I’m a guest on Kids Love Balloons podcast

by Joshua Withers | Jun 13, 2020 | Wedding blog

My friend Chris hosts a podcast about what makes us happy, so I was super happy to be a guest on his show. You can listen below or find your subscribe links here.

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@Brocklesnitch Doesn’t it just fill you with joy! Eight weddings postponed in the last two days, all were already onto their third and fourth postponements. More to come. Much excitement.

From Josh Withers's Twitter via Twitter for Mac

Pro-vax, anti-vax, pro-lockdown, anti-lockdown, everyone’s trying to join a team, but so few people are understanding the hurt that others are feeling. Whilst you might be annoyed by wearing a masking, or other people not-wearing a mask, all whilst ... joshwithers.blog/2021/07/23/p…

From Josh Withers's Twitter via Micro.blog

JQ133 to Auckland this morning. I think the sun was rising as well. @JetstarAirways pic.twitter.com/IpYoamwqWO

From Josh Withers's Twitter via Micro.blog

@morgancroberts @danielle_binks What do I know, dig through my past and we’ll find something to shitcan me for.

From Josh Withers's Twitter via Twitter for iPad

@morgancroberts @danielle_binks Yeah yeah, I saw. I love how it’s not allowable for someone to speak if they’re imperfect. Jesus Christ himself would probably get persecuted today.

From Josh Withers's Twitter via Twitter for iPhone

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Me, explaining the intricacies of being loved by s

Me, explaining the intricacies of being loved by someone more than you could ever understand, to Portia and Norton in Hobart on Tuesday.

With @bulb.creative and @theromantics__ for the @elopementcollective in Tasmania.

Josh + Josh + April in at Cradle Mountain’s Dove

Josh + Josh + April in at Cradle Mountain’s Dove Lake with @bulb.creative, for the @elopementcollective with @theromantics__

Hi, I’m @hellobrittanyjane’s husband. We like

Hi, I’m @hellobrittanyjane’s husband.

We like New York, and we like eating breakfast at cafes. We fight about Britt eating my food and me taking a long time to wake up in the morning.

We miss travel more than you could know but we’re passionate about creating simple and meaningful marriage celebrations - in weddings where I’m your celebrant, MC, DJ, and even a photographer, or in elopements where Britt creates in the @elopementcollective.

Photo by our friends @lukeandmallory obviously from before October 2018, aka before children and the spicy cough, because my hair isn’t silver.

Hi, I’m Luna and Goldie’s dad

Hi, I’m Luna and Goldie’s dad

What's everyone's thoughts on getting high in thei

What's everyone's thoughts on getting high in their marriage ceremony?

Next week my top ten list of highest places I've created a marriage ceremony is getting two additions, seeing two local favourites in Gabbinbar and O'Reilly's dropping off the top ten list.

10. @gabbinbarhomestead (Toowoomba, Qld, Australia) 2300ft
9. @binnaburraweddings (Beechmont, Qld, Australia) 2600ft
8. #DoveLake (Cradle Mountain, Tas, Australia) 3100ft
7. #LincolnsRock (Blue Mountains, Australia) 3300ft
6. #TaftPoint (Yosemite National Park, California, USA) 3500ft
5. @spicerspeaklodge (Scenic Rim, Qld, Australia) 3600ft
4. #JoshuaTreeNationalPark (California, USA) 3800ft
3. #CoromandelPeak #RoysPeak (Mount Roy, Wanaka, NZ) 4000ft
2. #CriffelPeak (Wanaka, NZ) 4200ft
1. #DeadHorseGap (Thredbo, Snowy Mountains, Australia) 5190ft

Any guesses on which two locations will take the new number 10 and number 3 spots?

J&M eloped with the @elopementcollective

J&M eloped with the @elopementcollective

I really enjoy making photos. This photo is one o

I really enjoy making photos.

This photo is one of my favourites, it's of an unknown hiker taking a breather at Taft Point in Yosemite National Park.

Something I'm struggled with for the longest time is that I identify as a celebrant, that's what I do, but I really enjoy making photos of, and for, people.

If you've been married by me, you've probably received a text message after your wedding with a sneaky photo, and an apology to your photographer for cutting their grass.

