Getting married is one of the most important days of your life. You’ve just got engaged and are now starting the quite daunting task of organising your wedding. One of the first steps in this process is finding a celebrant to tell your love story.
A lot of couples will think that the first and most important task in planning their marriage is finding the venue. Whilst I agree that it’s one of the most important, as you do need to tie the knot somewhere and it takes up the biggest part of your budget, you also need to find the right person who will legally marry you, after all that’s what the day is all about! Getting married!
I like to think that choosing a celebrant is as important as choosing a partner, as they’re involved in one of the biggest days of your life and so they need to be able to tick most, if not all, of the boxes. They should tell your story in a meaningful way and tell your love story how you want, whether it be charming, funny or romantic.
The focus should be on you and most celebrants will be sensitive to this aspect and ensure that both you and your partner stay the main focus of the day.
Remember that they have the biggest influence on your day, so you need to choose carefully.
What you need to keep in mind when choosing a celebrant:
• Do you ‘click’ with them?
• Do they match your personality as a couple?
• Are they professional?
• Do they listen to your needs and ideas?
• Are they helpful and knowledgeable?
• Are they organised?
• Do they fit into your budget?
To find the right celebrant for you, you have to ‘shop’ around a little and find the best fit. Celebrants will usually offer a ‘no obligation’ first meeting. This is your opportunity to ask all the questions you need answered, but most importantly see if you like them. Think of it like a date, you will probably catch up with them in a casual environment over a coffee or a drink and get to know each other, and like with any date, you will walk away knowing if they’re the right fit or not. Make sure you’re asking the right questions though, for example:
• Confirm prices.
• Ask about the deposit.
• When do they need final payment?
• What do they include in their services?
• Do they have any additional services and charges?
• Do they offer a rehearsal?
Be aware that a lot of celebrants will ask for a ‘nonrefundable booking fee’ rather than a deposit. Some celebrants charge a percentage of the final payment, and some take a flat fee. They will request this when you book with them, as good celebrants are generally busy and in high demand and often there will be another couple who are wanting their services on the same day and time as your wedding. If you have to move the date and they can’t perform on the day you want, or you have to cancel, they have more than likely turned down other couples to perform your ceremony in that same time slot.
Check their terms and conditions as this not only covers you if something unexpected happens, but also covers them. After all they’re providing you with a service and they need to protect you and themselves. If lightning strikes and they can’t get to your wedding, or you need to change the time and date of your wedding (and in this COVID ravaged world nothing is certain) so everyone needs to be covered.
What Does a Celebrant Do?
Many people believe that a celebrant just shows up on the day and performs the ceremony. This is not the case. They register all your legal paperwork, make sure all the necessary legal steps have been followed and ensure you have all the information you need to get married, so they need to be organised and professional. They do a lot of work behind the scenes and ensure the process of ‘getting married’, runs smoothly. They actually put a lot of time and effort in, which equates to around 20 hours per wedding.
A good celebrant will provide you with ideas to help make your ceremony perfect, so a lot of time and research is provided by a celebrant and shouldn’t be taken for granted.
They write the script for your ceremony, which can take some time, this is because they must get to know you and like with any friendship, this takes time. A lot of celebrants will have had a background in public speaking and if not, they’re comfortable at being in front of a large crowd.
Here is a breakdown of what services to expect:
• Lodgement of your legal paperwork.
• Getting to know you and being available to you when you need answers
• Writing your ceremony
• Providing you with information on the lead up to your wedding day.
• Helping you plan your ceremony.
• Providing ideas to help you make your ceremony ‘one to remember’.
• Providing a rehearsal.
• Making sure the ceremony runs smoothly.
• Lodging your legal paperwork, after the ceremony.
There are more than 9,000 celebrants registered in Australia, and that’s a lot! Many people will go for a celebrant that has been recommended through a family member or business or you may have seen a celebrant work at a friend’s wedding. Whilst you could choose someone who has been around for a while, it’s also worth giving new celebrants a chance. They may fit better into your budget and will give you just as good service as someone who is established, because they’re trying to build profile and reputation, so don’t eliminate that option… everyone has to start somewhere!
Celebrants often work from word of mouth and work very hard on establishing and keeping their business current and in the forefront. They don’t have the luxury of relying on repeat business. Their job is to provide you with a service that you love, and you’re excited about.
If you’d like to find out more about how Sophisticated Ceremonies can assist your ceremony needs or you’d definitely like me to marry you – ‘Give me a ring!’
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