Josh Withers

Most couples walk into their ceremony feeling at least a little nervous. Maybe you’ve heard that the ceremony is the part you just “get through” before the real fun starts. Josh Withers believes the opposite — that your ceremony should be the best part of your entire wedding day, and that you should walk through it with a big smile, feeling genuinely amazing about this moment you’re sharing with the person you love and the people who matter most to you.

Based in Hobart, Tasmania — the part of the world he loves most — Josh has been a marriage celebrant for over 17 years. In that time he’s married more than 2,900 couples across every Australian state and territory and in 24 countries. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, Marie Claire, and Hello May. But what actually matters to the couples who book him is simpler than any credential: Josh makes the ceremony feel warm, meaningful, and genuinely enjoyable.

Your Ceremony, Created From Scratch

Every ceremony Josh creates starts with a blank page. No templates, no recycled paragraphs, no “insert names here.” Through relaxed conversations over coffee or a video call, he gets to know your story — what matters to you as individuals, what drew you together, how you see your future. That conversation becomes the foundation for a ceremony that feels unmistakably yours: personal, honest, and full of the moments and details that make your relationship what it is.

Josh’s goal isn’t to perform a comedy routine or deliver a speech. It’s to create a space where you can be fully present in one of the most meaningful moments of your life — and actually enjoy it. The kind of ceremony where you look back at the photos and see yourselves smiling all the way through, not white-knuckling your way to “you may now kiss.”

How It Feels on the Day

Josh speaks for around 18 minutes — long enough to be substantial and deeply personal, short enough to hold everyone’s attention. He doesn’t read from notes or a script. He talks directly to you and your guests, with the kind of natural warmth and easy confidence that comes from thousands of ceremonies and a background in breakfast radio and television. The result feels less like a formal event and more like someone who knows you well telling your story with genuine care.

He brings professional audio to every ceremony — quality speakers and microphones so every word carries clearly, even outdoors. Your videographer gets broadcast-quality sound for your wedding film, and your guests don’t have to strain to hear.

Tasmania and Beyond

Hobart is home, and Josh regularly celebrates weddings across Tasmania — from Launceston to the Huon Valley and everywhere the island’s remarkable landscapes take couples. He’s also available Australia-wide in Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, and beyond. Together with his wife Brittany, Josh co-leads The Elopement Collective, creating intimate and meaningful wedding experiences for couples around the world.

Josh is legally authorised to solemnise marriages under the Australian Marriage Act 1961 and is also licensed in the USA and Canada. He handles all legal requirements clearly and simply, guiding you through the Notice of Intended Marriage process in person or via video call. Quick replies, clear guidance, no homework assignments, no vendor kickbacks — just honest, warm, professional service from someone who genuinely loves what he does.