Mary Adler, Civil Celebrant

From the moment I spoke to Mary I knew she was a special person and that I had selected the right celebrant – my search was over after one 15 minute phone call.

I was honoured and privileged that Mary performed two ceremonies in May 2014 for myself and AJ, my partner of 25 years. We both warmed to Mary immediately on meeting her, as did our family.

The first ceremony was the marriage of AJ and myself which we had planned to take place in early June. However, as AJ was in hospital with a serious illness and his condition was deteriorating, we were advised by the medical team to bring the marriage forward. At very late notice, Mary was able to accommodate this change in timing and the next day she delivered a short beautiful ceremony with compassion, love, respect and good humour. Four family members were present and shared with AJ and myself laughter, joy, tears and sadness.

AJ passed away two days after our marriage.

The second ceremony was held a week later - AJ's funeral service. Once again, Mary provided a beautiful ceremony with empathy, dignity and good humour.

Mary has subsequently invited me into her home and assisted me in dealing with the grief and anguish I have experienced in losing the love of my life, AJ. As I mentioned earlier, Mary is special – she is a very generous and caring person who genuinely wants to assist others.

Mary was exceptional in all our dealings with her and is a true professional. She is a delightful, personable, compassionate, wise and caring individual. Mary has an inner calmness and ability to make a very stressful situation a little less so.

You could not go wrong by having Mary by your side.

We couldn't have asked for a better celebrant than Mary - she was wonderful and made our ceremony warm and unforgettable. She was fantastic throughout the whole process and cannot recommend her highly enough.

Many Thanks to Mary Adler, our marriage celebrant. We appreciate her efforts in solemnizing our wedding ceremony in a gracious and memorable manner.
A noteworthy word of praise on Mary's co-operation and sound advice on legal procedures including, but not limited to, change in name and contact details to be registered in accordance with the Victoria Marriage Registry.
We, would highly recommend the services of Mary, to anyone seeking to solemnize their wedding ceremony.

Approximate cost: $300

We thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony and could'nt have asked for more. There were delays and people were getting restless, I was amazed at how Mary had everybody engaged and with ease. More than anything, she was keen to understand what our situation and practices were and accommodated all of it and gracefully.

Thanks a lot Mary, this is yet another sweet memory to add on to our special day.

Mary was a fabulous addition to our special day. She made us feel very relaxed and at ease. She made the whole process seamless and was there to answer all of our questions leading up to our wedding day.

Approximate cost: $490

Mary gave us an unforgettable day as the celebrant of our wedding. So many guests complemented us about our ceremony, which Mary obviously played a vital part of. Mary's advice and guidance was invaluable and we are so happy to have followed her gentle directions. We found Mary through a work friend who was also extremely happy with the warm and funny ceremony Mary provided and not surprisingly, the work friend chose Mary because she had been at a wedding where Mary was the celebrant.

Having been 'left at the alter' by our previously booked Celebrant meant Mary was the second person we went through the interview process with and it was so much better...I'm so glad our first celebrant cancelled on us so we could have Mary! She fit in perfectly with our friends and family and didn't mind having to hang around during the rehersal when the groom was running late...she was happy to change the ceremony as we liked and I feel that it perfectly reflected us. All of our friends and family said it was the best ceremony which could have been conducted for us and for that we are thankful! Thank you Mary, you're the best!

Approximate cost: $500

Mary conducted our marriage ceremony in April. We planned the wedding from London and until a few days before the wedding hadn't met Mary in person. However during our calls and Skype session her warmth and personality shone through and we felt confident that we were in safe hands. The service itself was thoughtful, considered and moving. Mary has just the right combination of warmth and authority and therefore the service had a relaxed feel without compromising on a sense of significance. My worry with a civil ceremony was that without the structure of a church service the ceremony might feel a bit 'lightweight'. However that did not prove to be the case at all, largely I think because of Mary's maturity and experience.
Mary was also very flexible and relaxed fitting in with our pre wedding hectic schedule changes!

Mary did a wonderful job as the celebrant who married our daughter and her husband. She is a lovely lady who made everyone feel very welcome and comfortable. The wedding ceremony was organised in the gardens and she even came dressed to match the occasion. Every detail was thought of, including a rehearsal, to make sure it all went smoothly. Unfortunately, it was a very hot day for the wedding so Mary wisely suggested we bring plenty of cold water which was vital on the day. My daughter said she liked Mary from the start. Thank you Mary!

Approximate cost: $Depends on the length of wedding

We were married by Mary in February 2013.

Mary not only wrote and conducted a wonderful ceremony for us, her advice and support beforehand was outstanding as well.

Mary's thoughtfulness, experience and genuine interest were reflected in all her planning and on the day. She really took the time and effort to get to know us and include those details in our ceremony. She also gave very practical advice and suggestions like having iced water available for guests on a hot day, and tips on how not to cry! These details seem small in the context of such a big day, but they do make all the difference.

