Every business has a beginning, and the idea for my celebrancy business started after my own wedding (a bit cliché, I know!). My Catholic mother was disappointed I wanted a civil wedding ceremony. Despite her views, I stood strong. I promised her that the ceremony would still be meaningful, so I made sure it was...... by writing it myself. I loved the process so much I knew this what I wanted to do.
Am an inconsistent meditator.
Karaoke is my biggest fear.
Hate the gym. Love the mountains.
If I wasn't a celebrant, I'd be be a professional de-clutterer or skin care product reviewer.
I crinkle my nose when I'm really really happy.
Love hosting dinner parties but can't cook.
Studied Emotional Intelligence during lockdown just for fun.
Full-blown sugar addict.
Prefer big talk to small talk.
Sasha, the wonder dog
Being outdoors
Our staff x whippet rescue dog. RIP
Anywhere adventerous
My rollerskates
Belly-laughin' at comedy gigs
Words of Affirmation & Gifts
I love reviews - HINT HINT!
American poet, Maya Angelou
My love of customer service goes way back, back to my childhood, before I even knew what I wanted to do with my life.
My parents owned a Bed n Breakfast when I was growing up.
It was my first taste of exceeding customer expectations.
I'd see my Mum Catherina going over and above for our guests.
By osmosis, I learnt from the best. She was an expert at making strangers feel like family in our home.
Through watching her, I learned how to make every customer interaction as uncomplicated and pleasant as possible.
My Dad Jimmy taught me about loyalty and trust: valuing peoples time; keeping things straightforward; meaning what you say; and that every issue is solvable with the right approach.
This is sounding a bit like an 🏆 Oscar speech now.
I'm already in too deep so I'll just finish it off by saying thanks to my parents for instilling me with a good work ethic
and setting me up for success.
From the moment my husband and I met Julie we knew we needed her to be apart of what was going be the most important day of our lives. At every interaction Julie was so easy to deal with and extremely helpful in providing any direction with required. On the day, she was amazing. The service was everything we had hoped for and more. Through the questionnaires we completed and the face to face meetings, Julie nailed who we are as individuals and as a couple."
chrissy & phil, WONGONELLA ESTATE WINERY, NELSON BAY
My husband and I could not have imagined a more perfect wedding ceremony thanks to the talent of our celebrant Julie. She is a talented writer so the ceremony she wrote for us needed minimal changes - even still she made it very clear she would be happy to make any changes for us, and even made a last minute change for us on the day. Several guests commented on how fantastic she was. I would highly recommend Julie to be part of your special day!"
adam & shelley, PEPPERS MANOR HOUSE, SUTTON FORREST
I always thought the best part of a wedding was the dancing and I didn't ever expect to end up loving our ceremony as much as I did - thanks to Julie! At all times she was caring, considerate and provided so much thought and insight. Incredibly professional and approachable, she was an absolutely positive experience from start to finish!"
NOELLE & JAMES, 48 WATTS ST, NEWCASTLE
Our Ceremony was everything we hoped it to be a perfect mix of love, laughter and tears and really captured the love story between James and I. So many of our guests have commented on how amazing Julie was. We can't thank Julie enough for helping us create everything we hoped our day to be. We would recommend Julie to anyone looking for a truly special celebrant."
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I am not ashamed to say that 2018 was a tough year for me personally because I had two miscarriages.
In the following years, I had another two miscarriages and three failed rounds of IVF, before finally conceiving my son naturally.
Through all of that, I was running my celebrancy business and trying not to let anyone else down.
Thankfully I was able to access great tools to help me get back on track and keep my business moving forward through this difficult time.
LUX GLOBAL WEDDING AWARDS
2024 Best Wedding Celebrant Newcastle & Hunter Valley
2022 Most Unique Wedding Celebrant Hunter Valley
2022 Customer Service Excellence Award
2019 Wedding Celebrant Of The Year - Central NSW
2018 Wedding Celebrant Of The Year - Central NSW
AUSTRALIAN ENTERPRISE AWARDS
2021 Best Persoanalised Wedding Service NSW
AUSTRALIAN ACHIEVER AWARDS
2021 Bridal & Wedding Services & Supplies- NSW State Winner Overall
Happy couples, memorable moments and the value I create is better than winning any award, but still, it's nice to be recognised for my hard work.
