Shae Spry Civil Marriage and Funeral Celebrant

Shae Spry Civil Marriage and Funeral Celebrant 🎤 Marriage ceremonies for legends
⚰️ Funerals worthy of departed
☺️ Celebrating 13 yrs in biz!
💘 Bringing you 😆 & 🥲

This is my biggest reason for acknowledging Country, and it's probably not what you expect...For me it's never about "po...
28/05/2026

This is my biggest reason for acknowledging Country, and it's probably not what you expect...

For me it's never about "politics."

It's about gratitude.

Gratitude isn't just an intellectual exercise. It is felt in the body. To me, it feels like love. There's a warmth, a stillness, a softness. Sometimes I'm so grateful I could cry.

And you know when I feel most grateful? At significant times in my life. Milestones. Rites of passage. When I reflect, when emotions are brought into clear focus. It doesn't get much more significant than birth, enduring commitments, and death.

So it's during weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies that I am most grateful. For the people in my life. For the resources I have access to. For the experiences and opportunities I've had. I hope that the people I work with feel connected with themselves and each other enough that they too feel grateful - for everything - during their most significant life events.

Which brings me to acknowledgement. I am deeply grateful for the Country on which I live.

And when it comes to Country, I know that I would not be here had there not been an invasion. I know that colonialism isn't something that happened once. It's ongoing. I only HAVE because something was TAKEN. The privileges I have are not neutral or simply good luck. Indigenous Australians experience injustices and barriers that I do not experience. And I want to put that right.

Gratitude for me is about connection, and about being in right relationship between giving and receiving.

I receive so much from being here in this time and this place. Do I give back as much as I receive? Probably not. But I try. And when there is an unfair imbalance, I try to correct it.

Acknowledgement of Country is a message: I know where I am, I know what it cost, and I commit to moving forward together in friendship and respect. There's nothing controversial in that.

That's why I want to acknowledge Country, and it's why I think it's important to include it at important events.

It's actually freaking amazing to be in this beautiful place with such enduring culture. That deserves to be celebrated!

25/05/2026

Part five! Remote witnessing of signatures

Last post about Notices of Intended Marriage, for a while at least...

Did you know that a celebrant can now witness couples signing their NOIM via video call?

Most of the time I either meet with couples at a cafe, or sit with them on my veranda or at my kitchen table to get the NOIM sorted. But for couples who are super busy or not based in Portland, a video call for me to witness the signing of the NOIM is a great option!

You know what to do if you have any questions 👌

Hannah and Darren were married in an intimate surprise-ish wedding during a family photo session late last year and ther...
23/05/2026

Hannah and Darren were married in an intimate surprise-ish wedding during a family photo session late last year and there was SO MUCH LOVE under that tree. 

Hannah's Dad, Leo, was her witness and we successfully applied to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages to have the usual notice of intended marriage period shortened so that this special day could be shared with Leo. When Hannah and Darren got married, they knew Leo didn't have much time left. 

Leo had a type of brain cancer called Glioblastoma. It is always diagnosed at Stage 4, being one of the most aggressive and untreatable cancers. Treatment has not advanced in over 20 years, but it buys a short amount of precious time. Leo and his family always hoped he would be among the 5% who would get another 5 years of life post diagnosis, but sadly that wasn’t to be.

Alongside her Mum, Wendy, and her sister, Peta, Hannah is walking 100ks in May to raise money for brain cancer research in memory of Leo. 

It would mean so much to all of us if you could show your support for this family and this cause with a donation. Any amount, no matter how modest, could one day lead to a breakthrough. I've popped the link in stories.

21/05/2026

Part Four: Giving notice of your intention to marry, and how to get that time period shortened due to a medical condition.

In Australia, couples are typically required to give at least one month and one day of notice to an authorised celebrant of their intention to marry (there's a form for this!).

There are some criteria in which this waiting period can be waived by application to The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

This can include reasons associated with wedding arrangements that have already been made ,legal proceedings, or an error in giving notice.

If one of these reasons can be proved, the couple can apply to The Registry with such evidence, along with a completed Notice of Intended Marriage, a letter from a celebrant, and a completed Shortening of Time Application form.

Remember, approval is not guaranteed.

I have supported many couples through this process and I'm here to guide anyone who could use my help. I do not charge any additional fee for this assistance.

