Say I do in a way that feels like the two of you.

With a wedding celebrant who brings the magic so you can relax and enjoy every moment.

Marriage Celebrant Byron Bay

Hi, I’m Rach, a Ballina-based wedding celebrant who brings the magic.

And when I say magic, I mean the kind of ceremony that gives everyone goosebumps because it just feels right.

Whether you know exactly what you want or have no idea where to start, I’m here to help make your day ‘you’. You’ll get my full support in planning your ceremony and making it exactly the way you want it. 

By saying “I do” to me (yes, I totally went there), you’ll get an experienced event manager on your side and a whole lot of advice and resources so you feel completely confident about what to say and do, when and how. The result? Looking back on your day and remembering how perfect it was.

Your day goes so fast (everyone says it because it’s true!). That’s why I make it easy for you by taking care of all the details – so you can be present, relax and soak in the love.

Let’s make magic.

Your Wedding Day is a Big Deal

Planning your wedding can feel overwhelming, am I right?

Where? Who? When? How? What will we wear? What will we say?

And when else in our lives do we have to stand up in front of our family and friends and talk about our feelings? (gulp)

Hooold up. Stop for a moment and breathe.


Now just imagine your perfect ceremony feeling easy. The kind of wedding ceremony where you get to drink it all in… the love, smiles, laughter, happy tears and cheers.

Lovely words from happy couples

  • Jem & Ness, Green Cathedral

    I wish there were more stars for me to work with because Rachel is absolutely incredible. She married my wife and I recently and she made it the most perfect day. From the very start, Rachel was so lovely to talk to and she is absolutely genuine. Even after our first meeting with Rachel it felt like she already knew us. Her attention to detail and desire to completely personalise the ceremony was so impressive. She nailed every single element. In the lead up she was always available to answer questions and help us out with recommending vendors and/or locations. Our families we incredibly impressed with her ceremony and couldn’t believe how much it was a reflection of us. She made full of fun, laughter and love. Rach, you are incredible, thank you!

  • Gemma & Jacob, Coomba Park

    Rachel is the absolute best, she was recommended to us and I am so so pleased that we found her. Rachel really did take care of us from start to finish. When we first met, we instantly felt so connected and she made us feel comfortable from the get go. Her constant checking in did not go unnoticed, she was so thorough with getting to know us to ensure she had a true vision of who we were as a couple and lead the most gorgeous ceremony that was the perfect combination of being sincere yet extremely fun. All of our guests commented on how beautiful our ceremony was and this was entirely down to Rachel - she nailed it! She felt the room, got many laughs but when the important parts needed to be said - all guests were well and truly transfixed on what she was saying. I really cannot recommend her enough, we met twice beforehand and then did a rehearsal the day before our wedding to make sure we all knew what we were doing and where we had to be. It was down to Rachel that I felt so calm and at ease when walking down the aisle. We were thrilled to not only have found the best celebrant that was able to shape our day into the most perfect day of our lives but now a new dear friend to us and we cannot wait to catch up with her again.

    Rachel - thank you for being you, you are so wonderful at what you do. I am so grateful that it was you that married us, you made our day absolutely PERFECT. xxxx

  • Aldo & Ari, Shoal Bay

    Rachel was amazing! There was a few hiccups on the wedding day and Rachel was more than accomodating regardless of the hiccups. My wife and I would highly recommend Rachel to anyone looking for a marriage celebrant. The process was seamless and efficient. Rachel was honest with us from the moment we spoke to her, and she was always in contact with us and clarifying any questions we had without hesitation. We can’t thank Rachel enough.

  • Wayne & Tracie, Karuah

    Rachel was not only our wonderful celebrant at our wedding on 21/5/22, she was also our MC, and she was so professional and competent at both. From the first time we met her we knew we had chosen the best. Our wedding was postponed twice before, and we were hoping it would go ahead this time, and it did, and it was wonderful. Our ceremony was just perfect, and we had so many commenting on what a wonderful ceremony it was, funny, relaxed and so full of love!

    Rachel made the whole day and night flow brilliantly and we highly recommend her for your special day as she felt like our friend right from the first time we met.

    Choose Rachel from Fern Weddings you won’t find anyone better than her!💕

    Love Wayne & Tracie 😘

  • Bryony & Joanne, Oxley Island

    Rachel was outstanding, she really put us at ease, not only on the day but also the lead up to the elopement. Her communication was excellent and was only a message away for any advice. Rachel is very down to earth and easy going, a beautiful person. She tailored the ceremony perfect for us, and made us feel extremely special. She organised all the paperwork, which took a big stress away from us. Thank you Rachel for being part of our beautiful day xx

  • Gabriel & Melissa, Oatlands House

    Couldn’t have picked a better person to wed my wife and I. Rachel made the whole process and experience super easy and very comfortable. From the moment we met her it felt as if we had known her for years. She is absolutely without a doubt great at what she does and her organisational skills are without par. We couldn’t have had an easier ceremony without Rachel guiding us and making us feel relaxed and comfortable on the day. Her speech at our ceremony was so perfect!!! We really couldn’t recommend Rachel anymore for anyone looking for a good celebrant for their special day. We’d give her 6 stars if we could!!

    Love, Gabriel & Melissa.

