The new wording will be ‘the union of two people to the exclusion of all others' instead of ‘the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others.’

Ballarat based celebrant Michelle Carla Maier said the new wording of the law means people will receive equal treatment under the law. 

“I've always believed that and I would love to be involved in a wedding with anyone who is in love and wants to be married,” she said. 

“Marriage should not be dictated against two people of the same sex and taking the sexes out of the monitum is more equal, as it should have been all along.” 

Ms Maier said she was glad people were not swayed by the assertions put forward against marriage equality. 

“The arguments against were severely flawed,” she said. 

“It wasn't about asking if people were okay with gay people, it was about everyone having the same legal rights and this change is truly wonderful.” 

Another Ballarat celebrant, Tania Bannister, said she is looking forward to officiating her first same-sex marriage in February 2018 as well as reading the new monitum over the weekend. 

“I can't wait to say those words; I messaged my couples who are getting married this weekend and explained the changes,” she said. 

“I have got all the new legal paperwork and new notices and fact sheets and I'm so excited.”

Celebrants in Ballarat are also looking forward to the day same-sex marriages are just part of the job.

“I cannot wait for everyone to be equal and for this be a normal, everyday kind of thing,” Ms Bannister said. 

“It’ll be like, Jane and Erica are getting married and it's normal, like woman voting; completely normal and just another wedding.”  

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