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Meet the Vendor: Married by Mandi
Since officiating her first wedding in 2006, Mandi Forrester-Jones has worked with over 500 happy couples in her role as a celebrant. Her heartfelt and personal ceremonies, coupled with her commitment to creating a stress-free day for the brides and grooms she marries, helps create joyful memories for years to come. Married by Mandi can travel throughout Brisbane and beyond to officiate your special day.
Welcome to The Busy Bride community
Married by Mandi
Vendor Profile
| Owner | Mandi Forrester-Jones |
| Services Available | Celebrant |
| Experience | 16-20 years |
| Location | Brisbane, QLD |
| Travel available | Yes |
| Website | marriedbymandi.com.au |
| @MarriedbyMandi.marriagecelebrant | |
| @married.by.mandi | |
| Married by Mandi | |
| Rating on Google | Not yet rated |
| Rating on Facebook | Not yet rated |
Getting to know Married by Mandi
Professional, Compassionate, Helpful
What is your favourite moment during a couple’s ceremony and why?
Without a doubt, my favourite moment is when I pronounce my couples as husband and wife! That’s a magical moment, followed by THE KISS. It fills me with joy every single time. The day I stop feeling that, I’ll give up!
What wedding moment has given you the biggest “feels” so far?
I did a wedding for a couple who were both severely disabled and required an Auslan interpreter because they were also deaf. The beautiful bride decided she was going to walk down that aisle no matter what! So, her dad wheeled her halfway down and then she got her beautifully-decorated crutches that were full of flowers and she slowly made that last part of the walk to her equally-gorgeous husband-to-be.
The whole ceremony and all the things that happened, including me learning Auslan to pronounce them as husband and wife, was incredibly emotional. It was my favourite wedding by a long way!
What advice can you give couples when choosing someone to officiate their special day?
Many people think all we do is stand there and say some words, but it is much more than that. When you are standing up there, facing your loved one, it can be overwhelming. This is a big thing!
It is a good idea to have someone that can create a ceremony that reflects you both and your personalities. They should help make all your guests feel that you and they are old friends and make sure that you can enjoy it without being stressed.
Getting to the day is stressful too. You need someone on your side that can help you, and that you can vent to. It is worth going with someone who knows what they are doing, can calm you down and offer ideas you may not have thought about. Most wedding professionals have a lot of industry experience, know the right people, and are highly adaptable and adept at talking it through and finding solutions in a crisis.
As a celebrant with over 30 years of event planning experience as well, there have been many times I have helped my couples by solving problems, not necessarily related to my “normal” part in a wedding. From styling the event, chasing up missing suppliers, sorting out issues with photographers, mopping out flooded areas in venues to removing unwanted guests, in 16 years I’ve seen and done a lot!
Mandi’s helpful hints on music selection, vow writing and ensuring your ceremony truly reflects who you are as a couple…
- Communicate! It is common to forget to tell your celebrant if there is a change in venue or time.
- Be honest. If you don’t like an aspect of your ceremony, say so. As long as it isn’t one of the legal requirements, then we can change it. It has to reflect you, so talk up!
- Generally, you need 3 songs – one to walk down the aisle, one for signing and one for the recessional.
- I often get asked if you need a song for bridesmaids and a separate one for the bride, but unless you are walking for a good 2-3 minutes you will not get all the song in.
- If there is a specific part of the song you like, such as the chorus, then splice it so you walk down to that part.
- The one for signing and recessional are rarely listened to as people are talking so it is more background noise or ones specific to you.
- The personal vows are just that – personal. They can be light-hearted or soppy, or a mix of both, but if you are not a hearts-and-flowers, romantic/ soulmate sort of people, then don’t write these types of vows!
- Remember, this is the ONLY time you are talking to each other, and these vows are about marriage and everyday life, so make them things that you can renew on a regular basis.
What is your favourite love quote, poem or song and why?
I love ending my ceremonies with this quote from John Lennon:
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream.
A dream you dream together is reality.”
I then end that with:
“For you this reality starts now”.
Not sure why I love it, but I do!
Mandi’s down-to-earth nature and extensive experience in the wedding and events industry will help make your special day remain stress-free and enjoyable. It’s been great meeting you, Mandi!
If you have any questions about Married by Mandi, please reach out at the details provided or drop us a line in the comments below.
With warm wedding regards,
Kimberley xx
