Okay, so here’s the thing; civil wedding ceremonies (in Australia, at least) can be as wacky or subdued, formal or relaxed, modern or traditional as you and your fiancé want. All you need is an experienced and willing celebrant to guide and support you (call me) and the intent to make your marriage ceremony one that your guests won’t sleep through. So the truth of the matter is, there are no rules. But in the interests of giving you something to work with, here are my 9 new-world rules of wedding ceremonies.

With sweeping vineyard views from the paved terrace bordered by landscaped gardens and the character sandstone barn, family owned and run Golding Wines boasts a wonderfully distinctive and rustic setting for celebrations or just a lazy Sunday afternoon sipping wine at the cellar door (accompanied by a slice or two of their crusty wood oven pizza, of course). 

And even though every wedding that I have been a part of there looks like it's been ripped from the pages of a magazine, they also run incredibly smoothly. Their Events Manager, Sarina Jenkins, is in the business of making dreams come true. Sarina and her team's attention to detail (like having a staff member ask the groomsmen to empty their pockets just before the ceremony starts so their mobile phones or keys are not unsightly distractions in the photos) and professionalism week after week is what really sets Golding Wines apart.   

Chris and Steph live and breathe an authentic, genuine life and their wedding day was simply a concentrated dose of that. Almost everything was DIY and they decorated, crafted, created, and baked their way through around 16 months' worth of planning to make the lovely Barristers Block in Woodside their own particular brand of heaven for a day. The result was awesome, as you can see from these beautiful shots from Photography by Michelle Harkness. Enjoy!

During peak wedding season, the best we can manage is a high five in between commitments, so it was a real treat to have an in depth discussion with the very talented and thoroughly decent, Pete Thornton of What Pete Shot.

We met in Goodwood for a latte at Trouble and Strife (awesome cafe, by the way) to chat about how he does what he does (fight mediocrity) and why wedding couples should hold their photographer accountable.

On a wild and stormy afternoon in November 2009, I married the gorgeous Jenna and Mat in a joyful and fun ceremony at the Adelaide Sailing Club. And you know the superstition about rain on your wedding day and fertility, right? Well, 5.5 years and 3 children later, Mat and Jenna are just as gorgeous as the day they were married.

Your mum and dad have stuck by you through all your awkward phases. Including your desperate pleas for a horse at 8 (of course I will feed it every day, Dad!), your emo phase at 14 (black was the new black) and your obsession with a really, really dodgy local band at 21 (don't deny it, you know it's true). And if your siblings are anything like mine, they would have mocked and teased you mercilessly through the aforementioned phases. 

But here you are, planning your wedding and you really want to acknowledge and include them in your big day. Sure, your dad can walk you down the aisle, but what are your other options?

Once upon a time there was a savvy, no nonsense bride. Let's call her Jackie* (*bride's name has been changed to protect the overly ambitious). Jackie was planning the wedding to the man of her dreams on a pretty tight budget, but she knew what she wanted and figured; "hey, I'm a pretty smart/creative/resourceful woman. Why should I pay an arm and a leg for some things if I can learn how to do them myself AND get the satisfaction of having worked hands-on on our decor/flowers/signage/invitations/midnight snack boxes/hot chocolate spoons/limoncello cocktail favours etc.?"

When I first meet with my couples to discuss their wedding ceremony, once we get past all of the 'where, when and how' logistics, what I really want to know is their top 3. Some of my brides and grooms are are puzzled; what do you mean 'Our Top 3'?