Aussie Web Directory

A website itself is a crucial below the-line marketing tool and it can be built at a low price and have an instant impact on your company. Your franchisor or corporation probably boasts a company-wide website, which makes a lot of sense, so that the deatails and cost can be divided across the entire organisation. The website should be a two-way medium that places you in touch with your target audience and explains in detail your offerings and how to reach your organisation. It should gather and distribute leads and should collect prospect details so that you can build a database of potential clients.

Websites have the capability to reach world-wide audiences, which takes you well away from your local area! Regardless, websites can also be made in such a way that if someone does a search for your products in your area, you can be found.

This is crucial because more people are going to the Internet first before reaching for the Yellow Pages. A professionally produced and presented website can establish the credibility of your company regardless if you are working out of a one-bedroom apartment or an expensive office block.

Your website can answer the same questions over and over and over again whilst you sleep and can extend the life of your printed material, radio and television advertisements by incorporating them on the site. You can produce forms and gather information as you require and provide your clients with valuable reports whilst collecting their details for your prospect database. The site can also be another inexpensive retail outlet for you without the cost of hard real estate.

Believe it or not, shy people not willing to contact you by phone or in person are able to obtain information and if they wish to pursue things further, they will often email you via the contacts section of the website.

There is much written about websites and how they should be constructed and what they should incorporate. Suffice to say that the content you present on your website is very important because it has the potential to become the foundation for enticing clients to your site and establishing your company as the leader in its field. By regularly updating the content on your site, you can also attract search engines and, if the content is worthy, other businesses will build inbound links to your site.

There is some conjecture as to how many pages should constitute your website ranging from one simple tellall/sell-all page to adding as much content as you like. Regardless, it’s crucial to know that the heading or first line of the web page is the most important and the next in line is the first paragraph. Why is this so? Well, a web page is similar to a newspaper in that people will scan for headlines before either selecting something they like or moving on to the next page. Keep the reader interested with clear, concise. and confronting headlines and strong first paragraphs.

Web pages are one of the most easily tracked marketing techniques available. In fact, you can obtain a myriad of statistics from hits through to hot spots within a page. Websites are also perfect for companies that can’t find enough room on their business cards to explain their products and services!

It’s one thing to have a great website; it’s an absolutely different thing to have one that can be found.

For internet marketing Brisbane, Brisbane web design and SEO services Brisbane, contact Search Tempo today.

Artists’ oil colours are put together by mixing dry powder pigments with selected refined linseed oil to a stiff paste consistency and grinding it under harsh friction in steel roller mills. The perfection of the shade is fundamental. The usual standard is a smooth, buttery paste, rather than stringy or long or tacky. When a transient or mobile style is needed by the artist, a liquid painting medium like pure gum turpentine has to be combined with the mixture. In order to accelerate drying, a siccative, or liquid drier, might be usually used.

Top-class brushes are produced in two styles: red sable (using numerous members of the weasel family) and bleached hog bristles. They both are available in numbered sizes for each of four regular shapes: round (pointed), flat, bright (flat but is shorter and not as supple), and oval (flat shape but bluntly pointed). Red sable brushes are generally utilised for a smoother, more delicate type of painting. The painting knife, a finely tempered, thin version of an art palette knife, is a useful item for using oil colours in a robust manner.

The usual support for oil paintings is a canvas manufactured of pure European linen of strong close weave. The canvas is cut to the desired size and stretched over a frame, generally wooden, and secured by use of tacks or, from the 20th century, by staples. If the artist wants to lower the absorbency of the canvas fabric itself and attain a consistent surface, a primer or ground will be applied and allowed to dry first. The most often utilised primers have been gesso, rabbit-skin glue, and lead white. If density and a smooth consistency are preferred over elasticity and texture, a wooden or processed paperboard panel, sized or primed, might be used. A number of other supports, like paper and some textiles and metals, have been tested.

