Ishara de Garis is a civil celebrant in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia.
– at your service!
I registered as a civil marriage celebrant in Perth in 2008, out of desire to share the benefits of my personal experiences with the power of ceremony with others in my community. As a civil celebrant, I have the freedom to draw inspiration from a wide range of cultural and spiritual traditions, and then to put these together in a way which is empowering and inspiring for contemporary people.
I have been involved with designing and facilitating meaningful ritual and ceremony in a variety of community contexts for over 25 years. I enjoy the challenge of discovering the symbolic actions and resonant words which will speak to the deeper intelligence in our beings – our emotional and spiritual beings as well as our minds. My personal spirituality is strongly aligned with the Divine Feminine and connection to nature has always been important to me.
My professional commitment is to listen carefully to your wishes, to your story, and to use my intuitive skills to help discern what will make your ceremony feel truly your own. Whatever your ceremonial needs, I can offer a range of suggestions about the kinds of symbolic rituals which could add richness and meaning to your ceremony experience.
Contact me to learn more
My philosophy about marriage ceremonies
I believe getting married is a significant life decision. (Even if you have already been living as a family for some time.) 
The simple act of standing up together in front of the people who matter the most in your world and publicly affirming your intention to love and care for each other for the rest of your lives is an experience that has the potential to deepen your relationship in ways that are both subtle and profound.
The promises you make to each other on your wedding day, the special memories you create together, can be an important part of what sustains the love in your relationship through the years ahead.
I encourage couples to spend some time reflecting together on the special things that make life meaningful for you, both individually and as a couple. Then I work with you to craft a ceremony that will reflect your unique love story: the two 
people that you are and the special magic that brings you together.
The shape that ceremony takes is up to you: intimate, expansive, traditional, alternative, colourful, romantic, spiritual, heartfelt…For some, a wedding is a public celebration of the joining of two extended families, two ‘tribes’ of family and friends. For others, it is a more private, two people making a personal commitment to each other with only the closest intimates as witness.
Some prefer to stay close to the family and cultural traditions they grew up with, whilst other more adventurous souls draw inspiration from the symbols of a wider range of the worlds cultural and spiritual traditions, or invent brand new ones!
I welcome your creative engagement with the development of your wedding ceremony in whatever way works for you. If you have favorite inspirational readings you’d like included, or if you think you might like to write your vows or some of the other words yourself, I will be more than happy to accommodate you.
I am proud to be a member of the Civil Celebrations Network, a professional association for civil celebrants across Australia.
What is an Australian Civil Celebrant?
What does a civil celebrant do for you?