Leane Holmes - Bay and Basin Civil Celebrant

What a very important question to ask.  There is no set regulartary fee marriage celebrants can charge.  It comes dow to the celebrant. Therefore the prices will vary by each celebrant, sometimes, many hundreds of dollars. You’ll find celebrants available for a few hundred dollars to more than $1500 depending on their experience, availability and overall offerings.

It is also important prior to ask about when the payment is due because as everyone is an individual so are the payment plans, too.  I normally ask for a 10% deposit to ensure the day and time are secured for your big day then I ask payment to be made no later than 14 days after the ceremony.  (in this all paperwork ie ceremony that has been drafted stay the property of myself and will only be transferred to another celebrant due to illness of myself or up on request of the bride and groom - however the deposit is a non-refundable amount.

Personally, I do not charge anything extra.  For example, does filing the official marriage documentation cost any extra or is it included in the final price? Also, is there a rehearsal before your big day and how many meetings will we have beforehand? If you need extra help for, say writing vows, will that cost extra?  The answers to this is absolutely NOT! I like to ensure no further pressures are placed on a couple.

Absolutely not.  However, i do give you the option to do this.  While I draft the ceremony that can be changed up till the night before the wedding, just in case you decide otherwise. I believe it is important to get personal and if that means i read the vows you wish to say because you are terrified then so be it.    Either way you have the official vows you NEED to state then if you wish to state your own then it really comes down to you personally.

Honestly there will be nothing you should have to do on this front except, of course, sign various official paperwork and provide required paperwork such as ID, birth certificates, passports and, in the cases of 1. one of the parties is a widow or widower, death certificates. 2. you are divorced. I will guide you through this process.

I will ask prior to uploading any photos online.  It is important for my social media platform to have photos of my weddings. If you personally do not want this to happen then this is what i abide by. I do have a form asking permission to use photos so you just tick no, if that is your choice.

I believe in consulting the couple every step of the way.  So during the process and up to the week of the wedding, if you are wanting changes or i change any wording i will email the draft ceremony before the day.  If you would like a copy of the final draft of the ceremony prior to the day, yes this is also possible, just need to ask me so i will note this and email it to you.

I use my own PA system that is not cordless but can be used cordless with a mic.  I also provide things such as a table and chairs for signing as well as items to place on the table such as flowers, pens, signs, teddy bears.   I normally ask throughout the process of drafting your ceremony and organising the day which things you have and what you may need and offer things if necessary to take the financial burden off the couples.

A fully compliant Celebrant will usually have:

–          Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance

–          Have a PA System that meets the legal requirements of the 2015 bandwidth changes

I would ensure that I have a backup Celebrant in place in case of any unexpected emergencies that may prevent me from performing your ceremony on the day?