A polish of picture varnish is generally given to a finished oil painting to prevent any atmospheric attacks, minor abrasions, or injurious accumulation of dirt. This film of picture varnish can be removed without damage by experts with isopropyl alcohol and other such common solvents. The film varnish also sets the surface to a full lustre and brings the tone and colour intensity essentially to the levels originally formed by the artist in wet paint. Some contemporary painters, especially those who don’t favour deep, intense colouring, prefer a mat, or lustreless, finish in the paintings.

The majority of oil paintings from prior to the 19th century were done in layers. The first would be a blank, uniform field of thin paint known as a ground. The ground subdued the white glare of the primer and established a gentle base of colour on which to paint. The shapes and figures in the painting were then roughly blocked in by using shades of white, as well as gray or neutral green, red, or brown. The resulting masses of monochromatic light and dark shades were called the underpainting. Forms could then be further defined by using either paint or scumbles, which are non-uniform, thinly applied layers of opaque pigment that displaying a whole lot of visual effects. At the last point, transparent layers of pure colour called glazes then would be applied to create luminosity, depth, and brilliance to the forms, and highlights could be imparted with thick, textured patches of paint known as impastos.

Oil as a medium of painting is chronologised back to the 11th century. The practice of easel painting with oil colours, however, resulted directly from 15th-century tempera-painting styles. Basic improvements in the method of refining linseed oil and the availability of volatile solvents after 1400 coincided with a requirement for some other medium than pure egg-yolk tempera, to meet the contemporary requirements of the Renaissance (see tempera painting). Initially, oil paints and varnishes had been used to glaze tempera panels that were painted with a typical linear draftsmanship. The technically gleaming, gem-like portraits of the 15th-century Flemish artist Jan van Eyck, for example, were perfected in this way.

During the 16th century, oils became firmly established as the basic painting material in Venice. From then on, Venetian painters were proficient in utilising the fundamental characteristics of oil painting, notably in using successive layers of glaze. Linen canvas, after a long era of growth, topped wood panelling as the most popular support.

One of the 17th-century masters of the oil technique was Velázquez, a Spanish artist in the Venetian tradition, whose highly economical but informative brushstrokes have often been emulated, especially in portraiture. The Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens challenged tradition in the manner in which he loaded light colours opaquely, juxtaposing the thin, transparent darks and shadows. The third remarkable 17th-century master of oil painting was the Dutch painter Rembrandt. In his paintings, a single brushstroke could effectively depict form; cumulative strokes create great textural depth, with a combination of the rough and the smooth, the thick and the thin. A system of loaded whites and transparent darks is further enhanced by glazed effects, blendings, and highly controlled impastos.

Other basic influences on the later easel painting techniques are the smooth, thinly painted, deliberately planned, tight methods. A great many admired works (e.g., like from Johannes Vermeer) were completed with smooth and graduated blends of colours to cast subtly modeled forms and delicate colour variations.

The technical requirements of some schools of modern painting cannot be realized with traditional genres or techniques, however, and many abstract painters - and some modern painters who use this traditional style - have expressed a need for a different plastic flow or viscosity that cannot be had in oil paint and its conventional additives. Some need a larger range of thick and/or thin applications and a faster rate of drying. Some mix coarsely grained materials with the colours to create new textures, some have applied oil paints in much greater volume than traditionally, and a large part have begun using acrylic paints, as they are more versatile and dry quickly.

Interested in oil painting? For art supplies Brisbane, including canvas art supplies and artists supplies, visit or call the Discount Art Warehouse.

Hydrocarbons are any in a class of organic chemical compounds formed only of the elements carbon and hydrogen. The carbon atoms join to produce the framework of the compound; the hydrogen atoms link to them in several varying configurations. Hydrocarbons are the primary constituents of petroleum and natural gas. They can be fuels and lubricants as well as raw materials for the creation of plastics, fibres, rubbers, solvents, explosives, and industrial chemicals.

Many hydrocarbons occur in nature. While also present in fossil fuels, the compounds are found in trees and plants, such as, for example, with the type of pigments called carotenes that present in carrots and green leaves. A little more than 98 percent of natural crude rubber is part hydrocarbon polymer, a chainlike molecule consisting of numerous units connected.

