I'm a Newcastle-based celebrant who is super passionate about creating wedding ceremonies around the Hunter region that reflect the personalities of those involved.
You won't find any boring or out-dated ceremonies here! I'm Irish, which means you'll get a beautiful Irish accent and a knack for storytelling.
Everyone has their own unique love story that deserves to be told- whether you met at the McDonalds after a night at Kingas, backpacking in Asia, or even if yours is a Tinderella tale, I will write a beautiful story all about it, infused with a bit of humour.
Your guests will be hanging off my every word hearing what you love about each other and what annoys you too!
Personalised ceremonies are my speciality
Let's create an awesome wedding ceremony together that will be the highlight of your day.
Meet your celebrant
a lil more about my approach to weddings
and a chance to hear my irish accent
My plan is always to create a relaxed vibe, so that you and your guests actually enjoy the ceremony (instead of having to endure it!).
I know that the wedding day can be a bit overwhelming for lots of people, ( ) but I'll be there to calm your nerves and banter with the guests.
Your family and friends will laugh and they will cry.
Not all celebrants have the skillzzzz to bring the light and the shade.
By the end of it, I guarantee your guests will be feeling surprised and delighted by what they've learnt about your relationship.
I'll send them away a little bit love drunk and ready for the P-A-R-T-Y.
i see you introverts
It's all about the VIBE
The know-how to engage a crowd = no boring bits
Professional PA system [BOSE S1 Pro] = your guests will hear everything
Outfit to match your style and palette = no clashing patterns ruining your photos. I'll show up in a high end dress thrifted from a second hand shop.
Photos without me in them = I make it my mission to stay outta the way for all the important bits
Ordering of marriage certificate = one less thing on your to do list
I've got the magic touch (that comes with experience)
Say sayonara to your worries and fears
For lovers who are ready to step up and lay it all on the line in the most romantic way possible
Conquer Your Fear of The VOWS
I know it's nerve-wracking to get what's in your head out into the open but I'll help you to write the best vows ever.
I pinky promise it'll be easier than you think,
with the winning formula in my
I'll push you, in a good way (not over the edge!).
make your partner swoon
vow writing guide
Julie made planning easy and guided us through every step. She managed all the paperwork, gave us tips for our ceremony setup, and helped us write our own vows. On the wedding day she was an absolute pro! She was across everything, which meant all we had to do was go with the flow. She had everyone laughing, crying and totally in the moment (us included).Julie is a brilliant, enthusiastic person that is passionate about what she does. We're incredibly grateful she was our celebrant and would absolutely recommend her to other couples.
The best decision we made planning our wedding was having Julie as our celebrant! Our ceremony was the highlight of our wedding day - it was heartfelt, funny, personal and most of all it felt like us.
hannah + Tom, 48 watt st, newcastle
kim + barry, circa 1876, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley
Julie was our celebrant for our wedding and I can't recommend her services enough. From the very first interaction we had with her, she made us feel so at ease and special. Julie is so thoughtful, caring, helpful and funny. The information and assistance she provided throughout the process was super helpful as well. She really does create a ceremony that is unique and perfect for each couple, it was beautiful. Our friends and family have been raving about her and our ceremony since, they all said it was like no ceremony they have ever been to before which I took as the best compliment. Thank you Julie, our wedding would not have been the same without you!
Right at the beginning she asked us for 3 words to describe what we envisioned for our ceremony and she absolutely nailed it.
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!"
Thanks to Julie we had a sensational and beautiful ceremony that far exceeded anything we initially expected.
sam + reece, the wine house, The Hunter Valley
Julie is amazing!! From the beginning to the end, working with Julie was a breeze. She put our nerves at ease and made every step of planning our ceremony that little bit less scary and a lot more fun. Julie really captures the importance of individual couples and their relationships. Julie is extremely professional with communication and at the same time felt chatting with an old friend. Thankyou again for our special day.
When searching for our celebrant my husband and I wanted someone who could capture our laid back and fun vibe but also encapsulate the romance and importance of our day and marriage.
Julie did this perfectly.
tara + Liv, adams peak country estate, broke, hunter valley
Our ceremony on the day was uniquely catered to us and we have been told by guests that it was the most intimate and caring ceremony they had been to. Julie made a strong point to get to know us and our story and portrayed it all in her beautifully creative way, including all the Irish humour we needed! We also got eco-confetti for our day which was stress free and looked incredible in photos. Thank you so much Julie for your kindness, your entertainment and support in planning and carrying out our special day.
