What questions could you ask a wedding celebrant?

 

 

When planning your wedding, the wedding celebrant is arguably one of the most important vendors you need to choose (I know I may be biased here, but hear me out!)

If you have ever pictured yourself and your partner on this most exciting and significant day- your wedding day-looking all gorgeous and feeling fabulous, it might, understandably, be unlikely that you have also pictured a celebrant standing there with you!

But the celebrant is a legal necessity, so if you want to be married, you do need to choose one! And consider this- they aren’t just there for the legal bits (unless you strictly want a 5 minute legals-only ceremony).

The celebrant will be there for you both not only in this amazing moment, but also in the lead up to your big day. It’s our job to guide you through it all. Not only the legal process, but the creative side as well- and by that, I mean the content of your ceremony. The feel of it. The energy you want.

Your relationship is unique. It’s not the same as Harry and Jo’s, or Sam and Bill’s. You have your own shared memories, values, senses of humour. The wedding ceremony I write for Harry and Jo, who are mad dog lovers, met on Tinder 6 months ago, have 300 guests and plan to sail around the world together one day, will be a totally different ceremony than the one I write for Sam and Bill who have been together already for 10 years, have 5 kids and have decided that now they want a family-only get together in their backyard to make things legal.

So, you want to be sure that your celebrant gets you. That they are willing to take the time to listen to what’s important to you and what’s not. In addition to this, you want someone whose personality aligns with yours. That you get on really well with and feel totally at ease with.

Because you are entrusting this person with honouring a significant milestone; with telling your love story in such a way that you fall in love all over again just listening to it.

 

 

So what questions should you ask a celebrant when you are looking around for one?  Here are some ideas for you:

1. Ask if they are available on your date! If they aren’t, many of us will be able to reply to you with a list of different celebrants who are in fact available (I have a great network of celebrants all over the country who I can reach out to).
2. Then, ask if they are available for a no- obligation call or face to face meeting so you can see if you gel. (Check out my contact page where you can book in a meet and greet chat!)
3. It’s important to find out if your celebrant is either a civil (non-religious) celebrant or a religious celebrant. Most celebrants will have this on their website (I am a civil celebrant) but if you are unsure, just ask! You don’t want to book a civil celebrant thinking that it will be a religious ceremony, and vice versa. Here’s a list of all the authorised celebrants in Australia- you can filter by civil, religious, name, and state.
4. Ask if they have reviews from other couples that you can read. It is so helpful to see what others experiences have been like and can give you an extra sense of excitement about what they can deliver for you! (Here’s my Google Reviews if you’re wondering:))
5. Ask how they would describe the style do they have- formal and rigid, jokey and extroverted, relaxed and lighthearted? It’s for this reason I have a video of me talking directly to you on my services page. You can get a bit of a sense of my personality and the way I speak. I would describe my style as warm, relaxed, light-hearted, enjoys a laugh but always fully respectful of this magnificent thing that you are about to undertake.
6. Ask them to explain their process to you, including how they write and structure your ceremony.
7. Do they provide any assistance with vow writing and if so, how?
8. Can they provide you with alternatives to different parts of the ceremony if one part gives you the ick or you have an idea that might not be traditional? (for example, the thought of saying personal vows in front of all your guests fills you with dread. Or, you want your dog to walk you down the aisle. Or, you want a way of including your kids in the ceremony).
9. How do they choose what to wear on the day? Will they fit in with the dress code/colour scheme?
10. Do they offer a rehearsal if you want one, and if so does it cost extra?
11. Do they charge for travel?
12. Can they recommend trusted vendors if you don’t know where to start?
13. How will they look after your identification documents such as passport and birth certificate copies to ensure your privacy is paramount?
14. Lastly, what is their fee and is that all- inclusive or are there hidden extras? I’ve put this option last because whilst budget is really important, perhaps the cheapest celebrant may not be able to give you the experience and service you are after. If it’s a matter of a couple of hundred dollars between the celebrant you think might be ok to the one you really like, it’s a no-brainer.

A wedding celebrant can make or break your ceremony and they can also have an impact on how the rest of the day flows- have they delivered a smashing ceremony that has everyone excited, raving and feeling all the emotions? Or is everyone looking around to see where the drinks are and how long it might be til they can escape?

I’d be happy to answer all of the above and more, in more detail if you like! Book in for a chat or email me via my contact page.