Stanley’s Reviews
Matt and Jess
Location - The Manor, Basket Range, SA
Review
“We were lucky enough to have had Stan be recommended as an option for our celebrant, and honestly, we couldn’t imagine anyone better - we will be thanking our friend forever for that suggestion.
From the beginning, Stan was generous with his time and care. Being interstate, we had a couple phone calls to connect initially but he also made the effort to meet us in person when he was back in SA. He helped us scaffold our vows, compared them thoughtfully, and gave really helpful guidance without ever making it feel prescriptive or impersonal. He zoomed in for our rehearsal due to having a 'competing' wedding, but gave us plenty of time (and even checked back in with me personally after when he heard something that wasn't quite what he thought we wanted). In the lead up, he really set the tone for how invested he was in us and the ceremony.
On the day itself, the ceremony was exactly what we hoped for: relaxed, genuine, warm, and completely authentic. Stan has a way of making everything feel natural and unforced — nothing cheesy, nothing stiff — just very us. He brought such a good calm energy, and the whole thing flowed beautifully.
I know celebrants do weddings for a living, and I know we only (hopefully!) get one, so my frame of reference is limited — but even with that said, it felt truly special. Not because it had to be, but because the vibe was just right. And yes, the marriage part matters (mostly ��), but the ceremony itself felt like a fairytale version of celebrating the person I adore — and Stan played a huge role in that.
He is genuinely an incredibly authentic celebrant, and that comes through in everything he does. If you want someone to marry you with warm, thoughtful, grounded-ness, Stan is it. We couldn’t recommend him more highly.”
Challenges/Outcome
Mostly, this wedding ran very smoothly; there was a large, competent team of vendors involved in making Jess and Matt’s day exactly what they dreamed of. Two slight hiccups I had to manage. The day prior to the ceremony, a family member called the couple by the groom's surname. This piqued my interest as the bride had previously mentioned she wouldn’t be taking his name. I chose not to mention anything in the moment, but instead called the bride a few hours later seeking clarification. She was extremely grateful I did and confirmed that it was a misunderstanding on the family members' part and that they would indeed like to keep their name, and that’s how they’d like to be pronounced at the ceremony.
As I said the ceremony was pretty smooth, the only hiccup was the heat. It was a scorcher of a day, and with the bride running a little behind schedule, I organised for the venue team to bring down bottles of iced water for the guests and moved all the guests into the shade until I got word that the bride was ready to enter. I then got everyone back in their seats for the procession. With over 120 guests, many over 60, it was my responsibility to keep everyone safe and informed of the situation.
Thea and Tristan
Location - Poets Lane, Lysterfield, VIC
Review
“Stan is like the cool friend you didn't know you had. A magical mix of fun and professional, Stan guided us through the whole process, took all the pressure off, and made us feel completely at ease. And most of all, he helped us to just enjoy the moment!
What also really stood out was how much he genuinely cared. It didn't just feel like another gig - he put real thought and heart into making the ceremony feel 100% us (our guests kept asking how we knew him, assuming he was a longtime friend!)
So if the idea stale love story narration gives you the ick, do yourself a favour and book Stan as the ultimate guide and hype-man for your big day.”
Challenge/Outcome
Thea and Tristan were so much fun, and I got along with them incredibly well. They wanted an intimate wedding, with a lighthearted, casual feel, and I feel like we absolutely nailed that. The team was pretty small, just me and the photographer as the only paid help on the day. Thea and Tristan are a polyamorous couple, with some of their partners, current and past at the ceremony itself. They expressed concern with the language of the legal Monitum being too exclusory and inquired as to whether we could change it somewhat. As this isn’t legal, I instead explained to them that “... is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others…” is simply the definition of marriage, and that it does not imply you cannot have relationships outside of your legal marriage. You just cannot marry more than one person.
They were very comfortable with this clarification, and at the ceremony itself, it didn’t feel jarring at all to say it in front of their witnesses and guests. Again, this day was delightful. Thea and Tristan became true friends, and we have kept in touch.
Angelika and Daniel
Location - Melbourne Place, VIC
Review
“Stanley is the best! We made very quick friends when we met, felt instantly at ease, and genuinely enjoyed his company.
We had already asked a friend to be our unofficial celebrant for the day, so we were hoping to find someone who would take a back seat and just sign the papers. When we met Stanley, we actually very much wanted him to be involved, and the balance of him and our friend combined worked beautifully. They actually met beforehand and coordinated the ceremony, so it was seamless.
Stanley is cool, calm, very natural, and he brings a lovely warm energy!”
Challenge/Outcome
- Not only did Angelika and Daniel want to get married at pretty short notice, but they wanted a friend of theirs to co-officiate the ceremony with me. This was a really exciting challenge for me, I love the ‘buddy wedding’ set up, I think it adds a wonderfully personal element to any ceremony. With limited time though, it meant we had to move fast and make some plans quickly.
On the day of the ceremony, it was clear that the bride and groom were feeling quite overwhelmed. It was coming up to the point where they were supposed to share their vows, but we previously talked about how they were happy for me to ‘read the room’
and move on to the paperwork part of the ceremony and come back to the vows if I felt it was a better flow. I made this snap decision on the day, allowing Ang and Dan to have a drink, a moment to themselves, and a deep breath. We signed the documents, they got up refreshed, and then shared their beautiful vows with one another. They later thanked me profusely for making this call.