HUNTER REGIONAL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS
2019 Winner Customer Service
THE SASSIES
2020 Best Celebrant - Sassy Vote
2019 Winner Most Popular Celebrant
2019 Runner-Up Sassiest Celebrant
COUPLES CHOICE AWARDS
2020 Finalist - Top Celebrant - Hunter Valley & Newcastle
2019 Top 10 Celebrant - Hunter Valley & Newcastle
EASY WEDDINGS
2021 Certificate Of Excellence - 5 Star
THREE BEST RATED
2023 Three Best Rated Celebrants - Newcastle
2022 Three Best Rated Celebrants - Newcastle
2021 Three Best Rated Celebrants - Newcastle
2020 Three Best Rated Celebrants - Newcastle
2019 Three Best Rated Celebrants - Newcastle
LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS
2022 Specialised Business - Nominated
CORPORATE LIVEWIRE GLOBAL AWARDS
2023 Wedding Celebrant of the Year- Worldwide
AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS CHAMPION AWARDS
2023 Finalist
According to the pseudoscience 'Executive' types are:
✔️ valued for their clear advice and guidance
✔️ take pride in bringing people together
✔️ dedicated in seeing tasks through til the end
✔️ favour straight-forward statements and information
✔️ exemplify truthfulness, reliability and stability
✔️ enjoy creating order from chaos
✔️ capable and confident leaders
Wedding Photographer James Howarth - Mr Hendrix Photography
Her caring, humble approach towards couples is just so how all celebrants should be and if there is any couple out there considering Julie, consider no more and just book her - you will NOT be disappointed! She will even have a shot of whiskey with you if you are feeling a little nervous before the ceremony starts. Can't wait to work with Julie again. :) She is the type of person that will go into any situation and make you feel lighter and happier. Whether it's holding your hand and telling you to breathe, or downing a shot of whiskey alongside you; you can be certain that she's got your best interests at heart.
wedding photographer Sarah Nash
I met/worked with this cool Irish chick at a wedding for a few years ago. I love her creativity and thoughtfulness... this is the amazing lady who usually brings me snacks and drinks when we work together and I really appreciate it a lot. And also that she can do these cool things like speak a bunch of languages and make eco confetti and run pre-marital workshops and the list goes on.
P.S. I think I mentioned recently that even at your worst you're still better than most celebrants... which is a bit of an understatement... its like you were born to do it. It's such a highlight to work with you x
Julie was the celebrant at a wedding I photographed over the weekend at Rydges in Newcastle. From the thoughtful little bags she had put together to keep us photographers and videographers hydrated and fed to the funny and beautifully sweet ceremony she delivered for the wonderful couple. I cannot recommend her highly enough and cannot wait to work together again!
Wedding Photographer Lara Hotz
Julie is a breath of fresh air! She is so genuine, calm, and kind. She is also incredible, thoughtful, and I would have no hesitations recommending her to everyone getting married. Thanks Julie xx
Photographer + VIDEOGRAPHER DYLAN, CALLA LILY COLLECTIVE
As photographers, we work alongside celebrants hand in hand throughout the day. And to watch the lengths Julie goes to to make her couples feel relaxed, at ease and laughing is nothing short of amazing.
She is the type of person that will go into any situation and make you feel lighter and happier. Whether it's holding your hand and telling you to breathe, or downing a shot of whiskey alongside you; you can be certain that she's got your best interests at heart.
Jade McIntosh of Jade McIntosh Flowers & Styling
She's everything you'd want in a ceremony confidante - thoughtful, authentic, creative, lively, and A LOT of fun! We've been lucky to do many weddings with Julie over the years and she is always such a joy. Our team likes to think of her as sunshine in human form.
jordana THIRWALL, wallaringa farm owner
Words can't fully capture the wonderful experience she creates.
I wholeheartedly recommend Julie to all couples.
Her passion for her craft is unparalleled, ensuring an unforgettable ceremony.