Julie takes so much care and love in her work and you can tell! From the moment we started working with her Julie was light our guiding light, always ready to help and providing us with questions and answers that we hadn't event thought of or processed yet.
The NOIM paperwork needs to be completed at least one month in advance.
That means there are no spontaneous or 'quicky' weddings in Australia.
In exceptional circumstances the Registrar may approve a shortening of time.
How much Notice needs to be given to the Celebrant before the Wedding?
Once you have decided on a date and a venue you should definitely find your celebrant without delay. Remember without a celebrant, you are just planning a very expensive party! Don't put it off as the good ones book up fast! The standard of celebrants varies wildly and you want to make sure you book a celebrant that you can trust to do a good job.
I will ask for a non-refundable booking fee to secure the date for you.
When Should I Choose My Celebrant?
Look for the sort of person who has the qualities that attract you in friendship because this is probably the celebrant who will give you the ceremony that will leave you with happy memories. The price will not answer this question for you. Price is what you pay but value is what you get. You'll never regret spending money on a great celebrant. Their skills can be hard to define but you'll know what magic feels like when you experience it.
How Should I Choose my Celebrant?
No. Anyone can marry in Australia if they are the correct age. It doesn't matter if you a citizen, permanent resident or just here on holidays, I can marry you.
Do You Have To Be An Australian Citizen To Marry In Australia?
No. The only type of ceremony you would be able to have is either a Renewal of Vows Ceremony or a Commitment Ceremony.........unless......
you weren't legally married in the other country.
Lots of Australians 'get married' in Bali or Fiji in a wedding-type ceremony but it's not a legal ceremony and so they marry in Australia before or after their overseas trip.
Can we Remarry in Australia after being Married in another Country?
Cool questions engaged couples often ask
YES - Great! Me too!
Birds of a feather flock together. We are going to find it easy to work together.
Are you organised? Detailed orientated?
I'll answer all of our questions before you even ask them and I'll provide with you with all the juicy info you crave to feel calm.
Don't go changing. I love that about you.
I'm here for you either way!
NO - No problem.
Lucky for you, I am!
Opposites attract. We are going to find it easy to work together.
I'll guide you through the process. I am organised so you don't have to be. You don't need to remember a thing. I've got your back.
Don't go changing. I love that about you.
How to plan an awesome wedding ceremony
eMAIL SERIES
Snag my secrets, for free!
These are more than just resources
Go Back X
Getting you to stick your ring finger out to the guests
has kind of become my signature move.
It's about announcing to the world that you are MARRIED AS F*CK! 💞
It doesn't seem to matter how traditional or non-traditional the couple or their guests are......... it always goes down a treat! 🤣
And makes a great photo to boot! 👢
SIGNATURE MOVE 🖕🏽
like all my suggestions, they aren't compulsory!
leslie logan, Leslie logan interiors
Cupcake sweet dessert lollipop cake. Macaroon gummies sweet roll tiramisu caramels cake chupa chups. Topping gummies dessert. Candy biscuit topping jujubes chocolate biscuit cake marshmallow. Chupa chups powder sweet roll pastry marshmallow. Donut oat cake chupa chups."
"Penny you are a superstar. I've grown my Instagram by 2k! This spot is for an important review snippet, a result or how you have helped your client.
rani mullen, the writing queen
Cupcake sweet dessert lollipop cake. Macaroon gummies sweet roll tiramisu caramels cake chupa chups. Topping gummies dessert. Candy biscuit topping jujubes chocolate biscuit cake marshmallow. Chupa chups powder sweet roll pastry marshmallow. Donut oat cake chupa chups."
"I just signed on my first 10k client! Your course has helped me alot! This spot is for an important review snippet, a result or how you have helped your client.
prue vincent-smith, oscar & boone
Cupcake sweet dessert lollipop cake. Macaroon gummies sweet roll tiramisu caramels cake chupa chups. Topping gummies dessert. Candy biscuit topping jujubes chocolate biscuit cake marshmallow. Chupa chups powder sweet roll pastry marshmallow. Donut oat cake chupa chups."
"My creative business has just had it's biggest month ever! This spot is for an important review snippet, a result or how you have helped your client.
Pre-ceremomy nerves are totally normal. Expected even!
Conquer Your Nerves before you walk down the aisle
Weddings can be highly charged emotional events. From societal pressure to family drama.
Let's not even talk about the budget! It’s easy to get overwhelmed.