We really appreciated Mary's tact, good taste, humour and kind words and would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone.

We engaged Mary as a celebrant for our wedding in the Yarra Glen area in early February 2013. From the initial meeting we felt at ease with Mary and could see that see is passionate about her profession. We did not even bother meeting with another celebrant as we knew from the start that Mary was the one. We received a lot of very helpful information & tips from Mary leading up to our wedding including an information pack with numerous options for vows, readings etc...Mary also travelled to Yarra Glen to conduct a rehearsal with our bridal party and family the day before our wedding and instantly connected with everyone present. On the day, our ceremony was simply beautiful. Mary was warm, down-to-earth and funny. She had obviously listened to us during our initial meeting and created a ceremony that really reflected us as a couple. There were tears (mainly from the groom), but also lots of laughter. Mary spoke extremely well, was very clear and professional. We received many comments on the day about how wonderful our ceremony was. We were extremely happy with Mary and highly recommend her.

We had the pleasure of being married by Mary back in November last year. Mary was the first and only celebrant we met with, from the outset she was extremely warm, friendly, helpful and we knew she was going to do a wonderful job. Not long after we had locked her in we packed up and moved to Perth but even from a distance she was still a delight and easy to work with.
From the first meeting, to the rehearsal and through to the wedding day she was a pleasure to deal with, professional, helpful, personable and we couldn't have asked for anything more. The day went smoothly and as expected everything was perfect! We can't recommend her highly enough, if you do choose Mary you can rest assured that everything will be taken care of and done with a smile!
Thanks again!
Cam and Lauren

Mary married us mid December 2012.

From the initial booking, planning the ceremony and order of service, providing an abundance of ideas for vow and readings, you name it Mary was there enthusiastically supporting us along the way. She is organised, professional, passionate and encouraging. There is no doubt that she thoroughly loves her job and this is prevalent as she delivers one of best ceremony presentations. The feedback we have received from family and friends was so positive. Friends planning their wedding have asked for her details so they can have Mary as part of their day too.
I think that says it in one.
Mary, David and I cannot thank you enough.

Mary's service was simply amazing. We wanted something a bit different - springing a ninja wedding on a small group of our friends during a weekend away in Melbourne. As we're based in Tasmania, we had to organise the whole thing from a distance, and Mary made this easy to do via post and video chat. From the start she was invested in our unusual vision, and on the day she brought it off beautifully: I couldn't have imagined better wording for the ceremony. She was even happy to be sneaked up the side of the house and into the backyard when we were springing our surprise!

Mary helped us carry out our day in a way that was uniquely 'us'. If you're looking for someone who will be invested in your individual vision for your wedding, Mary is your celebrant. Thanks, Mary. :)

Approximate cost: $395

Mary married my two youngest daughters [the third one to be married by Mary in February]and because of the way she conducted the proceedings, her level of professionalism and attention to detail we knew she would also be the perfect person to conduct our service. Mary had the amazing ability to gather information and little anecdotes from us so as to, individualise the service to make it 'ours' - personalised and relevant to only us, and, to also engage the audience on the day. All our ceremonies were conducted with dignity, poise and sensitivity, sprinkled with a touch of humour. When we met Mary for an informal chat, to get to know each other prior to the wedding,we discovered she is an extremely warm, gentle and personable human being. We all love Mary. She is awesome and we cannot recommend her highly enough.

We asked Mary for a very simple ceremony and our experience was perfect, a beautiful ceremony which was enjoyed by our friends and family. We highly recommend Mary for her valuable experience , follow up and meeting all our requirements.

My sister and I were searching for a celebrant to speak at our mother's funeral. I got onto 'WOMO' and searched under 'celebrants', and then started reading all the positive reviews for 'Mary Adler'. She spent time with us before the funeral and really tried to get to know our beautiful mum so she could do her justice - which she absolutely did. She had a lovely, warm manner throughout the service, and many people in attendance commented on how great they thought she was. I would highly recommend her.

We cannot praise and recommend Mary Adler highly enough. We were very apprehensive whilst looking for the right celebrant due to experiencing less than ideal celebrants at numerous weddings we have been to. As soon as we met Mary we felt at ease. Your celebrant can really make or break the most important part of your special day, we are happy to say Mary made ours.

Mary is extremely professional, thoughtful and caring. She listens to what you want with genuine interest. She also offers great advice and suggestions if and when required. She made our wedding ceremony everything she said she could: personal, meaningful and one that reflected us perfectly. Mary also brought joy, calm and warmth to our day of days and we cannot thank her enough.

Mary is a very special person and we wish any couple entering into marriage the fortune of having her oversee their union. We are thrilled that when we begin having children Mary will be able to oversee ceremonies for them too.

Mary was very professional and accessible throughout. She put together an excellent ceremony for us which matched our wishes perfectly. She conducted the ceremony very well: confident, clear and in no way dominating. We would definitely recommend Mary for any other couples looking for a celebrant.