Hooray for full and proper sentences... because Paul's ability to form them is what first attracted Sharon to him on Tin...
17/05/2026

Hooray for full and proper sentences... because Paul's ability to form them is what first attracted Sharon to him on Tinder 11 years ago. Turns out, they have a lot more in common than just an appreciation of legible communication 👍😆👌

There were plenty of wet eyes and big smiles as these two got married at on the weekend. Including from myself.

It's actually wild that I get to stand by people as they articulate their love for one another in sharing their vows, with their favourite people watching. I'm so grateful to be in the presence of that depth of love, and Saturday was a fine example of all the feels.

Thanks for choosing me Sharon and Paul!

04/05/2026

Part Three: Giving notice of your intention to marry, and how to get that time period shortened due to a medical condition.

In Australia, couples are typically required to give at least one month and one day of notice to an authorised celebrant of their intention to marry (there's a form for this!).

There are some criteria in which this waiting period can be waived by application to The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

This can include reasons associated with employment or travel.

If a member of the couple (or someone close to them) has a valid reason, evidence of this can be provided to The Registry along with a completed Notice of Intended Marriage, a letter from a celebrant, and a completed Shortening of Time Application form.

Approval is not guaranteed, but in my time as a celebrant I've never had an application declined.

I have supported many couples through this process and I'm here to guide anyone who could use my help. I do not charge any additional fee for this assistance.

After 42 years together and 37 years married, Lois and Les recently gathered their favourite people to renew their vows ...
15/04/2026

After 42 years together and 37 years married, Lois and Les recently gathered their favourite people to renew their vows and celebrate “them.” To acknowledge everything that has led them to where they are now in life, to honour the people who have been there for them, to reflect on the love that has seen them last through all of the challenges and all of the joys the decades have brought them.

These two legends, who are not in the habit of making themselves the centre of attention, got to say “yes, we’ve done it, we are still doing it, and we look forward to everything that is yet to come.” And we all got to be there to hold space for that, to say “you deserve this day,” to be in the presence of a love of a lifetime.

It was a stunner of a day 🌞⛱️🌊, and was an ideal venue for this event. Shout out to Kelly and the team for having us!

01/04/2026

Part Two: Giving notice of your intention to marry, and how to get that time period shortened due to a medical condition.

In Australia, couples are typically required to give at least one month and one day of notice to an authorised celebrant of their intention to marry (there's a form for this!).

There are some criteria in which this waiting period can be waived by application to The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

By far the most common criteria I work with is a medical condition.

If a member of the couple (or someone close to them) has a serious illness and has limited time left to live, evidence of this can be provided to The Registry along with a completed Notice of Intended Marriage, a letter from a celebrant, and a completed Shortening of Time Application form.

Approval is not guaranteed, but in my time as a celebrant I've never seen an application based on medical grounds denied.

I have supported many couples through this process and I'm here to guide anyone who could use my help. I do not charge any additional fee for this assistance.

Happy 8 years to my sweetheart!A few of my fav photos from our wedding in Mum's garden: 1) Everyone had a sweet treat du...
31/03/2026

Happy 8 years to my sweetheart!

A few of my fav photos from our wedding in Mum's garden:

1) Everyone had a sweet treat during the ceremony. Mum and Dad captured in their natural state (cracking up)
2) Marc in the peacock chair
3) How he's looking at me 🥲
4) We glued our vows into The Communist Manifesto and A Little Treasury of Love Poems
5) Dad ❤️
6) Standing in the driveway laughing
7) I wonder what we were talking about here 😆
8) Shup up and paint
9) Signing the certificates

26/03/2026

Part One: Notice of Intended Marriage.

Did you know that couples getting married in Australia are required to give notice of one month and one day to an authorised celebrant of their intention to marry?

A celebrant will guide you through how to complete the NOIM and have it witnessed correctly.

You'll also need to show your celebrant:
- Either your original birth certificates or current passports
- Your driver's licences or other photos I.D.
- Evidence of the end of previous marriages (if relevant)

Yes, that means if your birth certificate is under your Mum's bed you'll need to ask her to grab it for you!

There are some circumstances in which the notice period can be shortened. I'll upload some more videos about this, as it's more common (and useful) than you might think...

Any questions, ask away!

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Portland, VIC
3305

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