That's my modus operandi, I'm already at an epic location for a sweet wedding, and there's another photographer there directing, creating, expressing, and I steal a shot in the background. Most are pretty cool with it, and some, like my mate James Day, have been encouraging me in it for a while now. But it's a bit cheap of me to steal other people's shots, the real thing to do, is to make my own.

So today when I met with a couple about making photos at their wedding I felt so excited at the prospect of a new avenue of creativity for me, and the possibility of creating meaningful and enjoyable work for you.

I don't have a photography website, or portfolio, or packages, or prices. I've been a wedding celebrant for over 12 years now, and I love doing that, but somewhere along the way I'll figure out how me making photos can be a thing I market, but for now, feel free to check out the really quick portfolio I made with Adobe today so I had something to show the couple today, at www.joshwithers.photos and if you're willing to take a bet on a celebrant making photos at your wedding, slide on in to those DMs

We’re much more likely to believe what we say th

We’re much more likely to believe what we say than the other way around.

That’s the power of ceremony.

Your marriage ceremony is where we create your marriage as we speak.

Bilal + Beth and I creating their marriage as we speak // @elopementcollective with @bulb.creative at @harvestnewrybar

9 years ago I created the first wedding that I was

9 years ago I created the first wedding that I was paid for without a friends or family connection, arguably the beginning of the business side of my practice.

Here’s a few reflections on how my celebrancy practice hasn’t changed in 9 years

- I was hired because I was me, they weren’t looking for any old celebrant, they were looking for me, I’ve always been honest about who I am, what I believe, what I value, and that’s always paid off for me.

- My first five weddings (including this one) all involved flying somewhere, I’ve been a travelling celebrant since the beginning. So it’s always a laugh in my household when someone emails asking if I travel. It’s literally all I do.

- I missed my final flight from Sydney to Port Macquarie so I hired a car and sped to Port, copped a speeding fine, and arrived on time after getting changed into a suit on the side of the highway, I’ve always compromised for my couples

- They booked me for celebrant, MC, DJ, people have always appreciated the whole package deal

- I charged them $450 including travel. I think it probably cost over $1000. I’ve always delivered more than I charged, even today when it’s in the thousands.

- Then, as I still feel today, I walked away from the ceremony feeling exhilarated, proud of what I created, but also feeling like I could of done better. Call it anxiety or a solid work ethic, but I’ve always strived to be better.

- I had a glass wearing period. I was diagnosed with the smallest amount of short sightedness, i gave up on the glasses because I didn’t like them but I’m guessing I’ll be back one day soon.

Thanks for believing in me Kelly & Todd, and the other couples, friends, and family that believed in me back in those early days!

End of lockdown, start of Glenn and Sarah’s wedd

End of lockdown, start of Glenn and Sarah’s wedding. Glenn and Sarah shared their lockdown wedding planning story with @10newsfirstqld - as the Brisbane lockdown ended, their wedding (delayed by three hours) started // @mumma_of_mavericks @glenn_drum_machine @entangledevents @ingridcolesphoto

Glenn and Sarah’s original wedding invite was fo

Glenn and Sarah’s original wedding invite was for 3pm on July 3rd, 2021. But after Brisbane went into lockdown this last week, we didn’t know what would happen. After the midday press conference on the day of their wedding there was a new invitation, 6pm, seconds after lockdown ended.

They’ll tell the rest of their story on @10newsfirstqld tonight.

How to change your name in marriage // and also ho

How to change your name in marriage // and also how to not change your name in marriage, and also how to change your name if you're not a bride.

All Australian citizens or permanent residents are legally entitled by common law to commence using a ‘preferred’ name at any time without formal process. That means that if your name is Joshua Withers then you could just decide to call yourself Thor McThorcyFace today and you don't need to fill out any forms or pay any money.

But there are some elements of life that require proof of identity, your name being part of that identity, and before you're married you probably have a name given to you by your parents and that's recorded on your birth certificate, and that name then makes its way to your drivers license and passport, and because it's on those documents, you can have bank accounts, mobile phone numbers, and Video Ezy memberships.

So then if one day you, either of you, and regardless of gender, or bride-ness, get married, you have the choice to keep your name as it stands - because you couldn't be bothered telling the Video Ezy staff to send your overdue fees to a different email address - or you can unify under the one umbrella last name.

