Marriage Celebrant and Professional Master of Ceremonies (MC)
on the Central Coast, Newcastle, Hunter Valley, Sydney and beyond
Offering weddings, commitment and vow renewal ceremonies, baby namings, graduation parties and more!
Photo credit: Coast Wedding Photography
CELEBRATION SERVICES
Photo credit: Coast Wedding Photography
Helena has many strings to her bow
as she isn’t only a wedding celebrant. Offering other services including the role of Master of Ceremonies (MC), commitment ceremonies, vow renewals, baby namings, graduation parties and birthdays - in fact, most celebrations and events! Helena loves to play a part in those special occasions, ensuring they run smoothly and bringing smiles to her clients’ faces, along with sweet memories.
Wedding Packages
Photo credit: Coast Wedding Photography
'I Want It All' Package
from $800
- Obligation-free meet up.
- A beautiful ceremony script will be written to express your love for each other. This could include readings, poems, rituals or anything you can think of!
- Preparation and lodgement of all legal documents.
- Rehearsal for the ceremony, ceremony itself, lodgement of the marriage registration plus all communications such as emails and phone calls.
- Use of Helena’s professional PA system.
- Travel within 40km of Woongarrah on the Central Coast. Additional travel costs will apply for travel further afield.
- Optional $65 for an official marriage certificate from the Births, Deaths and Marriage Register.
- Note: Surcharges apply on all quotes for Australian public holidays as well as New Years Eve
Photo credit: Thierry Boudan Photography
'Legals Only' Package
from $600
- Obligation-free meet up.
- Quick and simple ceremony for couples who want to only say the legal parts in a small ceremony. This would not include your love story, readings or poems.
- Preparation and lodgement of all legal documents.
- Rehearsal for the ceremony, ceremony itself, lodgement of the marriage registration plus all communications such as emails and phone calls.
- Use of Helena’s professional PA system.
- Travel within 40km of Woongarrah on the Central Coast. Additional travel costs will apply for travel further afield.
- Optional $65 for an official marriage certificate from the Births, Deaths and Marriage Register.
- Note: Surcharges apply on all quotes for Australian public holidays as well as New Years Eve
Photo credit: Thierry Boudan Photography
'MC Extraordinaire' Package
from $600
- Meeting with you prior to the wedding
- Structuring the reception, including a Runsheet and scripting for the night
- Point of contact for the event (Liaising with venue, reception, catering staff, videographers, musicians etc.)
- Host the reception so your family and friends can have a good time!
- Keep everything running to schedule
- Facilitating cake cutting, toasts, games, first dance and bouquet toss
- The above pricing is only for weddings. If you wish to hire Celebrate With Helena for a corporate event, please submit an enquiry for a quote.
- Note: Surcharges apply on all quotes for Australian public holidays as well as New Years Eve
Why Celebrate With Helena?
100% Wedding Focus
With only one wedding ceremony performed per week, you’ll have 100% of Helena’s focus to make your day special.
LGBTQI + Friendly Ceremonies
Helena welcomes people from all walks of life including diverse couples. Helena loves people and loves ‘love’.
Pets Welcome
Bring your furry friends along on your wedding day too - after all, they are also a part of your family.
Service Areas
Helena’s professional celebrancy and MC services are offered on the Central Coast, Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Sydney and further afield. Helena is happy to travel anywhere in Australia to help make your day special. Travel costs will apply if outside 50km of Woongarrah on the Central Coast.
About Helena
Helena is a passionate, fun and vibrant marriage celebrant who loves to be a part of people's happiest occasions. This is one of the main reasons that Helena chose to become a marriage celebrant. To facilitate ceremonies and make them fun and memorable for those special times in people’s lives.Â
With Helena’s love of life, happy disposition and great sense of humour, she will help bring your wedding ceremony to life. Filling your day with happy memories by engaging your guests, calming those with nerves, and adding wit to your special day for a few smiles and laughs.Â
A people-person who is also an animal lover - lover of all things, including anything to do with Marvel, Star Wars and yes, she will even admit to being a total Buffy lover. If you are too, she will happily add in a few quips and off-the cuff commentaries that will certainly liven up your ceremony!
