About Sue Raward the Gold Coast Marriage Celebrant

You’ve found the partner of your dreams, tick, but now you’ve got to find the celebrant of your dreams - and - TA DA - you may have just found one!
Check out some of the words that have been used to describe me and my celebrancy style.


Like rain on your wedding dayRain on a wedding day

1. March 2017 Byron Bay
2. April 2019 Currumbin
Into each life some rain must fall
The Rainy Day
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“An absolute pleasure to work with from beginning to end ~ in the rain and all on our wedding day. With such professionalism you executed our ceremony as the water ran down your face & dripped from your microphone ...”

Read more of Kellie's testimonial from her first dry, then wet, but still fun, wedding in April 2019.

  • Fun - Oh wow, I love creating fun and getting amongst it. I guarantee that your wedding ceremony will contain smiles, the odd joke and a few laughs too. Laughing is such a great way to de-stress if you are nervous at the ceremony, a laugh always kills the nerves, trust me
  • Friendly - My special skill is having a chat and making my couples feel at ease. So by the time I marry you, we will be friends (most of the couples I marry stay in touch because we get on so well). Not only that, I like to arrive at least an hour before ceremony starts, so I can get organised and meet and greet your guests as they arrive...bantering with the crowd really sets the tone before you take a walk down the aisle
  • Flexible - things can change at the drop of a hat, so if you find out five minutes before your ceremony that your long lost aunt from overseas DID make it to your wedding after all, and you want her to do a reading, just let me know and we will make it happen. I mean, I like things to be organised but I can accomodate any last minute changes too if they need to happen
  • Fuss-free - I am sooooooo not a stressor. Not much phases me to be honest. I just take unexpected events and happenings in my stride and will do my best to encourage my couples to not let it affect their day. For example, if there is a sudden downpour of rain during a ceremony, I will ask if the couple wants to continue and if they do I will continue as normal (see some of my favourite photos as evidence).
  • Flawless - It's your all-important, once in a lifetime wedding day, so you can guarantee I will dress appropriately. I pride myself on wearing an outfit to compliment the theme / colour scheme of your wedding...and will even slap on some makeup too!

I have not been described (to my knowledge) as:

  • Fake - What you see is what you get! I am a pretty down to earth person, so when we first meet in real life, that is me (the person you will get on your wedding day). My love for what I do is not forced, so I will literally be bursting with genuine excitement on your wedding day (and it's real!)
  • Flaky - So not me! If the bride is due to arrive at 3.30pm and the guests are still scattered around like Brown's cows having a smoke or drink at 3.25 then do not fear!
    My foghorn voice (ex-P.E. teacher) can be scary and I will have the guests running to the ceremony spot in under 30 seconds flat.
    In saying that, I am pretty sure I am not a...
  • Fascist - The old-fashioned bossy headmistress type celebrant is not me. I like to be cheerful but firm if necessary and will give any instructions or directions that you request, but I will not treat you (or your guests) as naughty school kids, the thought of that makes me shudder to be honest
  • Flamboyant - I am very confident in speaking in front of a crowd, in fact the bigger the crowd, the more I love it. But I am definitely not the star of your wedding day show you are!
    I am mainly the person who makes sure you are legally married at the end of the ceremony.
    But... I will also convey your personalised, unique love story to your friends and family which will remind them why you are there and help them remember your special day.
    With me, it's all about You!
  • Flustered - Yes, stuff can go wrong but if I know about it, I won't let it ruin the best day of your life. You engage me to help you navigate anything unexpected and I will deal with any dramas that may or may not arise in the lead up or during the ceremony.

Ok enough f-words, here is more of how I like to proceed on the most exciting part of the (usually) long road to matrimony.

First I like to get to know the whole story of how my couples got together in the first place. This is because I am curious but it also allows me to write a personalised, beautiful ceremony that is all about how they clicked and fell in love (and not just some boring generic blah blah)!

By the time we get to your wedding day, we should feel like we are long time friends and certainly not that I am just someone you have appointed to do a job for you.

I'm all about warm and fuzzy feels! So if you want a celebrant who really cares about putting their heart and soul into the ceremony so you will feel like the stars in your own love story then just call or contact me to see if you think I am right for you.

But wait there is more...about Sue

Sue Raward and David Thatcher on their wedding day in 2004

Sue and Dave's Valentine's Day Wedding, 14th February 2004 beside the Little Tallebudgera Creek at Broadbeach Waters, Cascade Gardens in the background.

Marriage certainly is an institution that I believe in. So much so, that I am I married my husband David Thatcher on Valentine's Day back in 2004 (at least he can never forget our anniversary!). It was a beautiful balmy afternoon and we were married by Gold Coast Civil Celebrant Helene Spencer (now retired) in the front yard of my parents-in-law's house at Broadbeach Waters.

So whether you are planning a relaxed, laid-back wedding (like ours) or something more formal or even something totally over the top complete with a flash mob and celebrity crooner (I hear Michael Buble is available), I know I can fit in with your desires and dreams for a perfect day.

During my working life I have been a secondary school teacher, a consultant naturopath at a 5-star health retreat and a company trainer for a national health and lifestyle company.

I was first registered as a Marriage Celebrant on the 17th of October 2015 then later on after officiating at a swag of weddings I took the leap of faith and gave up my day job in August 2018 so have been a full time Marriage Celebrant from then on. Since I started being a celebrant I have conducted exactly 298 weddings (as at the 1st January 2021) and have seriously loved every minute of this amazing job, especially meeting the loved up couples and getting them married in a way that suits the style of their relationship.

Throughout my career, effective communication, confidence in public speaking and meticulous planning have been a large part of my various job descriptions, so I have the skills to design and deliver your ceremony in a professional and entertaining way.

I want to be a part of your ceremony because I am passionate about making your big day exactly as you wish it to be. Being a civil celebrant is something that I believe I was truly meant to do. There is nothing more rewarding than witnessing others happiness and joy as it is truly infectious, so I consider being a celebrant not so much a job, but a privilege.

Sue reciting her marriage vows to husband David

Sue reciting her marriage vows to husband David under the watchful eye of celebrant Helene Spencer (now retired).



I will do everything to ensure your ceremony is the perfect day it deserves to be.

I have been told I have a warm and friendly personality but you will have to be the judge of that, you could review my testimonials or ask my friends and referees but the best course of action is to call me or even pop in and visit me to see how we gel.

I love meeting new people and would be honoured to have to opportunity to work with you in creating a ceremony that exceeds your expectations.

Please feel free to give me a call anytime on 0403 605 057 for an obligation-free chat about your upcoming event and to organise a time to meet, alternatively you can email me at