Being a marriage celebrant in Coffs Harbour has allowed me to gain a first-hand experience of all things weddings and the impact of COVID-19. At the end of 2020, the ABS released some interesting insights as part of their provisional data for January to June 2020 highlighting changes in patterns of marriage associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and for that reason, I want to issue a minor nerd alert for my latest blog.

2020 and now 2021 has been a period of exceptions.  We keep hearing of the word unprecedented, one that I need no longer right click to check if I have spelt it correctly.  The pandemic has of course changed the wedding landscape in so many ways.  Let’s take a quick look…..

Between January and June 2020 a total of 37,813 marriages occurred in Australia – in which I proudly contributed 0.08% ‘I do’s’.   The number of marriages represented a 31.9% decrease in the same period a year ago.  When comparing the same period of the last five years, the number of marriages was lower by 62.2%.

Between April and June 2020 the median age at marriage was 32.6 years for males and 30.7 years for females.

A whopping 80% of ceremonies were performed by a civil celebrant. This is a figure that I have seen climbing every year since becoming a civil celebrant many years ago.

Over the past decade, the marriage rate has decreased from 5.5 to 4.5 marriages per 1,000 people.  Despite the restrictions, nearly 10,000 weddings went ahead between April and June 2020 – and that’s a good thing not only for couples but Coffs Harbour’s awesome wedding industry suppliers and my amazing celebrant friends.

Without question, one of the biggest trends I have seen during the pandemic is the increase in elopements and micro weddings, two popular services that I have now been providing for more than 13 years to couples locally and afar. 

If you are trying to navigate how to get married within a world with a touch of uncertainty, then let’s talk.  I can make your wedding ceremony truly one to remember for a lifetime – and for all the right reasons. It’s what I do!

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  • Thank you for officiating our wedding ceremony.  We had an amazing day and loved how relaxed and genuine the ceremony was – just perfect thank you!

    Danielle and Nick

  • We can’t thank you enough for making our wedding day so special. We truly appreciate the time you took getting to know us. Almost three months later and our guests still comment on how beautiful the ceremony was. We had such a fun day and you topped it off with your relaxed nature and great sense of humour.

    Sarah & Scott

  • We couldn’t have ask for a more intimate and loving ceremony. Simon’s kind words, readings and professionalism were greatly appreciated. All went to plan, better than we imagined! He was very helpful and considerate when it came to our request. Thank you once again Simon.

    Michael and Maria

  • Thank you for making our day so beautiful, it was magic. We had such an amazing day which was in no small part due to you. Our guests all commented on how beautiful the ceremony was, and how nicely you conducted it. We wish to extend our warmest thanks to you for being one of the integral parts in making our wedding the wonderful occasion it was. Many, many thanks!

    Sarah and Darren

  • Jordan and I truely didn’t realise how lucky we had scored until the beginning of our ceremony. Simon had ourselves and our guests in tears from laughter and love. He was personal, deep and truely understood how we wanted our ceremony to feel. Our day started at 28 degrees and finished at 45 degrees, however, no matter how hot it became Simon was professional and knew how to make ourselves and our guests feel at ease. Our guests raved about Simon throughout the night and still to this day, we receive compliments on his behalf. He helped to create an atmosphere that will stay with us forever and we cannot thank Simon enough for this. We highly recommend Simon to be a part of your special day.

    Erin & Jordan

  • Hi Simon, Renee and I just wanted to shoot you a quick email to thank you for your amazing ceremony on Sunday. You were calm and professional throughout the whole process and we were extremely happy with the way you conducted our wedding. A special thank you for coming out on Saturday evening for a practice run through. That really helped to calm everyone and to let us all know what to expect. It was so cool to have the ceremony so personalised and your assistance and advice was greatly appreciated. Nearly all our guests commented on just how special the ceremony was and of course Renee and I are stoked with how it went. We couldn’t have dreamed the ceremony would go so well and without you it wouldn’t have! So thanks again Simon! We will definitely recommend you to any of our friends who need an awesome celebrant!

    Renee and Ben