If you prefer a more traditional and formal ceremony, Helena’s your first choice. With experience delivering on various styles and ceremony requests, you can rest assured you’ll have the best wedding ceremony.
It’s your day and Helena goes above and beyond to make everyone’s experience, a day they will always remember.
Qualified Celebrant
Helena is a registered member of the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants (AFCC). Qualifications include:
- Bachelor of Management (major in Marketing) with a Distinction average
- Master of Business (Distinction average)
- Certificate IV Celebrancy (Competent)
- Certificate IV Training and Assessment (Competent)
Testimonials
"Helena’s communication was amazing - we had two meetings with her and she was super flexible with us. We met at a local cafe for our initial meeting and again for a rehearsal and read through our ceremony - everything was so easy and she was very inviting. Helena felt like a friend we've known forever. She has similar interests to us and was happy to incorporate Star Wars into our ceremony as my husband loves Star Wars. She assisted in our vows and asked us questions about how we met and about our lives, to incorporate into vows for us. She sent us a draft and made changes we requested. She was amazing!"
Jasmine and Jake (Married on 01/10/2022)
"The wedding went so smoothly with Helena as our celebrant. She managed to put us at ease and make us feel comfortable during what I would say was a very stressful time. The ceremony was exactly as we imagined it would be. She managed to incorporate our little stories about how we first met and our first holidays into the script which made it even more special. She was able to match the vibe that we wanted and was open to any changes we requested. Her communication with us was great and was very flexible around our meetups. Could not have done it without her!! Amazing!Â
Emily and Chay (Married on 26/10/2023)
Want to Celebrate With Helena?
Get in touch using the form, or contact Helena through the avenues listed below.
Helena Duckworth is located in Woongarrah on the Central Coast, NSW.
Celebrate With Helena
ABN: 50 586 939 668
Phone
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When do we have to pay you?
A: Upon signing of the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) which is the first legal document giving a minimum of one month's notice, you will pay a 50% deposit of the total fee. This locks myself and the date of the wedding in. After this, final payment is due, at latest, one month prior to the wedding.
Q: When and how much do you charge for travel?
A: I charge for travel when you are outside a 50km radius of the Central Coast suburb of Woongarrah. You will need to contact me for an exact quote, so lodge an enquiry today, and I will get back to you asap! In general, I charge to cover petrol costs involved in travelling to your venue, and also for the extra time to get to the destination.
Q: How many weddings per day do you do?
A: I only take on one wedding per date. The couple must have the deposit paid and once it is booked, I will no longer take enquiries for that date. It ensures that on your big day I am focused and at my best for you as a couple. It also ensures that if there are any delays for any reason, I will still be able to get you married and not rush off to another wedding. If I am already booked for your date, I can definitely help you find another available celebrant who will be just as awesome as I am!
Q: What equipment do you provide on the day of the wedding?
A: I have a Bose S1 Pro PA system, which I use to conduct my ceremonies - providing the weather is appropriate. Venues often provide a table and chairs for signing of the legal documents during the ceremony, so this is not something I provide. If you are having your ceremony in a public place such as a beach or a park, you will need to source a signing table and chairs for the day.
Q: Can we use that equipment for the canapes after the ceremony?
A: Yes, my PA system can be used after the ceremony (and before the reception). I will charge a small fee of $50 for this.
Q: Can you write our vows?
A: It is more personalised if you write your own vows as a couple. Remember, you are going to spend the rest of your life with this person - tell them how you feel. I will happily provide you with some guidance on what to put in there, even some vows written by other couples or myself to help inspire you. Vows do not have to be very long, so we have you covered on this one!
Q: What are your qualifications to be a celebrant?
A: I have obtained the nationally recognised qualification of a Certificate IV in Celebrancy and I am registered with the Attorney Generals department to practice as a celebrant.
I also have the following very helpful qualifications:
- Bachelor Of Management (Marketing Major) with Distinction average
- Master of Business with Distinction
- Certificate IV Training and Assessment