Hydrocarbons aren’t soluble in water and they are less dense than water, so will float on its surface. They are usually soluble within one another, when combined, as well as within some certain organic solvents. All hydrocarbons are fully combustible. If ignited totally with a sufficient amount of oxygen, they should produce carbon dioxide and water, releasing heat. If the oxygen amount is insufficient, the combustion will form carbon monoxide.

The structures and chemistry of unique hydrocarbons depend largely on the kinds of chemical bonds that combine the atoms of the constituent molecules. A carbon atom might have four single bonds, or it might have double or triple bonds. A hydrogen atom may form one single bond.

Hydrocarbons are divided into differing classes depending on their structure. The two primary kinds are aliphatic and aromatic. Aliphatic hydrocarbons can be composed of molecules in which the carbon atoms are attached in chains (known as acyclic) or in rings (termed alicyclic, or carbocyclic). Aliphatic hydrocarbons also are divided depending on the kind of bonds between the carbon atoms. If all of the bonds are single (known as sigma bonds), the compound is called saturated. Those compounds are allocated into the appropriate categories as alkanes or cycloalkanes. If two bonds or more bonds combine any two carbon atoms, the hydrocarbon is called unsaturated. The bonds could be double, like the alkenes or alkadienes, or triple, like the alkynes. Some compounds contain both classes of multiple bonds in the single molecule.

The simplest alkanes are methane, ethane , and propane. Those compounds can exist in only a single structure in each. Higher types of the series, for example butane, may be formed in two varying procedures, based on whether the carbon chain is straight or branched. They compounds are termed isomers; they are compounds that feature a matching molecular formula but then have varied arrangements of the included atoms. As a result, they frequently possess a variety of chemical properties.

Cycloalkanes are ring structures with two fewer hydrogen atoms within the molecule of the corresponding alkane. Lots feature not one ring, but many. Six-membered rings are of particular interest because of the fact that they can be seen in several natural products, notably the steroids. Cyclic structures also might be isomers where two molecules change only in the spatial arrangement of their substituent groups.

The main commercial sources of alkanes include petroleum and natural gas. Individual higher alkanes and cycloalkanes commonly are synthesized with reactions designed for a particular product. These saturated hydrocarbons might also be synthesized by corresponding unsaturated molecules, by hydrogenation (addition of hydrogen). Saturated hydrocarbons are generally inert; i.e., when at room temperature they aren’t affected by most acids, alkalies, and oxidizing or reducing agents.

For hydrocarbon storage tanks and self-bundled hydrocarbon tanks, contact Logitank.com.au

Gone are the days of synthetic grass looking cheap and plastic. These days new generation synthetic lawn is lush, soft, extremely realistic and difficult to tell apart from the real thing.

Everyone likes the natural look of a lawn, but who has the time these days? With artificial grass you get all the benefits of real grass with no chance of dead patches, muddy patches or the weekend maintenance routine.

Never mow again
Imagine having your weekends available to do what you love most without ever having to find the mower again. Not only will you never be caught out by unexpected visitors and an unkempt lawn, you’ll have the peace of mind of never having to hear that mower motor pacing up and down your yard ever again!

Save your water
Only grass that grows needs water, save it for something more necessary, like drinking a nice cold glass of it while you are admiring your lawn.

No nasties
Don’t worry about having to use disgusting fertilisers, stepping in bindis, or dealing with seasonal hayfever. With synthetic grass this is all a thing of the past, you can sit on it, lie on it, roll in it and get up without being caked in mud or grass clippings.

Can be installed anywhere grass won’t grow or you don’t want to mow
Synthetic grass doesn’t need sunlight , it is fine in shady areas and will keep them looking lush whilst providing you with many years of usable space. Being synthetic it doesn’t mind being in constant direct sunlight or harsh conditions, this grass is made to last. Synthetic grass is right at home around the pool, good quality grasses are UV, salt and chlorine resistant.

