The Hunter Celebrant

Receiving an average of seven and a half hours of sunshine every day in a climate similar to the Mediterranean, within driving distance of Sydney, and with easy access to beach and lake front locations, parks and bushland, the Hunter Valley offers everything you need to ensure your wedding day is romantic, affordable and fun. So if you’ve decided on this region as the place for your vows, the next step is to find a local marriage celebrant who knows the area, and is willing to work with you to ensure your wedding day is meaningful as well as memorable.

Look no further

The Hunter Celebrant Anthony Burke is the ideal choice. He is a young vibrant professional, who lives in the Hunter Valley and is authorised to provide marriage celebrant services in the Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Central Coast and surrounding areas. Whether it’s indoors in a restaurant or function centre, or outdoors amongst nature, Anthony is happy to conduct your ceremony to your specifications.

What does The Hunter Celebrant do?

Apart from ensuring all the formalities have been taken care of and your marriage is registered according to Australian law, Anthony has put together an information pack full of helpful wedding-related suggestions and samples, including ceremony, vow and reading samples, poems, rituals and answers to frequently asked questions. The pack is designed to help you add personal elements to your ceremony, so it reflects your personality and wishes. For example, there may be certain cultural or family traditions that you would like incorporated into your wedding day. Talk to Anthony about your ideas and inspirations, and he will work with you to tailor a wedding ceremony that is relaxed, enjoyable and flows smoothly from the initial welcoming address to the final presentation of you and your groom as husband and wife.

Official paperwork

A Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form needs to be signed by you and your groom between 18 months, and one month and one day before your wedding ceremony takes place. This is usually done on your initial visit to Anthony. You will also need to take your original birth certificate along at the first meeting to prove who you are, where you were born and your date of birth. If you have been married before, you will need to bring along a divorce or death certificate. Two people must officially witness your ceremony, and they must be over the age of 18, speak English and be sober. So don’t let your witnesses crack open the champagne until after the ceremony!

Once your ceremony is completed, Anthony will send your marriage certificate and NOIM form to the registrar of births, deaths and marriages to have your marriage legally registered.

You can request an official marriage certificate after five days.

Your wedding day is one of the most important events in your life, and it should be a day of celebration and enjoyment. By hiring The Hunter Celebrant to conduct your ceremony, you will have a day that reflects your wishes and your values, held in one of the Hunter Valley’s many stunning and romantic locations.

Finding a Perfect Spot to Tie the Knot

So you’re getting married! One of the first steps is to decide on the perfect spot for your nuptials. Choosing the right location shouldn’t be stressful, but it is tremendously important. It will be the centrepiece of the most romantic of day in your life so you’ll want somewhere that suits you both and caters to all of your needs for a sparkling, romantic wedding ceremony.

If you are looking to marry within your faith, there are several churches in the Hunter Valley region that could provide the location for your ceremony, and are close to a myriad of wonderful reception venues. Or if you are looking to make the most of one of the most beautiful valleys in the country, then you may decide on an outdoor ceremony. How about an English style garden or a gathering among the vines? You may wish for a backdrop of sweeping valley views. The choice is entirely yours.

To be organised, consider the number of guests you will have, proximity to the reception, transport, and bathrooms. Don’t forget to check if there’s easy access for delivery of chairs and other hired materials if needed. It’s also vital to have a wet weather option so it’s wise to opt for somewhere with cover nearby. You may try restaurants, reception venues, hotels resorts or even cottages to see if they have locations where ceremonies can be held.

So why not start your search online right now? Or hop in the car – what better excuse to spend a weekend enjoying the Hunter Valley than the urgent need to scope out the location for your perfect wedding ceremony?

The Lakes Walk Rotunda

A trip to the Hunter Valley Gardens is enough to make me want to get married all over again. Walking through the manicured lawns, there are many romantic spots for the perfect garden ceremony and even places to erect a marquee for a true garden wedding.

Ceremony Locations at Hunter Valley Gardens

There are five different garden locations, all with their own unique points of difference.

For a larger, more formal wedding there is the European Formal Garden. The background is amazing with water features along with hundreds of roses. The area is tiered and has plenty of room for guest chairs.

Within the Hunter Valley Gardens is a 10metre waterfall. If you choose to be married in the Sunken Garden this waterfall will be the backdrop to the ceremony.

Alternatively, you can be married at the top of the waterfall with scenic garden views.

