PAGAN CELEBTANT

What is that?

What is a Religious Pagan Celebrant?

Here Rev. Dr. Shé D'Montford describes this in her own words:

"I am Australia's First legal pagan marriage celebrant and it has been my privilege to be the celebrant at many legal and traditional handfastings. (Please see the heading of Handfastings on the Wedding Tab)

 

To be a legally recognized celebrant means that I can perform both legally binding ceremonies that are defined under Australian law as:- `The union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.` and non-legal traditional handfasting ceremonies.

 

It took me nearly 5 years to gain my registration, as the establishment did not want to admit that Paganism is a 'faith' that required its own marriage rites. Additionally, in Queensland, where I applied, being wed according to Pagan beliefs had only just been decriminalized. However, I pinned them down in the end. As far as I knew, according to the 'Attorney Generals Office', I was the only one registered in Australia.

 

Happily now, I have been told that there are 3 Pagan Celebrants. One in Melbourne, one in South Australia and myself in Queensland. The 'Attorney Generals Office' are unwilling to allow any more Pagan celebrants at this stage. So now it's just a numbers game. If there are enough Pagans and Pagans wanting to be legally married according to their own rites- after the census - they will allow more. We are currently in the process of applying to be a recognized religious denomination so that many more pagan celebrants can come under our banner - Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in being a part of this process.

 

On December the 2nd 2001 @ 1.00pm at the Festival of Witchcraft and Magick in Brisbane at the RNA show grounds it was be my pleasure to officiate at Queensland's first public handfasting. (Legal Pagan Religious) On this day, Paul Parkinson and Theresa Gray invite all that wish to be witnesses to their joy to come and celebrate this special day with them. This was be an especially joyful time for the Pagan community as a whole, as this is the first time we were able, in Queensland, to legally publicly celebrate 2 peoples love according to their personal beliefs in public. Thousands turned up with over a thousand people joining in the ceremony. It was broadcast live around the world and appeared on many news channels. Those who joined us there and sent a message clearly to the Queensland parliament that we have as much right to legally celebrate our beliefs as any one else and that  these laws changes should never be repealed.

 

Blessed be

She`

 

 

Witch's Wedding - 1st Legal Handfasting in Qld Dec 2001
As broadcast on SBS

See the basic elements of a Handfasting in 2 min?