It might look delicate but its durability will surprise you
Apart from homes these grasses are used in schools and council public areas, even dog runs and kennels. Just by looking at these new generation artificial lawns you could be forgiven for thinking they are fragile, but in fact they are extremely tough. They can stand up to heavy daily traffic, children, pets, are non-flammable and, you can expect high quality synthetic grass to last as long as high quality pavers.

It is available for DIY
For those that are willing, you can install your own synthetic grass. Find a good DIY installation guide do it yourself and save some money.

Turn unusable space into your favourite place
Synthetic lawn is so inviting, you will find that areas that were never used in the past become favourite resting and/or play areas.

You don’t need to leave home to have a practice hit on the green.
If golf is your thing then what could be more luxurious than a putting green in your backyard. There are a variety of options when it comes to artificial putting greens. Everything from DIY putting kits through to PGA level greens just like those in the homes of professional golfers, these PGA level greens allow you to chip and pitch from a distance, with a realistic roll from every angle of the green.

Synthetic lawn is placed on the fringe of the green and can expand out to truly blend the putting green into the garden landscape.

Of course synthetic putting greens have all the same low maintenance benefits as synthetic grass. So these greens will be ready for play when you are.

Perfect for Children’s play areas
Synthetic grass has always been popular in day care centres, but synthetic lawn takes it to a whole new level of softness. Synthetic grass doesn’t conceal hidden hazards the way that sand or chipped bark can, and synthetic grass can be installed to comply with soft fall standards for use where play equipment is used.

Perfect for pets
Pets love synthetic grass and it is often used in luxury dog kennels.
Urine will simply soak through and make its way into the earth below, unfortunately there is no way of magically making number 2’s disappear so they will need to be picked up just as you would with real grass, however neither one of these will damage your grass. Removal of waste is purely for you and your dog to avoid any inconvenience.

For dogs that like to dig holes there are special installation techniques that will ensure your grass remains as long as it should so make sure you mention this when you are being quoted on installation.

Enduroturf is Australian made, available Australia-wide and recognised as being one of Australia’s largest suppliers and installers of synthetic grass. Brisbane is home to Enduroturf’s head office but you can find our synthetic grass in Melbourne, Geelong , Canberra, Sydney, Cairns, Toowoomba, , Tasmania , Alice Springs, Adelaide and we of course also provide our synthetic grass in Perth. Call us today for a free, no obligation quote or visit us at enduroturf.com.au

Sculpture is an artistic form in which hard or plastic materials are molded into three-dimensional art objects. The designs may be embodied in freestanding objects, in reliefs on surfaces, or in environments that vary from tableaux to contexts around the spectator. An endless variety of media may be used, including clay, wax, stone, metal, fabric, glass, wood, plaster, rubber, and random “found” objects. Materials will be carved, modeled, molded, cast, wrought, welded, sewn, assembled, or purely shaped and combined.

Sculpture is not a fixed term that applies to a permanently circumscribed category of objects or range of activities. It is, rather, the name of an art that is growing and changes and is continually extending the range of activities and evolving new designs of objects. The scope of the term was much wider in the latter part of the 20th century than as it had been only two or three decades prior, and in the fluid state of visual art at the beginning of the 21st century, no one can predict what its future possibilities are likely to be.

Certain features which in previous centuries were thought to be essential to sculpture but are not present in a large part of modern sculpture and can no longer form part of the definition. One of the most elementary points of these is representation. Previous to the 20th century, sculpture was seen to be a representational art; imitating forms in life, that were most often human figures but also inanimate objects, including game, utensils, and books. Since the dawn of the 20th century, however, sculpture also included nonrepresentational forms. It became accepted that forms of such functional three-D objects as furniture, pots, and buildings may be expressive and beautiful without having to be representational. It was only during the 20th century that nonfunctional, nonrepresentational, 3D artworks began to be produced.

