some photographs and a few other things and we’re there.    What a fascinating process !!

I’ll also be writing a few more articles on some other subjects to add to the website over the next few weeks and I might add some of that information to this blog, so keep watching this spot.

You can check out the webite by following the link “Annie’s Got WOW,… ” –> On the right side.

 Send me a comment and let me know what you think.