Hey, friend!

Congrats on your engagement! Now let the fun times begin with planning your wedding…except some things aren’t that much fun, right?

In the past couples have reached out to us asking for our help because they want to have their ceremony or reception in a park or reserve but don’t know where to start. So, we spent a bit of time researching what is involved and what you need to organise before your special day. Our guide below explains what you need and where to get the information and how to apply!

NT Parks and Reserves

Basically, there are three important things you need to know if you want to have your ceremony or reception in a park or reserve;

1. There is a general permit application form for most parks and reserves (BY-LAW13A PUBLIC EVENTS PERMIT APPLICATION)
2. You may be required to pay a security deposit or permit fee for some reserves or parks
3. Be aware that different councils may also have their own applications you may need to fill out

We had a chat with one of our lovely celebrants Taryn, from Especially For  You Ceremonies by Taryn, and she shared her helpful advice she gives to her couples.

Taryn’s top tips

I always guide my couples to the relevant information based on the location of their ceremony. Generally. If the ceremony only includes the couple and two witnesses then we don’t worry too much about obtaining a permit. However, anything bigger than that I’d encourage them to look into the relevant permit.

I’m a strong advisor of getting correct permits…it’s the school teacher in me!

Obtaining a permit means the authorities can ensure there is no conflicting events. I also had a recent experience where sprinklers suddenly came on near to where I was set up with a couple. The couple had obtained a permit so a quick call to the authorities quickly rectified the sprinkler problem and they were very accomodating about it!