Frequently Asked Questions
Will our marriage be legal?
YAS! I am registered with the Dept of Home to officiate and register marriages for heterosexual and same sex couples under the Civil Union Act of 2006. You are provided you marraige certificate on the day of your wedding/signing. No queues, no follow-ups, no admin stress. Can we get another YAS, for that?!
What paperwork do we need in advance of our wedding?
If you are both South African citizens you need:
- A copy of both party's IDs
- 3 x colour ID photos each
- A copy of your two witness IDs or passports
- A copy of divorce or death decrees of previous spouses, if applicable.
Note: If you're entering into an ante-nuptial agreement, we will need a letter from your lawyer confirming that you have done so.
If one of you is NOT a South African citizen:
Both of you will need to attend an interview with an immigration officer at the Dept of Home Affairs. A booking must be made in person, by the citizen and the subsequent appointment must be attended by BOTH of you. Take your ID or passport to make the booking. If we are marrying you, this appt must be made at the Randburg DHA.
If neither of you is a South African citizen:
Reach out and we'll provide more details.
When do we get our marriage certificate?
You will receive your official Abridged Marriage Certificate (DHA – 27) on your wedding day. This is completed by hand by your Marriage Officer and must be kept very safe! This doc is used in the course of normal life South African life to prove your marriage.
A printed version of the above is available over the counter at the DHA once your marriage has been successfully registered.
An Unabridged Marriage Certificate is also available from the DHA. Most South Africans don't ever need this version. But couples who intend to register their marriage internationally or need to prove the detail of their marriage internationally may require an unabridged certificate. We suggest that you utilise. service to pursue this and note it can take up to be 6 months to be produced. Please collect a copy of the marriage register from me (the big book you sign in!), in order to do this.
Read more info about marriage certificates HERE.
Do you do Ante Nuptial Contracts?
No. ANC's are completed with attorneys prior to your marriage. There is a government set tariff to write these up, so no great need to shop around too much. But we strongly recommend that you do sign one. See a little more info about ANC's HERE.
Have you testimonials from others who've used your services?
I do!! Head over to Google reviews. I've had over 160 5**** ones to date.... Blush, blush!
And a bit of lovely press...
From SA Weddings.
From Johannesburg in your Pocket.
And popular blog, The Edit.
As well as The Citizen Newspaper - please see links on our Insta highlights labelled "All the feels".
How far ahead do we need to book?
Some couples plan months ahead, and others decide on a Monday and are married by Tuesday, yes, I can usually make that happen! If you’re flexible and have your paperwork ready, reach out and I’ll do my best to make it work.
If you have a formal, traditional wedding date locked in, it’s best to get in touch sooner rather than later. I can only officiate one wedding per afternoon, and popular dates do fill up. So if you want me as your Marriage Officer, securing your spot early is the smart move. Be smart!
Do you cater for same sex and second marriages?
Of course. We support and celebrate ALL love.
Do you work as a Marriage Officer, separately to your micro wedding packages?
YAS! I love creating and writing ceremonies for couples at weddings big and small, traditional or not!
See more about my services as Marriage Officer HERE.
We LOVE the idea of micro wedding. What will a wedding with you cost?
ALL services result in a legal marriage registered on your behalf with the Dept of Home Affairs.
- Fast Track is R 3 500, for a quick-sticks legal signing.
- Va Va Vows is R 5 500, for the signing and vow/ring exchange
- Little Easy mini wedding is R12 500
- Big Easy micro wedding - all inclusive ceremony package Everything you need for a heartfelt (tiny) big day is included for just R32 800.
- Midi Ceremony at your venue R6 000
- Signature Ceremony at your venue R 7 000
Pricing is ex VAT.
How do you keep costs so low?
Our three core objectives for your micro wedding are beauty, stress-free-ness, (what's a better way to say that!?) and affordability.
Our ‘menu’ model keeps things clear and cost-effective. Choices are streamlined, so you stay focused on what truly matters: declaring your love and commitment. This approach also reduces wedding planning consulting costs.
Polly, our vintage teardrop camper, serves as a pop-up chapel, drinks bar, and stunning photo backdrop at Big Easy weddings. As Polly is our 'base', we avoid many of those pesky venue hire fees.
We never compromise on beauty. By partnering with a trusted team of talented officiants, florists, photographers, and bakers, we deliver exceptional results efficiently, saving you time and money on lengthy consultations.
To keep the model working, third-party bookings and queries can only proceed once our contract is signed and the deposit received.
Fast Track, Va Va Vows and Little Easy weddings take place in my lush Sandton garden, No. 56. Check out our Insta highlight of the same name to view it.
How many guests may we have?
If I’m serving as your Marriage Officer at your chosen venue, feel free to invite as many people as you like — cheerleaders, hecklers, your weird Uncle Bob… everyone’s welcome! As long as they’re rooting for you (or at least pretending to), it’s all good.