Just before you walk down the aisle, it's understandable that your heart beats faster.
That's normally when the magnitude of what you are doing kicks in.
Hopefully, you aren't having any Julia Roberts runaway thoughts.
I don't want you to take any of that overwhelm into the ceremony.
So, if the schedule allows it,
I can do a MEDITATION with you before your walk down the aisle.
I'll get you to close your eyes and focus on your breathing so that
your body relaxes and you can let go of any tension.
I'll get you to leave behind the stresses of the morning and let it all go.
We will drop the anchor so that when you walk into the ceremony,
you'll feel grounded, happy, glowing and surrounded by love.
anchored calm
meditation
meditation is a tool to help you enjoy the ceremony more
Whatever your passions or culture ... I'll help you incorporate them!
When I was researching LEGO themed weddings for an upcoming blog, I came across this limited edition Wedding Favour Set.
I knew I had to get my mucky mitts on one even though they aren’t sold in shops anymore as #40165 is from 2016. Aaaggghhhh! Thankfully I was able to track one down on EBay that didn’t cost the earth.
I had a lot of fun creating my first ever stop motion video. They are very time consuming. It took many many hours to wrap my head around it, to set it up, execute it and shoot it but I hope you’ll agree that it was worth it. I reckon the finished result would make a great cake topper for a Lego aficionado.
AND IF YOU PREFER TO KEEP THINGS SIMPLE, THAT'S COOL TOO!
When I heard that Tom proposed while the couple were geocaching I nearly died! I knew these were my people. Tom placed a fake geocache Tupperare box under a rock for Cherese to find. She opened it up and pulled out the ring box. She had no idea it was HER ring box because people often put little trinkets inside the geocaches. When she opened it up she got a massive surprise 💍
I decided to SURPRISE 🎉 the couple with my own geocache mid-ceremony. I planted a little magnet on this old farm machinery, which was just beside the ceremony location. My idea was that whoever found it FIRST could decide who was going first on the vows. I was delighted that they BOTH got into it!
Only afterward, I realised how much danger I'd put Cherese's silky dress in, rifling around the rusty metal. Oooppps! I think I'm forgiven. They told me they LOVED IT!
Yep, they are Vikings. Yep, they signed as witnesses. Yep, this wasn't your every day wedding. This was a Celtic inspired, Pagan, medieval-themed wedding at a Festival.
I was selected to be celebrant for the 2017 Australian Celtic Festival in Glen Innes where I had the pleasure of marrying Caitlin and Jason in a real wedding ceremony containing lots of Celtic elements.
Anything and everything is possible for your wedding with a little imagination.
Are there any wine lovers out there? Guessing by the number of people who choose to get married at vineyards, I'm guessing that's a 'Hell, yeah'. This ritual might be one that tickles your fancy.
Nathalie & Ben placed a copy of their vows with a bottle of their favourite red into a box during their ceremony. From memory, it was bought from the winery where they got married of course, Margan Wines, for a touch of extra sentiment.
They plan to open the box on their 1st anniversary, drink the bottle of wine, get tipsy, read their vows again and reminisce about their fabulousless-ness that was their wedding day.
Another year older. Another year wiser. Hopefully another year deeper in love.
Juan and Andrew didn't want a religious ceremony but Juan chose to reflect his upbringing and family traditions by displaying these Christian figurines.
Religious, atheist, spiritual or agnostic, it doesn't matter. There are many ways to incorporate your beliefs into your ceremony and your wedding.
I encourage you to do what feels right for you. Break with tradition. Create a one-of-a-kind celebration!
Tea ceremonies in Chinese weddings are common. The meaning of this ritual is to show respect and gratitude to the parents for all the years of love and care. It's also meaningful in other ways as it's a symbol of stability and fertility. 🍼
🍵 Traditionally, the tea ceremony for the groom's family is usually done in the morning, while the ceremony for the bride is always done in the afternoon when the bride and groom have completed the bride's home visit. Nowadays though, newly weds often decide to have just one ceremony for both sides together. 🍵 🍵
If you chose to incorporate this tradition, we can include it during the wedding ceremony, or you can do it just afterwards if you want like Fiona & Jon did.
I can be involved, or not. It's your wedding, your way. We will find a way to make it all work. x
This is a wedding first....A GAME OF VOWS!
When this trend takes off, I'm claiming it. Well actually, I brainstormed with the couple how we could make the wedding more fun and involve the children.
