Terms of service.
These are to protect you guys and me!
Please let me know if you have any questions.
THE CELEBRANT AGREES:
1. To provide Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrant services to the Clients in accordance with the Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants.
2. To attend and conduct the ceremony at the time, date and place indicated in the invoice and booking form;
3. To advise the Clients as soon as possible if the Celebrant is unable to conduct the ceremony for any reason, including due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances:
a. to refund to the Clients a negotiated amount or compensate the replacement celebrant, whichever is appropriate, and
b. to pass the Notice of Intended Marriage to the replacement marriage celebrant, in a timely and appropriate manner.
4. To incur the costs for alternative arrangements (e.g. taxi) if the Celebrant experiences problems on her way to the wedding (e.g. traffic jam, flat tyre, car accident), in order to arrive at the venue at least 20 minutes prior to the ceremony.
THE CLIENTS AGREE:
5. To pay the Celebrant’s fee in accordance with the Fee Schedule attached, namely:
a. the non-refundable Booking Fee (Item 1); and
b. the balance of the fee, not less than two calendar weeks prior to the wedding date.
6. All monies are to be paid by direct deposit to the celebrant's nominated bank account or by an alternative method as agreed in writing with the Celebrant.
7. If full payment has not been made to the Celebrant in accordance with these terms then the Celebrant will not attend or conduct the ceremony.
8. That they have booked the Celebrant for a particular date, time and location, and to advise the Celebrant immediately in writing of any change to the date, time or place of the ceremony. If the date change is based on COVID Restrictions imposed by Relevant State Government Authorities see COVID TERMS OF SERVICE.
9. If the date and/or time of the ceremony is changed (not COVID related), the booking fee will be held over to the new date or time, and the quoted fee schedule will stand, so long as:
a. the new date and/or time is within 6 months of the original date AND
b. the Celebrant is available for the new date and/or time.
10. If the location of the ceremony is changed, the Celebrant reserves the right to review the Fee Schedule and charge an additional travel fee if applicable.
11. If the date and /or time of the ceremony is changed and the rescheduled date would have derived a higher fee (based on inflation and seasonal increases), the Celebrant reserves the right to charge a fee to cover the difference.
12. In the event that the Celebrant is unable to conduct the ceremony due to the change in date, time or location of the ceremony, the Celebrant reserves the right to terminate the agreement and,
a. retain the non-refundable booking fee, and
b. if the ceremony draft has been emailed to the Clients at the time of the change, the Celebrant may retain or charge an additional $300, and
c. if the change is post-rehearsal, the Celebrant reserves the right to retain or charge an additional $20 paperwork expense fee. NOTE: If the change is made on the wedding day and the Celebrant cannot accommodate the change, no monies will be refunded.
13. If the ceremony is cancelled by the Clients:
a. less than two weeks before the ceremony date, no monies will be refunded.
b. more than a month before the ceremony date, all monies paid will be refunded within five (5) business days except for:
i. the non-refundable booking fee, and
ii. if a ceremony draft has been emailed to the Clients at the time of the change, the Celebrant may retain or charge an additional $300.
14. The Clients acknowledge that this contract covers the legal marriage between the two parties. The client acknowledges that to be legally married in compliance with The Marriage Act 1961 only requires the presence of the Celebrant, the Clients, and two witnesses.
15. The Celebrant has explained, and they understand, the legal requirements for entering into a valid marriage, and they agree to comply with their obligations as requested by the Celebrant.
16. To provide the Celebrant with accurate information, and acknowledge that the penalty for making a false declaration is four years' imprisonment.
17. To provide the Celebrant with all original documentation requested no less than 48 hours prior to the wedding date, including any accredited translation documentation requested by the Celebrant.
18. If they fail to provide all documentation requested to the Celebrant not less than 48 hours prior to the wedding date, the ceremony cannot proceed and the Celebrant will not attend.
19. Acknowledge that if the Celebrant is unable to perform the ceremony and a replacement celebrant is arranged all original documents must also be sighted by the replacement celebrant prior to the ceremony.
20. Where the Celebrant considers that prevailing weather conditions such as extreme heat, fire, flood or storm in the vicinity of, or en route to, the proposed ceremony, pose a threat to herself, her equipment and / or her motor vehicle, she reserves the right to move, delay or not attend the ceremony until such threat has passed or been averted. Every reasonable attempt will be made to attend and conduct the ceremony. Remedial action may simply be detouring around the threat or providing shade for the bridal party and Celebrant.
21. If the ceremony is to be changed to an alternative venue due to inclement weather, one of the Clients will inform the Celebrant personally by telephone (not via email or text message), no less than three (3) hours prior to the ceremony to ensure the Celebrant has sufficient time to travel to the alternative venue and prepare alternative paperwork.
