About Liz

'Love recognises no barriers, it jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.' maya angelou

Your wedding day and the days leading up to it are full of planning, nerves, excitement and full of hope.  After 20 years as a full-time celebrant, I'm there for you every step of the way.  I love love so I'm a creative storyteller, no AI from me I promise, as your day is all about connection of the human kind and a weaver of a whole lot of inherent magic by just a few honest and heartfelt words.  What I do deliver is a specially curated and personal high end experience - whatever your wedding looks like to you. If you want a memorable wedding day with a little added sparkle, I'm the celebrant for you! I'm a Gold Coast marriage celebrant who travels from Tamborine Mountain to Toowoomba, Byron and beyond to legally marry couples anywhere at any time in Australia. I've been up in a hot air balloon marrying a gorgeous couple and within days, officiating another couple's wedding on a bright sunny Christmas morning.  Hubster and I explored the City of Love and Lights, Paris & the South of France and loved it so much we went back to float around the French and Italian Riviera's last year with a stop off to experience the Grand Prix F1 in Monaco - definitely a bliss list experience!  We went on an amazing trip through India in 2023 and of course, we stopped at the world's most recognisable monument to love - the Taj Mahal, not once but three times and of course, I posed on the world famous Diana seat.  

I happily spend my days dressing up, sharing in very special, intimate moments and getting to travel. I'm well known in the industry and have a reputation for impeccable and incomparable service. There's a reason why I've married so many wedding coordinators or get called upon to step in at short notice.  If you want to see me in action doing just that, please watch the video link below.  I was called upon at veryshort notice by the couples wonderful photographer Toni from Doe & Deer Photography to help out and my very first complete read through of the ceremony script was right there and then - as I delivered it.  I printed out the emailed copy with moments to spare, checked the legalities and jumped in the car (I hurriedly got ready while I waited for the paperwork to be sent through). I didn't write it but after checking the couples ID again to cover legalities, it was show time with my  heels firmly stuck in the mud as I couldn't move!  It's another reason to always choose professionals and thank you so much to Geoff from Motion Art Weddings who also answered the call to help but you be the judge if I did a great job of literally jumping in or not.  

Having worked in education, high end fashion and a former model, I've compered many corporate and special events, appeared in TV commercials & films as well as voice over for radio. I also used to record 'Hear a Book' audio books for the blind before Audiobook became a thing, so you can be assured my presentation, grooming and delivery are always a priority for your day.  It's a huge compliment to have so many guests and parents come up after the wedding to say "That was the best ceremony they've ever witnessed".  I have an extensive wardrobe to suit any wedding and if not, a girl can always shop!  I get it's not just how I look but the delivery of those very special words as my voice, tone and delivery of your ceremony is important to me.  I listen to what you want (as well as what you don't want) and make that a reality. 

'Elegance is not about being noticed, it's about being remembered' Giorgio Armani 

I practise what I preach, completing my Certificate IV in Training and Assessment training colleagues in their compulsory Ongoing Professional Development throughout Australia since 2016.  I joined 5,499 wedding professionals for a huge wedding industry convention in Las Vegas in November 2018, bringing back a wealth of information, knowledge and contacts in the wedding industry.  If a destination wedding is more your thing and your dream is to get married in Las Vegas, New York, Italy, Bordeaux, France, Canada or beautiful India, let me know as I can put you in touch with the right people and I can personally marry you in any state of Australia and the USA, including Hawaii.  Many couples are choosing small intimate legals only elopements sitting at my home office desk to marry in private without any stress (financial or otherwise), a minimony or micro marriage at my poolside backyard oasis or in a location suited to them, so contact me if this feels more like you. 

Whatever it looks like to you, a wedding to me is truly magic, a sacred and special event.  I'm an empath, so for me, it's all about the feels whether you're sitting at my office desk saying your legal vows or standing in front of a few hundred loved ones, the angel sighs are the same - it's a physical feeling I get when I deliver your ceremony.  Sounds weird, I know, but it happens! Hubster and I married on my birthday in '86 (yep over 39 years ago) and I had my very own surprise renewal of vows in Vegas 2017 when the tables were turned.  I was completely clueless until I sat in a golden gondola floating along in The Venetian wondering who this woman was that rudely came and sat opposite me before handing me a huge bouquet of white roses with a smile bigger than Texas! Cue the tears...

On another trip to Vegas, we were both surprised attending the Wedding MBA, a mega convention of wedding professionals on a chapel tour organised by Las Vegas Wedding Connection as we were chosen for a renewal of vows at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel by none other than Beetlejuice complete with snakes resting over his shoulder. So, from the romantic to the quirky and both, so very me! (see photo below) 

Both sons had baby namings which was very unusual 35+ years ago and I was the celebrant at our eldest son's wedding (see photo below) held at the beautiful Braeside Gin Creek Estate, Merrimac and our youngest son's elegant wedding during COVID-19 at Pethers Rainforest Retreat with a micro wedding (see photo right).  They recreated their day celebrating with everyone later that year at both the Cedar Creek Estate, Tamborine Mountain and Albert River Wines.  Incredibly, my parents celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in May last year, so I have big shoes to fill.  My aunt, Betty Debnam, was a famed cake decorator and artist with another darling aunt, a couture bridal dressmaker, so you could say weddings are part of my DNA.

Whether your day is an intimate wedding in your home or poolside at mine, with 200+ guests in a luxe setting, I'm happy to help you say, 'I do'.  I've enjoyed celebrating in so many diverse locations around Australia and overseas, way too extensive to list here. 

I proudly attended the Senate hearing in Melbourne in 2017 on Marriage Equality and quoted in Hansard as stating '...for couples, marriage is a rite of passage.  It is a pivotal and an emotional milestone in a couple's lives.  In getting married, they do want authenticity and a ceremony in their life that reflects them as a couple and their beliefs'.  

I was a panel member of the Subject Matters Expert Group updating training units with the Skills Council for aspiring celebrants for the Certificate IV in Celebrancy and I trialled the new online registrations for marriages in Queensland with the Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages.  A former Vice President / committee member of the Alliance of Celebrants Queensland Inc. (ACQ), their Master of Ceremonies and/or presenter/organiser of their annual conference for many years introducing and organising many keynote speakers.

The beautiful Alana & John 28.2.22