Peter Power performs a ceremony for a heterosexual couple who eloped from South Australia to get hitched in Tassie.

As a registered celebrant appointed by the Federal  Attorney General, Power has now performed countless ceremonies from his base on the north-east coast of the Apple Isle. In fact, it was the remote setting of their new life that brought about his decision to become a celebrant in the first place.

“I was simply filling a need. This part of Tasmania didn’t have any celebrants,” he says. “You would have to go a long way to find someone to perform a legally-recognised civil ceremony. What started as a community service has become a part-time business.”

Power and his partner Ian moved to Tasmania from Melbourne in 2002 after 25 years of what he refers to as “full-on business”.

“We are sea-changers who came here to get more out of life. We had seen so much homophobia on the mainland that we hoped that Tasmania’s progressive relationships laws were matched by a community that was equally accepting. Contrary to recent reports about a certain Tasmanian town, we have found it to be exactly that.”

The ceremonies that Power performs are fairly standard. Given the diversity of relationships found in our communities I couldn’t help but ask if he had ever had to perform a service for a three-way relationship.

“Not yet. Although I would imagine that it would be much the same as any other civil ceremony. The Tasmanian Relationships Act of 2003 makes no provisions for that kind of relationship; however, the mechanics of the ceremony would be essentially the same. I certainly would be open to the concept!”

Power’s ceremonies are custom-delivered depending on the requirements of the couple making the commitment. Yet, even in this day and age, some legal standards still apply to marriage.

“Legally, when it comes to heterosexual marriage, I still have to say the Monitum, ‘ Marriage is between and man and a woman to the exclusion of all others’. It still makes me shudder to say those words.”

Power explains that although vows are not required in a same-sex ceremony, most couples choose to include them, adding a distinct flair to the time-honoured tradition.

“There is a real creativity in the vows that same-sex couples will pledge to each other. Where one couple emphasises fidelity, another will completely remove any reference to it because it doesn’t suit the dynamic of their relationship. There are still so many legal requirements that must be written into the vows of heterosexual weddings, whereas there are no requirements at all of a same-sex union.”

So has this creativity led to some very strange vows?

“If anything I feel that the same-sex couples’ vows have been all the more meaningful, because they have had to really think through each and every word. The selection of vows vary from the short and sweet to the long and poetic, yet it has been my observation that same-sex couples choose vows that are very specific when it comes to the message they wish to convey to each other.”

Power recounts one ceremony (picture above) which was gate-crashed by a group of young men. Not pictured is the streaker who ran across the beach to celebrate the couple's big day. 

Recent years have seen progress when it comes to recognition of our relationships. But laws often have little effect on the hearts and minds of mums and dads who just wanted their gay son to “grow up, find a nice girl and get married”. So I ask Power if he ever had to oversee a same-sex ceremony where the parents clearly did not approve.

“I suppose I’ve been lucky. All our ceremonies have been wonderful occasions where everyone was there to celebrate with the happy couple. It’s not part of my job to take sides, so naturally I like to keep everyone calm and happy if there is any hint of conflict. But if it was to occur, I can actually stop the ceremony under a range of circumstances; for instance, if either one of the couple are intoxicated or if there is a family feud that spills over into the celebration. Thankfully it hasn’t happened yet, but having said that, I am waiting for the day!”