  • Kirsty & Ben, Riverwood Downs

    8wks out from our wedding day, our original celebrant pulled the pin on us;

    In hindsight, that was the Universe sending us the biggest blessing in disguise - Rachel!

    Rachel stepped in & stepped up, & had everything falling into place so smoothly & calmly.

    From her welcoming presence, to her innate professionalism, to her ever-there advice & experience, to the way she is able to create magic from the most minor of details, Rachel's skill set in bringing together people's 'Happily Ever After's' is flawless.

    We are so incredibly grateful that we had this wonder of a woman officiate our day, micromanage our reception, & provide us with lots of laughs along the way.

  • Sarah and Nick, Bonny Hills

    What would we have done without Rachel?!

    Rachel, you made our ceremony so seamless, relaxed, fun and memorable.

    From our zoom calls, to meeting in person, writing our own vows to the ceremony and reception structure. She helped two wedding rookies each and every step of the way.

    Her professionalism, calm, caring nature really made our ceremony so special. We were blown away with the words she wrote about our personal story, which added lighthearted humour to really sum up our story.

    Thank you so much Rachel, we will remember you forever (and getting soaked in the pouring rain 5 minutes after the ceremony finished!)

    Cannot recommend Fern Weddings enough!

  • Jessica and Vikram, Newcastle

    Thank you so much Rachel for you wonderful service!! We wanted an easy ceremony you gave us exactly that with wonderful thought and love into it.

    So friendly and very helpful right from the moment we booked you. So thank you.

  • Elise & Les, Sydney Harbour

    “Rachel was the celebrant for our wedding. She made the process so easy and we didn’t need to lift a finger. The ceremony was exactly what we wanted. She was very organised and prompt and made the process so seamless.”

  • Tyran and Louise, Lake Illawarra

    “It was a really great experience. Rachel really went above and beyond for us and we couldn't thank her enough. She was so helpful with everything and always answered my calls at random times, as well as being very polite.

    She planned our wedding in 40 days from finding venues to organising so many things. She was like a close friend we never met. Highly recommend Rachel! Thanks so much.”

What ‘I Do’

 

Wedding Packages

Do it your way with your choice of a fully customised wedding ceremony, renewing your vows, getting married without the fuss or eloping (oo la la!)

MC Services

Give Uncle Barry the night off and let me MC your reception. No unnecessary nerves, no inappropriate jokes and I’ll ensure your day runs smoothly

 

Guess what? When you choose me as your marriage celebrant, you get access to my couples only log in section on my website. It’s a treasure trove of resources including:

✔ A list of Rockstar Vendors - amazing vendors that I have worked with and wholeheartedly recommend

✔ A killer list of song suggestions for your ceremony that you won’t find anywhere on google

✔ Access to my video series where I talk you through step-by-step writing your own vows

And much, much more!

Ready to make your ceremony magic?

Where ‘I do’ It

I love what I do and I love where I live. And I think the Northern Rivers is the best place in the world to get married. I marry people from the Gold Coast to Yamba and everywhere in between. We have it all - beautiful beaches, amazing countryside, stunning forests and exceptional properties. Areas include:

‣ Byron Bay

‣ Ballina

‣ The Gold Coast

‣ Kingscliff

‣ Tweed Heads

‣ Yamba

‣ Lismore

How “I do” it

Wondering how working with your friendly magic-making marriage celebrant works? This is for you:

 

Step 1: Let’s chat

You want to find out if I’m your gal and you probably have questions about me and how it works. So let’s start with a chat.

Step 2: Let’s make it formal

When you’ve decided I’m your gal, you’ll accept the quote and sign the contract in my handy booking system. A $300 booking fee confirms your slot in my calendar.

You’ll then receive access to the exclusive log in section of my website, a treasure trove of resources to help you feel as prepared and relaxed as possible for your ceremony.

_0003_FW_Check@4x.png

Step 3: Let’s plan your ceremony

We’ll meet at a convenient time, either in person or on a video call, to start planning your ceremony. We’ll get the legal stuff sorted when we sign your Notice of Intended Marriage and sighting your ID

_0002_FW_Heart@4x.png

Step 4: Let’s do this!

We’ll connect in the lead up to your wedding day, whether it be by phone, video or in person and run through exactly what happens on the day. And then it happens – YOUR WEDDING DAY (!). On the day, I make sure everything is ready to roll including your paperwork and cards with your vows ready to read and work with your other wedding vendors to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Step 5: Let’s make it official

After your wedding, I take care of registering your marriage and I will order your legal marriage certificate for you (heads up: you’ll need that to change your name/s).

 
 

 Some beautiful humans I’ve had the absolute privilege to marry

 

Jem & Ness

Gemma & Jacob

Rhiannon & Harvey

 

Your perfect ceremony starts here

With a chat. Simple, right? Because creating the perfect ceremony and enjoying your day should be easy from Step 1!

 
 

In the spirit of reconciliation, Rachel Bracken Celebrant acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their connections to land, sea and community. As one of the oldest living cultures on earth, we celebrate their age-old connections to Country along with the knowledge, determination, patience and generosity of all First Nations people. Past, present and future, this is Aboriginal land.

Rachel Bracken Celebrant is an inclusive business with a commitment to diversity. We embrace all cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender identities. We are committed to providing a safe and nurturing experience for all couples.