Barefoot & Married: Everything You Need to Know About Eloping on Moreton Island

Jun 19
5 min read

I recently had the most gorgeous chat with Christine from Just As Planned Weddings — and we covered everything from island logistics to why I think your vows are the most important part of your entire day. You can watch the full episode below! 🥰

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BITPtvnm-08

Hey Legends!

If you’ve been thinking about eloping on Moreton Island and you have approximately a thousand questions swirling around in your head, this one’s for you.

I recently jumped on the Just As Planned Weddings TV show and podcast with the beautiful Christine Innes, and we had the most incredible conversation about what it’s really like to get married on Moreton Island, how quickly you can actually plan it, what happens after (name change, anyone?), and why I genuinely believe your vows are the heart of your entire ceremony.

Grab a cuppa. Let’s get into it.

The ceremony is the heart of the day. Full stop.

I say this all the time and I’ll keep saying it until every couple believes it: the ceremony is not the boring bit you have to get through before the party starts.

It IS the day.

And the heart of that ceremony? Your vows.

This comes from a really personal place for me. When Paul and I got married (17 years ago now, yes, we renewed our vows on the beach last year 😂), I chose our vows out of a book.

Because that’s just how it was done back then. My celebrant was amazing, but when I asked her where the vows for my stepchildren were, she said “oh, you’ll have to write those yourself.”

And that one moment changed everything.

I wrote vows to my kids, and I was absolutely bawling my eyes out saying them. It was so much more emotional than anything I could have picked from a book.

And I walked away from our ceremony thinking: what an incredible job, to get to be part of that moment.

So I became a celebrant. And the rest, as they say, is history. 🥰

The most common question I get: can we really plan a wedding in a month?

Yes. And here’s exactly what you need to know.

The legal bit: In Australia, you need to give your celebrant at least one month’s notice before your wedding by completing a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM). With me, we do that on a Zoom call. Easy, electronic, done.

One month is the legal minimum. Which means yes, technically, you can plan your Moreton Island elopement in a month.

I’ve done it! Dom and Georgia reached out, had a family holiday already booked, found me on Google, and said: “Hey Kerri, can we get married next month?” And we made it happen. We signed the NOIM that day and planned the whole thing from there.

You can read their story here.

What to think about when planning your Moreton Island elopement

Because it IS a destination wedding, you’re coming to an island! There are a few things worth thinking through early:

• The feeling first. Always start with: what do we want this day to FEEL like? Cruisy and barefoot? Romantic and golden hour? Relaxed family celebration? Your feeling shapes every decision that comes after it.

• Your numbers. If you’re eloping with just the two of you (or up to a small group), we’ll be heading outside the resort to find you your perfect spot. If you’re bringing a bigger crew, the resort has accommodation and venue options too.

• Weather and flexibility. We don’t have a formal backup venue on the island. What we do have is flexibility, incredible island vendors who know the drill, and me keeping a very close eye on that forecast. If a rain shower’s coming over at 2pm, we move you to 1pm or 3pm. It’s just how we roll over here. 🤷‍♀️

• Your vendors. Working with Moreton Island-based vendors (like our incredible photographers, makeup artists, and my gorgeous picnic partner) means you’re working with people who know the tides, the light, the logistics. It makes everything so much easier.

• Logistics: ferries, barges if you’re bringing a 4WD, accommodation availability at the resort. We talk through all of this in your planning meeting, nothing gets missed.

What happens after the wedding?

Good question, and one more couples should ask!

Once I’ve performed your ceremony, I register your marriage with Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM). As part of my package, I also order your official Certificate of Marriage on your behalf because at some point in your life you’re going to need it, just like a birth certificate. It’s generally processed and posted within about two weeks.

Once you have that certificate, that’s when the name change process begins (if that’s your thing!).

My advice on name changes?

Don’t try to do everything at once. Start with your driver’s licence, then your bank (you’ll get a new card and a letter you can use as proof), and then work through things as bills come in. Save the big stuff like your ATO until you’re lodging your tax return. I’ve got an awesome checklist I send my couples at around the two-week mark just in time for when the certificate arrives. 📝

How to find the right celebrant for you

This is something I feel really strongly about, so I’m just going to say it: there is a celebrant out there for every couple. Including you.

But please, don’t just pick the first name you find. Meet with a few. Have a chat. Get on a video call. Because standing up there with someone you’re not comfortable with? That affects everything. How your story gets told. How that space is held. How you feel in the moment.

Think of it like a first date. You either feel it... or you don’t.

When couples jump on a call with me and I ask if they’re going to write their own vows and they look at me like 😳 I always say: “I’ve got you.” Because I genuinely have. I’ve been doing this since 2008 and I am absolutely, unashamedly, a bully about vows. (The loving kind. 😂)

About Epic Wedding Vows

If you’re anywhere in the world, and you want to write your own vows but genuinely don’t know where to start: I’ve got you.

Epic Wedding Vows is my guided vow-writing experience that walks you through writing vows that actually sound like you. Your personality. Your story. Your love. Not something from a book, not something you Googled at 11pm in a panic.

From your heart, to your lover’s heart. That’s what we’re going for. 💕

You can find out more here.

Ready to elope on Moreton Island?

If you’ve watched the episode (or read all the way down here, hello, you absolute legend 😂), and you’re thinking... yes. This is what we want, then let’s chat.

I offer free discovery calls for couples considering Moreton Island. No pressure, no pitch, just a real conversation about whether it’s the right fit.

Jump on a call with me here.

And remember, my one piece of advice if you’re planning your wedding?

Start writing your vows. Now.

Kerri xx 😘