If your wedding is slightly smaller, for 70 or less guests, the Oriental Garden is a special area. There is an Oriental Pagoda built over water, which is magical for a ceremony that is a little bit different. One half of the view is the water you are standing over and the other half is the gardens.

There is also a new wedding location at Hunter Valley Gardens and this is the Lakes Walk Rotunda. The elegant white structure, sitting on the waters edge and surrounded by giant weeping willows, looks like it is straight from a scene in a movie.

For those not looking for a garden ceremony, or even as a wet weather backup plan, the Hunter Valley Gardens also has a special chapel onsite created specifically for weddings. It is a non-denominational chapel so anyone can be married here with their own celebrant or priest. The chapel seats up to 150 guests on hand crafted pews and the large glass windows overlook the Brokenback Mountains and surrounding gardens.

Reception Options at Hunter Valley Gardens

For the reception you can be indoors or out. As mentioned before you can choose to erect a marquee in the European Formal Gardens or the Sunken Garden. You could also try something new and opt for an open-air reception.

Alternatively there is the gorgeous Garden Terrace, a room with amazing views over the Oriental Garden. The minimum number of guests is 50, but the venue can hold up to 150 guests for a cocktail style reception.

The largest reception choice is The Barrel Room at Tempus Two Winery. This venue has a guest minimum of 70 and can hold up to 200 people cocktail style.

Offers and Guarantees from Hunter Valley Gardens

It’s not often you will be given guarantees from entertainment venues, but the folks at Hunter Valley Gardens want you to enjoy your special day without worry. Besides the wet weather back up option of moving your garden ceremony indoors to the chapel, you will also have a wet weather guarantee with your photos. This means if it rains on your wedding day, you and your photographer will be invited back another day so you can take your photos free of charge.

There is currently a Winter wedding special running where if you have your wedding in June, July or August you will receive your ceremony for free.

As part of any package you will also have a dedicated wedding coordinator who will not only assist you with your ceremony planning but will also be there on the day to help things run smoothly.

A buggy and wedding host will also be available to drive the bridal party around the grounds for photos for up to 2 hours.

So when looking for a special venue for your Hunter Valley wedding, make sure you drop by the Hunter Valley Gardens for a complimentary site inspection.

Check the Hunter Valley Gardens listing for further details.

For those dreaming of a romantic wedding reception, look no further than Peterson’s Champagne House in Pokolbin. From the bubbles to the view, this place is the picture of romance, all the way down to the story of how it came to be. Local Hunter Valley winemaker, Ian Peterson, created the house after the champagne he had made to honour the birth of his first granddaughter was so successful. It is stories like this, mixed with the beauty of the house and the surrounding grounds that make Peterson’s Champagne House an ideal place for a wedding.

Inside the building is Restaurant Cuvee, an amazing venue with exposed wooden beams and ironwork throughout, and with a view of the vineyards and the cottage gardens. The restaurant is open to the public for both breakfast and lunch and is well worth a visit next time you are in the Hunter region. The breakfast specialty of course, is a champagne breakfast complete with all the trimmings, including some chocolates to finish off. For dinner, a private appointment can be made for group bookings.

For wedding planning, you can hold your ceremony on the grounds of the venue. Surrounding the house are vineyards, cottage gardens, a pond and jetty with hills as a backdrop.

The large verandah’s make an ideal place for your guests to enjoy drinks and canapés whilst you and your bridal party have photos taken in the gardens. In Spring you can have beautiful photos taken in among the Cherry Blossoms. But no matter what the season, the building and surrounding gardens are a beautiful setting for any type of wedding.

Peterson’s Champagne House can cater for up to 100 guests, seated comfortably and formally within Restaurant Cuvee. There are also packages available for a more intimate wedding with just your closest friends and family. Contact Naomi Pridue, the Weddings and Events Manager, to discuss the wedding package for your specific needs. Naomi, and Peterson’s House, understands that each wedding is a special and important event, and that each bride-to-be has a different idea of what will make her day perfect.

Peterson’s are currently offering special mid-week and winter wedding packages, visit the website today for more information.

So if you’re planning a wedding that is big or small, in summer or in winter, give Peterson’s Champagne House a visit. While you are there try stopping for a bite to eat and enjoy the delicious surrounds. And always remember the Peterson’s motto – Life’s Flat without Bubbles.