Big Easy Package
This all-inclusive micro wedding is priced for ten (you two + eight guests), but extra loved ones are very welcome at R400 a head. This covers extra chairs, a slightly bigger cake, more bubbles, and a bit of logistical magic. We recommend keeping numbers under 30 to preserve the cosy, “micro wedding magic” vibe.
Little Easy Mini Weddings
Priced for just the couple + four guests, but your nearest and dearest are welcome! Additional guests are R300 each, up to about 20 people. And if your guest list grows beyond ten, or you’ve booked a pro photographer, or wish to enjoy a little celebration on site there’s a small R1,500 surcharge to cover an extra 30 minutes at the venue, because magic takes a little extra time sometimes.
Who are your partner venues, so we can decide which is best for us?
Big Easy package: you have a choice of eight very unique and lovely venues. Pop back to our DETAILS page HERE, to find info on them all and links to their sites. It is also useful to chat through the nuances of each. Some are totally private. Some are better suited to more, or less people. Some are good for summer, some for cooler weather. Some offer catering, some not...
ALL are gorgeous and managed by super nice, efficient peeps.
Little Easy weddings are hosted at our venue, No 56, a lush, private garden situated in Hyde Park, Sandton.
Drop us a line HERE and let us know if you have an alternate venue in mind. We love a road trip and the intimacy of mobile micro wedding or elopement at your home can't be beat!
What about receptions?
We've said it once or twice, or perhaps even more times.... On your wedding day, you do you!
So if you're keen to head home and hug your dog after your ceremony, want to grab a McDonalds, or to treat your guests to an upmarket restaurant meal, GO FOR IT! And if you'd like to hang out at your ceremony venue and enjoy a meal there, we've got you covered.
Most of our venues provide on site catering. And this is generally booked directly with the venue. It's best to talk over this aspect and we make the intros, and guide you toward the choice which is right for you.
The photos, and flowers are really important to us! How do we know they'll be lovely?
Florals are purchased direct from market to ensure ultimate freshness, variety and bang for buck. Seasonal flowers are arranged to your chosen colour palette and each vase and bouquet is exciting and unique. Our socials are the best place to check our quality and style.
Photography is vitally important, we know! That's why we work with a team of peeps who are not only fabulous photographers, but superb humans too and who will guide you seamlessly and comfortably through your shoot.
Marzaan's stunning portfolio is found HERE.
Anandi's portfolio is HERE. These two ladies often collab on videography.
Mila's work can be seen HERE.
Kayla' HERE.
And Zandalee's HERE.
90 mins of photography is included in your Big Easy all inclusive cost. This is sufficient time to cover your ceremony, friends and family, couples and portrait shots. We catch well over 100 moments in that time, but you can add an extra hour should you want some getting ready or behind the scenes pics. You'll have a sneak peak in about ten days, and your edited file in about eight weeks, depending on the season. Prints and photo books can be ordered directly from most photographers.
You can book 60 mins of photos with the same fabulous professionals for our Little Easy weddings.
How much say do we have in our ceremony?
Micro weddings and elopements by their nature are very ceremony focused. And we are very focussed on getting you hitched in a way that works for you. This means you have lots, and lots of say in the tone you'd like to set.
Anna, founder of We Do Weddings is the celebrant at most weddings we manage. You can access some lovely reviews on Google. She offers secular, celebrant style ceremonies. Read more about her style HERE.
At a Big Easy wedding you may choose to have a Christian officiant. Rev Craig is our usual go to for Christin ceremonies, and get to know you Zoom is available with him.
Little Easy ceremonies are secular only. These ceremonies are custom written and personalised to you. They include a message and a vow and ring exchange. You can choose between the Midi and Signature. Learn more HERE.
Ceremonies can also be offered at a venue of your choice, not necessarily coupled with our packages.
We are active in our religion, may we have our own officiant marry us?
Big Easy: Yes! This is your special day, and the ceremony is the most important part of it. Having said that, we do pretty darn good job at ceremonies. 150 plus 5 Star Google reviews can't be wrong?!
The Little Easy is planned and priced around a secular service delivered by our team only.
How many guests may attend a wedding at No 56?
Four guests are included in the packages designed for hosting at No 56. Up to 20 are welcome for a small charge of R300pp ex VAT.
Big Easy weddings are priced for 10 guests. Up to 30 are welcome for a small charge of R400pp ex VAT.
How long are your ceremonies?
This depends on few factors, such as the rituals we include, wether guests are offering a reading, how many guests are in attendance, how grand or simple the venue is, wether the couple is offering personalised vows, doing repeat after me's or offering vows at all!
But, as a general rule of thumb:
- Fast Tracks can be as quick as 5 mins
- Va Va Va Vows around 6-8 mins
- Midi Ceremony, 15-20 mins
- Signature is 25-30 mins
The key is keep the couple engaged, the guests involved and rooting for you, and the vibes high!
See a quick vid outlining my 'take' on this HERE.
And one detailing the Signature Ceremony HERE.