How to find a wedding celebrant—three tips to find the right one

I believe almost any question, including finding the right wedding celebrant, can be answered in three simple steps. 

First, find out what is going on in the market. Second ask what would cause a suitable candidate, a celebrant, in this case, to stand out and why. Last of all, the actions you are going to take to secure their services.

In any journey, not least planning a wedding, there are many distractions and diversions. Fortunately, choosing the celebrant should neither be the hardest nor trickiest part, leaving you space to deal with other decisions.

1. What's going on with marriage celebrants?

There are too many celebrants for too few ceremonies, which are declining in number. Maybe bad news for celebrants, but it means there's plenty of choices. There are 9000 Commonwealth registered marriage celebrants, a number are busy professionals whilst many are occasional hobbyists. To some, it might be a side hustle or a calling or even a new start in life.

In 2019 before COVID upset so many plans, there were 114,000 marriages in Australia, with about 80% officiated by celebrants. The average annual ceremony rate for each was about ten, and the total of marriages was down 5% from 2018.

Regardless of these stats, the art is to find the style of celebrant which suits you. Over the years, we may have witnessed some celebrants charitably best described as average. They perform a legal function efficiently but not much else. For some couples, this may suffice, but I believe most want something unique, or they might just as well go to the local registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths.

Fortunately, all authorised marriage celebrants have had to undergo lengthy and involved training, annual refreshers and are regulated by the federal Attorney General's department. With these standards in place, the points of difference tend to be around style and price about which the celebrant's websites should help.

So check out the market online, word of mouth, and as you'd do your due diligence for any service of importance. Now you have an overview of the sector, find three celebrants you'd like to interrogate further.

2. Who stands out and why?

To stand out does not mean to show off. Celebrants also need to be discrete and blend into the background, and it is after all your day.

Their personal style may be a calm professional, an enthusiastic romantic, or a simple back to nature type, but adaptability is also essential. When I was training as a reporter in the UK, I was taught to be as at home with a dustbin man (garbo) as a Duke. A celebrants' talent is to put everyone at ease in what can be a stressful day. Another quality I value is to be punctual and keep everyone else on time to ensure the ceremony doesn't drag. To use the cliché less can certainly be more when it comes to weddings. Whatever your values it might be, such as spontaneity and fun, ensure your celebrant both understands and can project them in their demeanour. 

Ironically when you speak to a prospective celebrant for the first time, apart from being assured they project some confidence and authority about their role, you'll want to see they can listen.

It's our job to hear what you want and ask questions to ensure we are all aligned on what is required and when. I would call/Zoom three celebrants for a preliminary chat after confirming their availability for the Big Day. See how suitable you both feel the successful candidate might be.

Ask the cost after having sketched out with them what kind of ceremony you require. It will enable them to make a more reliable quote if they don't offer a fixed price service.

Most celebrants are not expensive given the training, equipment, paperwork, various steps, and time involved in a wedding. Factor in the high cost of other wedding services such as flowers, chairs, venues and as the essential element, they can be a bargain.

Let the two of you make the decision together about who to marry you. It will be good practice for later.

3 What actions do I have to take?

Once you've made your choice have a longer meeting with the celebrant. Depending on the timing, you can start the documentation, especially the notice of impending marriage which must be completed a calendar month before the ceremony. The celebrant might then draft a running sheet with the agreed elements of the ceremony such as readings, music and any rituals. Once you have seen the script and the estimated timings, the structure and the necessary final decisions will become more apparent.

Do as much upfront as possible and sign off as long before the ceremony as you can. You'll both have enough on your plate with other issues in the run-up to the event. Celebrants should be professional enough to take as much work as possible off your shoulders and also be available to make any last-minute changes.

Above all, listen to the celebrant's advice. It's safe to assume if you have chosen them, you can then trust their judgment around the many ingredients of a great wedding. They can be a valuable sounding board for ideas.

In summary, check out the market, focus on the celebrant's style, decide who, agree on the details, and let them go to their work. It's something celebrants do pretty often, and hopefully, you'll only want to do it once.