The drivers license people, passport office, and then the bank, medicare, and Video Ezy staff will want to see proof of that change of name, and when you get married in Australia, that's your Official Certificate of Marriage. If you look at the certificate us celebrants give you you'll notice it's missing the word Official at the start.

Where do you get an official certificate from? The Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in the Australian state you were married in. Not the state you live in, but the one you were married in.

Take the certificate to the passport and drivers license people and they'll change it for you, then the Video Ezy staff should be ok with sighting the new license.

Also, you've got two options, you can drop your last name and take the other person's, or you can get out a hyphen and bang the two names together.

Peter & Elizabeth by @jasoncorrotophoto & @elopementcollective

Dear people getting married, you should consider e

Dear people getting married, you should consider eloping to this sandbank with me. It’s isolated enough that your mum can’t get to us.

I’ve created marriage ceremonies in the coldest

I’ve created marriage ceremonies in the coldest climates in the world like Iceland, on the highest peaks in New Zealand, in the snow of Australia’s Snowy Mountains, and in the deepest of the dry California desert winters in Joshua Tree, but none of those were as cold as Dove Lake for Aimee and Matt’s elopement.

It was so cold and wet I wore a North Face jacket like I was a Victorian premier.

This is Aimee and Matt at Cradle Mountain with the @elopementcollective and @tessashannonphoto plus @theromantics__

If you want to hear what these two lyrical gangste

If you want to hear what these two lyrical gangsters thought of their marriage ceremony and their celebrant, then keep on reading …

“Josh is the best kind of celebrant! Full of fun but professional, love and care, making your day everything you feel it should be. We loved our short, sweet, fun + full of love ceremony through Josh. Looking back, we wouldn’t change a thing! We are so glad that we found you through socials. Our day wouldn’t have been what it was without you. Josh went out of his way, taking a few extra photos of us + the set up here and there and recording the whole ceremony for our own memories or to share! That is just above and beyond! Thanks for everything Josh! You really are the best.”

Molly & Josh #marriedbyjosh at @m.arts.precinct with the @elopementcollective + @bulb.creative & @theperfectpartyco in Murwillumbah.

On my website enquiry form I ask “What’s your

On my website enquiry form I ask “What’s your favourite ice-cream” with a note bringing to your attention that I’ll judge you if it’s mint chocolate-chip.

Every day, twice today already, people tease me - even after they’ve booked me for their wedding - about how mint choc-chip is their favourite.

And honestly, it might be the most boring of all the flavours, at least you have a favourite ice-cream. Did you know there are people in the world who for health reasons can’t have ice-cream!? And worse, some people flat out just don’t like it. Who are those monsters?!

Here’s two ice-cream loving Kiwis - Ollie and Juliet - in New York chowing down on some solid Brooklyn ice-cream after eloping with me and the @elopementcollective plus @bulb.creative in DUMBO, on the banks of New York’s East River.

The first time I met Kate and Jake I had to call 0

The first time I met Kate and Jake I had to call 000, but Kate didn’t even mention it in her Google review! And if you want to hear the story, I’ll tell you in person.

Here’s her review: “We were lucky enough to have Josh as our celebrant for our little elopement this May and honestly, it couldn't have been cruisier. We're a simple, minimalistic couple that didn't want a huge fuss and that's exactly what we got. From our first meeting with Josh, we were happy and confident he was our guy. Our day followed suit and was authentic and simple with Josh delivering a perfect ceremony that was just about us. Thank you Josh for a wonderful experience and for helping us join together for a lifetime.”

Thanks K&J :)

Kate & Jake #marriedbyjosh with the @elopementcollective and @bulb.creative plus @fifthavenueflorist at @heartwoodcabin in #Springbrook.

Good news, we had a few days off and we’re all r

Good news, we had a few days off and we’re all rested now … if you were wondering

Please buy Luna’s shakes, enter coupon code LUNA

Please buy Luna’s shakes, enter coupon code LUNA10 to lose 10% more weight #toddfluencer

Felt fatherly, might delete later

Felt fatherly, might delete later

6am this morning on Currumbin Beach for sunrise wi

6am this morning on Currumbin Beach for sunrise with Taylor & Reece for the @elopementcollective + photos by @bulb.creative and blooms by @thefrenchpetal

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PO Box 530
Tugun Qld 4224
Australia

0411 849 404
hello@joshwithers.com.au