We came up with this idea together in our planning meeting. I'm taking credit for encouraging the couple to think outside the box, but the groom Niki can take all the credit for actually making this idea a reality.
It went down a treat during the ceremony but the best thing is that the vow wheel can have so many more applications, like who is choosing where they go for dinner, who is getting dad a beer etc etc.
It's going to lead to endless amusement in this already fun household.
Since time immemorial astrology has been used as a way of choosing a wedding date. These two beautiful souls chose to get married under a full moon.
This highly emotional lunar phase gives people the push to let go of the things, the people and the circumstances that no longer serve them.
Each full moon brings something new with it, whether it’s a new opportunity or in this case, momentous personal change. Each lunation is a chance to set new goals, and feel closer to a bigger mystery.
What better day for the couple to set their intentions for what they are co-creating with the universe?!
wedding photographers Lynn & Justin Woolley
As wedding photographers, we've met so many great celebrants over the years. We've gotta say though, Julie was next level! We met Julie at a wedding in Fingal Bay and she was great fun to be around. She was lively, friendly and energetic, but most importantly you could see that she's someone who takes great care of her couples and goes above and beyond in all areas to make their ceremony something really special. With Julie, you can also expect your family and guests to be absolutely glued to the action with excitement as Julie tells her couple's stories in a way that's engaging, fun and 100% unique to them.
She's a real gem and we'd give her 10 stars if we could!
Lots of lovely people in the wedding industry have nice things to say working about me :)
cynthia & keelan
Curzon Hall, Sydney
As a wedding venue, we meet a lot of celebrants, and see them in action. With her personalised and warm delivery, her ceremonies are always worth the wait.
We love having Julie (and her beautiful accent!) here, and would definitely recommend her.
Julie Muir is full of personality and charimsa, but doesn't "steal the show" like some celebrants.
karyn, adams peak country estate
Lots of lovely people in the wedding industry have nice things to say working about me :)
Raquelle lorraine, wildwood cinematic
We absolutely loved working along side Julie this year! We have the privilege of working with many different celebrants across Newcastle and the Hunter Valley each year but Julie is definitely one of our favourites. Julie creates thoughtful ceremonies that truly reflect not only the couple but the families and friends as well. Highly recommended!
We love seeing Julie in her element, she is a born story teller, a natural wordsmith and will have your guests laughing and crying throughout your ceremony.
Lots of lovely people in the wedding industry have nice things to say working about me :)
Wedding photographer emma hampton
Last weekend I had the pleasure of working with Julie at The Woodhouse in Wollombi. She was such a delight! Julie made the video guy Joe and myself a snack pack to keep us going! Bless her heart! I highly recommend Julie and I can not wait until our next wedding together x
Funny and compassionate the perfect mix for a celebrant, I even saw her shed a tear!
Lots of lovely people in the wedding industry have nice things to say working about me :)
Wedding photographer Jack Chauvel
I first worked with Julie this past weekend at a beautiful wedding at Kirkton Park in the Hunter Valley and she was fabulous. I see lots of wedding ceremonies (being a wedding photographer). She created a great atmosphere with the crowd/wedding guests and helped kick everything off by getting the bride and her bridesmaids all set for the ceremony. I love meeting and working with people I align with and will happily be recommending Julie into the future!
She was fun, bubbly, witty, clear and she delivered an awesome ceremony.
Lots of lovely people in the wedding industry have nice things to say working about me :)
Wedding photographer brooke leaanne
My goodness! I cannot speak highly enough of Julie. She was the celebrant for a wedding I photographed recently at the Anchorage and I was wowed! She is so highly organised and an absolute professional. She coordinated thoroughly with all vendors to ensure to ceremony ran perfectly. There were laughs, there were tears. I cannot recommend her enough!
She went above and beyond in her role and gave the happy couple such a beautiful ceremony!
Lots of lovely people in the wedding industry have nice things to say working about me :)
Wedding Photographer Sarah Watkins
I (a wedding photographer) had the pleasure of working with Julie today at a wedding ceremony. She kept the all 90 guests (including 10 children!) engaged throughout the 30 minute ceremony on a rainy day. Julie gave me a snack pack to keep me going! So thoughtful! Highly recommend Julie 🙂
Her warmth and genuine enthusiasm for our couple was just delightful.
Lots of lovely people in the wedding industry have nice things to say working about me :)
kind words
NEWCASTLE
Want some inspiration and ideas from my favourite weddings?
I've married over 400 couples
lake macquarie