We had such an amazing wedding day. Mary provided us with many ideas and she created a service that was perfectly 'us'. She helped create the perfect feel and day. We could not have asked for better.

Mary was very warm, professional and efficient and we highly recommend her services. We received many positive comments from our guests. Neville and Gwen Middleton

Approximate cost: $795

Hi, my name is Peter. My "now" wife is the queen of research and options. Mary was the first celebrant we met, and within minutes we looked at each other and decided Mary was perfect for us!

Mary was professional, warm, attentive and genuinely interested in 'our story'. Mary was formal yet relaxed at the same time. My little boy of 6yrs of age was my best man and Mary made such an effort to include him as part of the ceremony and made a real point in meeting him before our big day.

Mary was always very prompt with her correspondence and she made the legal side of our marriage flawless and easy.

My next point is that Mary wrote our ceremony based around who we are and our shared experiences together. It felt very well thought out and was delivered from the heart.

I could sit here and write a hundred wonderful things about her, however the best compliment I could give Mary and her husband, John, is that we invited them to our wedding as guests and I would now consider her a friend. And in years to come, when I renew my vows with my beautiful wife, we hope Mary will do it again.

Mary understood exactly what we wanted in our ceremony and she executed it as a consummate professional. She made us feel comfortable in such an overwhelming and unfamiliar environment, her commitment to making the service stress-free, special and memorable from start to finish.
We were given the choice of choosing a ceremony that provided us with the flexibility and freedom to do what we wished. She took care of all the paper work and allowed us to experience the special moment filled with laughter and smiles. The ceremony was "simple but personal, it was modern and something that suited our personalities" perfectly.
We would highly recommend Mary from the beginning to end everything was smooth and it was a perfect day for u.
Jamie & Nuno

Mary made our wedding ceremony so personal for us as well as thoroughly engaging for our guests. We had numerous comments about how wonderful the service was and everyone loved the little stories that she recanted of how we met, our first date and Matt's proposal. Mary managed to inject humour and personality into the service which made the whole experience very memorable.

Mary has such a kind and loving nature that the process leading up to the wedding felt very natural and stress free. At no point did we feel like we were being fleeced for information, it was just normal conversation that Mary managed to weave wonderfully into our ceremony. We really appreciate the effort that she made to make our service about us and our relationship.

We would highly recommend Mary as a celebrant to others looking for a civil celebrant for their special ceremony.

Approximate cost: $695

Mary conducted two ceremonies for us, our marriage and the naming of our son. Not only were we absolutely thrilled with her care, thoughtfulness and attention to detail, but every one of our guests commented on how lovely both ceremonies were. We know exactly who to go to for our next child's naming ceremony, as well as who to recommend too! A beautiful service from a beautiful person!

Mary married us at the Collingwood Children's Farm in October 2010. The service was wonderful and had such a personal touch. Mary provided guidance and support throughout the whole process of piecing our special day together. She is very down to earth and was open to any ideas which we came up with. We highly recommend Mary.

We were extremely happy with Mary who we chose as our wedding celebrant after reading the reviews on this site.

As well as explaining all the options available to us, Mary took the time to get to know us, our relationship and what we were looking for in a celebrant and our plans for the big day. Mary has a knack for establishing rapport and we felt at ease from the first time we met.

Mary put together a beautiful service for us which set the tone for an amazing day. Her presentation and communication skills are first class and we received many comments about Mary and the service she prepared for us. Mary ensured all the boxes had been ticked without being intrusive, and we would not hesitate in recommending her to family and friends.

Approximate cost: $650

Wow what a fantastic experience that Mary provided us. We were overjoyed with the way that Mary was able to use our experiences and how we felt about each other into the ceremony. The weather was dreadful on the day that we got married but Mary was able to put a shine on it and we all had a wonderful time.

Mary put together a pack of all the options available to us and was able to put together exactly what we were looking for. Many commented on how beautiful, heartfelt and appropriate the wedding ceremony was.

Mary comes from us highly recommended.

I was referred to Mary by a friend and from the very first contact she was charming, engaging and could not be any more helpful if she tried. Mary was the celebrant at our wedding and throughout the process she was extremely helpful and always provided us with suggestions and options. One of the reasons we were happy to utilise Mary was her services was her repore with our children. Mary has a fresh and bubbly personality.

The service we had was not the traditional / formal wedding and Mary was willing to accommodate our requirements while still ensuring we satisfied all legal requirements. We were extremely happy with Mary and want to thank her for being a valued part of our wedding day.

I have no hesitation in recommending Mary in the future.

Mary helped us to create a very personalised service and guided us through the process with ease. She was happy to communicate with us by email and always quick to respond.
She was in touch right up to the last minute, which was very important as we may have needed a last minute change to our remberance of the absent due to an ill family member.

Her tip to stop myself from crying during the ceremony worked a treat - without it I would have not been able to get through my vows.

All in all a great experience.