22. The Celebrant will take any steps she considers necessary to protect equipment, documents and certificates if there is any risk of damage by rain or inclement weather or other situation.
23. The use of the Celebrant’s PA system is subject to favourable weather conditions and will not be used in any circumstances where the unit may be exposed to harm by persons or the elements. Judgement is to be made at the Celebrant’s sole discretion.
24. The Celebrant undertakes to use her best endeavours to ensure that the PA is fully charged, functional and tested prior to the ceremony. However, the Clients acknowledge that inanimate equipment may malfunction from time to time and should the PA fail at any time prior to, during or after the ceremony, through no fault of the Celebrant, the Celebrant will not be held responsible.
25. If either of the Clients has not arrived by 30 minutes after the agreed start time, or if the ceremony cannot proceed for any reason outside the Celebrant's control, the Celebrant reserves the right to leave the place of the ceremony without conducting the ceremony.
26. In the event of the above occurrence (26), the Clients will liaise with the Celebrant to mutually agree on a later time and place for the Celebrant to solemnise the marriage for an extra fee, payable in advance.
27. In the event of the above occurrence (26), if the Celebrant remains at the venue and solemnises the marriage, the Clients agree to pay an additional $50 for every 30 minutes' delay.
28. If the ceremony is delayed through no fault of the Celebrant, which results in the Celebrant incurring extra charges such as parking fines, the Clients will pay the Celebrant’s further costs.
29. The Celebrant accepts no liability for the late start of a ceremony due to the late arrival of any of the Clients, their attendants or guests.
30. The Celebrant takes no responsibility for damage to property, personal injury or disruptive behaviour of children/guests/the public prior to, during or after the ceremony. The supervision of children attending the ceremony is a matter for the parent/s or carer/s of the children in question. The behaviour of adult guests is the Clients' responsibility.
31. The Celebrant accepts no liability for the dissatisfaction of clients where the quality of the ceremony is diminished due to disruptions resulting from the behaviour of children or adult guests.
32. To advise the Celebrant as soon as practicable if either of them is taking prescribed medication which may change their demeanour on their wedding day.
33. That:
a. they will not arrive at the ceremony appearing to be inebriated or under the influence of any other substance.
b. judgement as to inebriation of the Clients being under the influence of alcohol or any other substance is at the Celebrant’s sole discretion. NOTE: The Celebrant is not lawfully authorised to solemnise the marriage under these circumstances.
34. To nominate two official witnesses aged 18 years or over and who appear sober and not under the influence of any other substance, at the sole judgement of the Celebrant, otherwise alternative official witnesses must be used.
35. It is the Clients' responsibility to meet the costs of all purchases made by the Celebrant of items required for the ceremony e.g. items for symbolic rituals.
36. If the Clients fail to communicate any information requested by the Celebrant regarding their ceremony (after the ceremony draft has been reviewed) by no less than 72 hours prior to the ceremony, decisions regarding the content of the ceremony will be left to the discretion of the Celebrant.
37. The Celebrant may use photos from the ceremony and testimonials in promotional material, on her website, Instagram and Facebook page, and in other marketing collateral/websites.
COVID TERMS OF SERVICE
38. The Clients accept that the only circumstance under which this contract is legally frustrated is where restrictions enforced by the State Government of the state in which the ceremony location and date indicated on the Booking Form prohibit marriage ceremonies completely.
39. Where COVID Restrictions necessitate that guest numbers are reduced, or dancing is prohibited, but legal marriages are still permitted, the Clients acknowledge that the Celebrant is still able and willing to fulfill her legal obligations under this contract. Under these circumstances, if the Clients wish to cancel this contract, the Cancellation Policy at clause 13 applies.
40. Where COVID Restrictions necessitate that guest numbers are reduced, or dancing is prohibited, but legal marriages are still permitted OR COVID Restrictions have not yet been announced by the Relevant Authorities for the date and location indicated on the Booking Form, the Clients acknowledge that the Celebrant is still able and willing to fulfill her legal obligations under this contract. Under these circumstances, if the Clients wish to postpone the wedding to a later date, the Clients agree:
a. to contact the Celebrant to discuss potential dates to reschedule immediately after contacting the venue;
b. to pay an additional fee if the Celebrants usual fee for the postponed date would have derived a higher Ceremony fee;
c. to pay a 50% postponement fee if the rescheduled date is a Saturday in the months of March, April, May, September, October and November (wedding season);
d. to pay a to pay a 25% postponment fee if the rescheduled date is a Sunday in the months of March, April, May, September, October and November (wedding season);
e. if the Celebrant is not available for the rescheduled date, the Celebrant will assist in sourcing an alternative celebrant to conduct the ceremony;
f. if the Celebrant is not available for the rescheduled date, the original Booking Fee is not refundable but may be refunded at the Celebrant’s sole discretion.