No Channell 9 I am not going to watch “Married at first sight”
There is a lot of chatter at the moment about the new Channel 9 show “Married at first sight”. My couples are asking me about it, the tv critics are talking about it and also my celebrant mates have been discussing it too. there was a lot of chatter about it and this is precisely what the tv network wanted.
Happily married but not at first sight…. (At mulberry on swan)
I have been married for over 11 years to a wonderful woman and when I met her I got to know and love her and knew in my heart that she was the one for me. I wanted to marry her, I wanted her to be my lifelong partner and wife…. I therefore proposed (here in Perth actually on Leighton beach). We went and saw the celebrant and then months later (there had to be the 1 month on the NOIM form) we had a wonderful ceremony and we were married. The whole process was easy and a thoroughly enjoyable process.
We did it! And we knew each other for ages….
When I became a celebrant a few years later (I have been a celebrant since 2006) I realised that our amazingly simple marriage system has a few key points that make it work and should be respected. Firstly you need the month so that you have time to think if marriage is right for you and no-one is forcing you into it. Turning up on the day and getting married to a stranger is just turning our common sense process on its head and working backwards.
Secondly the marriage process is also about “intent”. When you go to a wedding ceremony you believe it is a marriage so therefore it is one. Have you heard the saying: “if it quacks like a duck, looks like a duck… it is therefore a duck”. Channel 9 can gloss it over to say it is a “Social experiment” and then have a person purporting to be a celebrant to say it is not really a wedding. However we all know what it is: you have been advertising it for months saying “they are getting married at first sight”…
Perth Wedding ceremony
I have been a celebrant for 8 years and have been involved in almost 2000 weddings and they have all been different. However they all have a common theme that 2 people get to know one another, fall in love, who want to be with other (for whatever reason) and they decide to be married. They then enjoy the wedding process that is there to protect them and at least a month later become husband and wife: that has worked for me and unfortunately Channel 9 have decided to trash it.
Brad Whitelock, Perth Wedding Celebrant
Have Brad Whitelock, design and deliver the exact wedding ceremony you desire. Ph: 0431 974 608