Prior to the 20th century, sculpture was considered essentially an art of solid form, or mass. Whilte the negative elements of sculpture — the voids and hollows within and between its solid parts — have generally been to some kind of extent an intricate part of any design, but the role was a secondary one. In a great deal of modern sculpture, however, the attention has broadened, and the spatial roles have become dominant. Spatial sculpture is today a commonly recognised area of the art form.

It was also taken for granted in sculpture in the past that its components had to be of a constant shape and size and, with the exception of objects such as Augustus Saint-Gaudens’s Diana (a monumental weather vane), should not move. With the modern development of kinetic sculpture, neither the immobility nor immutability of its elements can any longer be viewed as inherent to defining sculpture.

Last, sculpture since the 20th century has not been confined to the two traditional forming methods of carving and modeling, or to such traditional natural materials like stone, metal, wood, ivory, bone, and clay. Now that modern sculptors can use any materials and methods of manufacture that will serve a purpose, the art form can no longer be identified with any particular kind of materials or techniques.

Withstanding all this change, there is probably only one thing that stays constant in the art of sculpture, and it exists as the key abiding concern of sculptors: the art is a branch of the visual arts that is specially concerned with the creation of form in 3-D.

Sculpture can be either in the round or in relief. A sculpture in the round consists of a separate, detached object in its own right, with the same kind of independent existence in reality as a human body or a chair. A sculpture that is in relief does not possess this reality. It is attached to and projects from or is an inextricable part of some object that can serve either as a background for it or a matrix from which it projects.

The actual 3D nature of sculpture in the round limits its scope in some respects in comparison with the scope of painting. Sculpture will not cast the illusion of space by purely optical means, or invest its forms with atmosphere and light as we see in a painting. But it does possess a realistic experience, a vivid physical presence that is simply denied in the pictorial arts. Forms of sculpture can be tangible as well as visible, and they may appeal strongly and directly to both tactile and visual senses. Even the visually impaired, including those who are congenitally blind, can produce and appreciate different types of sculpture. It was, in fact, said by the 20th-century art critic Sir Herbert Read that sculpture should be considered as primarily an art of touch and that the roots of sculptural art can be based on the pleasure one experiences in doing so.

All three-D forms are perceived as exhibiting an expressive character along with pure geometric properties. They come across to the observer as delicate, aggressive, flowing, taut, relaxed, dynamic, soft, and such. By exploiting the expressive qualities of form, artists are able to create images in which subject matter and expressiveness mutually reinforce each other. This visual imagery can go beyond the pure presentation of fact and imply a vast range of subtle and powerful feelings.

The aesthetic raw material used in this art form is, so to speak, the complete realm of expressive three-D form. A sculpture can draw upon what we know already exists in the endless variety of natural and man-made form, or it might be an art of pure invention. It has been used to express a deep range of human emotions and feelings from the subtly tender and delicate to the most violent and ecstatic.

All human beings, innately involved from birth with the world of three-dimensional form, realise something of its structural and expressive elements and have emotional reactions to them. This combination of understanding and sensitive reaction, also known as a sense of form, can be cultivated and refined. It is to that sense of form that the art of sculpture primarily appeals.

For art supplies Brisbane, including canvas art supplies and artists supplies, visit or call the Discount Art Warehouse. Become a member for free and get 10% discount on future purchases.

In the advertising industry the effectiveness of an advert is measured by:- How many people it contacts, how many times they see it, do they relate to it?, do they recall what it was selling?, and most importantly, will it influence them to buy?

We cannot think of any other sort of advertising that is as effective as promotional products at delivering you exposure to customers and producing goodwill that leads to sales.

Consider these examples:-

1. A low cost item like a promotional fridge magnet, custom notepad or promotional drink bottle will offer your company a lot of repeat advertising exposure to your customer. Your logo/message (or perhaps something as rudimentry as your telephone number) will always be at hand - they will not have to use the Yellow Pages to find your (and your competitors) details.

2. Being given a mid priced item like a promotional desk clock, a branded mousemat or a logo printed coffee mug will show your existing customers that you appreciate them, they will thank you for it, which in turn will generate goodwill towards you and your business. Furthermore it will give years of daily exposure to your logo/message. The cost of pre exposure (to your message) will be miniscule.

3. Top clients and staff are integral to our business and they will be to yours too. Studies have shown that happy staff are productive staff and you will know how much business, say, your top twenty five customers provide. A $30 thank you gift will represent less than 1/1000 of most employees yearly pay!

It might a smaller fraction of a contract you are tendering for or the annual sales volume of clients. Some of the largest companies we know are not huge payers but have a focus on staff contentment and showing them they are appreciated - they often use Corporate Gifts. Patting someone on the back and telling them they are essential is good but the act of giving is a lot more powerful.

What are Promotional Products?

Promotional Products are goods that can be decorated with a clients name, logo or message on them. The industry is rapidly growing and has a value of $3.0 billion per annum in Australia. Marketers desire to brand their organisation, product, or service is why they use Promotion Product’s items and services.

Several other media options are available - newspaper, radio, and direct mail to name a few - these however do not offer the accountability offered by Promotional Product Marketing. Promotional Products work, as not only do they advertise your message but your client will thank you for them.

Consider the benefits of Promotional Product Marketing outlined below:

Targeted - Promotional Products are targeted conveying your message only to the people you are interested in. No non-prospects, no wasted circulation.

Longevity - A well made Promotional Product will last for years and will be used on a daily basis by your client. No other media can use as much exposure.

Versatility - There are so many applications for Promotional Products Marketing that a listing of them would look like the Sydney telephone directory.

Budget Flexible - From a few cents to hundreds of dollars Promotion Products has products to fulfill your personal communication objectives.

Obligation - productive business is based on healthy relationships. {Giving Promotional Products to customers strengthens these relationships and creates an obligation towards doing business with you and your organisation.

Functional - The Promotional Products we offer are useful ensuring that your client will use the gift and be exposed to your message on a daily basis.

Promotion Products is a Brisbane based company that supplies promotional products such as promotional drink bottles and custom notepads and much, much more, call us on 1300 303 717 at anytime.

A form of marriage has been known to exist in all human societies, past and present. Its distinction can be seen in the ornate and intricate laws and rituals surrounding it. Although these laws and rituals are as different and abundant as human social and cultural organizations, some universals do apply.

The principal legal function of marriage is to ensure the rights of the partners with respect to each other and to assure the rights and define the relationships of children within a community. Marriage has empirically conferred a legal status on the offspring, which entitled him or her to the various privileges assured by the culture of that community, including the right of inheritance. In most societies marriage also established the permissible social interaction allowed to the offspring, including the adequate selection of future spouses.

Until the late 20th century, marriage was almost never a matter of free choice. In Western societies love between partners came to be associated with marriage, but even in Western society (as the novels of writers such as Henry James and Edith Wharton attest) romantic love was not the primary purpose for matrimony in most eras, and one’s marriage partner was carefully considered.

Endogamy, the routine of marrying someone from within one’s own tribe or group, is the oldest social regulation of marriage. When the methods of communication with outside groups are restrictive, endogamous marriage is a natural conclusion. Cultural influences to marry within one’s social, economic, and ethnic group are still very strongly policed in some societies.

Exogamy, the customof marrying outside the group, is found in societies in which kinship partnerships are the most complex, thus barring from marriage large groups who may trace their lineage to a common ancestor.

In societies in which the large, or extended, family remains the basic unit, marriages are usually arranged by the family. The assumption is that love between the partners comes after marriage, and much thought is given to the socioeconomic advantages given to the larger family from the match. By contrast, in societies in which the small, or nuclear, family predominates, young adults usually choose their own mates. It is assumed that love precedes (and determines) marriage, and less thought is normally given to the socioeconomic aspects of the match.

In societies with arranged marriages, the almost universal custom is that a person acts as an intermediary, or matchmaker. This person’s chiefresponsibility is to arrange a marriage that will be agreeable to the two families represented. A form of dowry or bridewealth is almost always exchanged in societies that favour arranged marriages.

In societies in which individuals choose their own mates, dating is the usual way for people to meet and become acquainted with prospective partners. Successful dating may result in courtship, which then usually leads to marriage.

Marriage rituals
The rituals and ceremonies for marriage in the majority of cultures are associated primarily with fertility and confirm the distinction of marriage for the continuation of a clan, people, or society. They also assert a familial or communal sanction of the mutual choice and a comprehension of the difficulties and sacrifices involved in making what is considered, in most cases, to be a lifelong commitment to and responsibility for the welfare of spouse and children.

Marriage ceremonies include symbolic rites, often sanctified by a religious order, which are considered to confer good fortune on the couple. Because economic considerations play a crucial role in the success of child rearing, the presentation of gifts, both real and symbolic, to the married couple are a meaningful part of the marriage ritual. When the presentation of prevents is extensive, either from the bride’s family to the bridegroom’s or vice versa, this usually signifies that the ability to choose one’s marital partner has been limited and announced by the families of the betrothed.

Fertility rites with the intention to ensure a fruitful marriage exist in some form in all ceremonies. Some of the oldest rituals still to exist in contemporary ceremonies include the conspicuous display of fruits or of cereal grains that may be sprinkled over the couple or on their nuptial bed, the accompaniment of a small child with the bride, and the smashing of an object or food to ensure a successful consummation of the marriage and an easy childbirth.

The most universal ritual is one that symbolizes a sacred union. This may be expressed by the joining of hands, an exchange of rings or chains, or the tying of garments. However, all the elements in marriage rituals vary greatly among different societies, and components such as time, place, and the social importance of the event are fixed by tradition and habit.

These traditions are, to a certain extent, formed by the religious beliefs and practices found in societies throughout the world. In the Hindu tradition, for example, weddings are highly elaborate affairs, involving several prescribed rituals. Marriages are usually arranged by the parents of the couple, and the time of the ceremony is determined by careful astrological calculations. Among the majority of Buddhists marriage remains primarily a secular affair, even though the Buddha offered guidelines for the responsibilities of lay householders.

In Judaism marriage is thought to have been established by God and is described as making the individual complete. Marriage involves a double ceremony, which includes the formal betrothal and wedding rites (prior to the 12th century the two were separated by as much as one year). The modern ceremony begins with the groom signing the marriage contract before a group of witnesses. He is then led to the bride’s room, where he lays a veil on her. This is followed by the ceremony under the huppa (a canopy that symbolizes the bridal bower), which includes the reading of the marriage contract, the seven marriage benedictions, the groom’s placing a ring on the bride’s finger (in Conservative and Reform traditions the double ring ceremony has been introduced), and, in most communities, the crushing of a glass under foot. After the ceremony the couple is led into a private room for seclusion, which symbolizes the consummation of the marriage.

From its beginnings, Christianity has emphasized the spiritual nature and indissolubility of marriage. Jesus Christ spoke of marriage as being instituted by God, and most Christians consider it a unbreakable union based upon mutual consent. Some Christian churches consider marriage as one of the sacraments, and other Christians confirm the sanctity of marriage but do not consider it as a sacrament. Since the Middle Ages, Christian weddings have taken place before a priest or minister, and the ceremony involves the exchange of vows, readings from Scripture, a blessing, and, sometimes, the eucharistic rite.

In Islam marriage is not rigidly a sacrament but is always understood as a gift from God or a kind of service to God. The basic Islamic tenets concerning marriage are laid out in the Qur’an, which states that the marital bond rests on “mutual love and mercy,” and that spouses are “each other’s garments.” Muslim men are allowed to have up to four wives at one time (though they seldom do), but the wives must all be treated equitably. Marriages are traditionally contracted by the father or guardian of the bride and her intended husband, who must offer his bride the mahr, a payment offered as a gift to guarantee her financial independence.

If you are looking for a Cairns wedding celebrant, a wedding celebrant in Cairns or a Cairns civil celebrant, contact Del at sharingandcaringcairns.com.au