How do I choose a celebrant that will suit my partner and I?

Hi Bianca, choosing a celebrant is a very personal thing.  Chatting on the phone is a good start and if you would like to take it further arrange a time to meet. Then if the chemistry is right and you make a connection, go with your gut.

Choosing a good Celebrant is so hard.  My advise is to ask your friends if they know a good celebrant. Then look for something that appeals to you about someone. Cheap celebrants are to be warned against.  The reason they are cheap is usually because they do not do many weddings or that they are not very experianced.

A lot of my weddings have been referred to me by happy couples.  There are many celebrants, different styles, different age groups, different backgrounds, we are ALL different.  Put a question out on your Facebook page amongst your friends, you will be surprised how many of your friends will know someone.  Like choosing your dress, you know straight away when you see it and you will know straight away when you have connected with a Celebrant by reading their profile and meeting with them.    Facebook, Instagram, Websites.  good luck

Hi, Being a celebrant, i dont think we like being interviewed for the job, but i think the best advice is to research the celebrants that match you criteria and see there work on their web sites and then meet them and see if you "jell"?

Hope that helps

John

You and your celebrant should be a Perfect Match; after checking out their testimonials ...Use your intuition and gut reaction on the phone or meeting face to face or Skype if long distance;

1. Do you relate to the celebrant as a Couple; her personality, sense of humour, values, beliefs, is she authentic is she interested in your Love Story, in helping you write your Personal Vows and will she be able to create the style of ceremony you want and if you don't know what you want can she inspire you with a thousand creative ideas??
2. If you have children or important family members and friends how will she include them to make them feel important and special on the day??

If she can truly do that your wedding day will be magical and feel like she is an old family friend supporting you on your special day!!

Love & Light

Marry Me Marilyn xxx

The first meeting is paramount. This is where you as a couple get a "feel" for the celebrant and see whether you have similar values and sometimes more importantly a similar sense of humour. This is where you you develop a sense of trust. Do I trust this person with our story? Will I trust this person to tell our tale and what our marriage means to us? Can they engage and entertain our friends and loved ones on our most important day?

There is no easy answer to this. have a read of Celebrants profiles , speak to the ones that appel to you ,have a list of what you expect for your day and see who can match your requirements, ask questions LOTS of them . Meet with them as well   and ask more questions.

A Celebrant will normally give you the first interview free and this gives you the opportunity to see if he or she is compatible with you. Don't go on price alone, see what the celebrant is offering you. Look at the Celebrants web site and see if he / she is a member of an organisation like AFCC. After all it is YOUR day and you must feel comfortable with the Celebrant.

Hi Bianca,

When you get to thinking of what you’d like in a celebrant, here are a couple of tips.

First and foremost, make sure you have a real connection with your celebrant. For the celebrant, a close connection usually means a ceremony that reflects the couple perfectly. One that is memorable for all the right reasons! From the couple’s point of view, a great celebrant will make them feel like a good friend is guiding them through the ceremony – one who knows them, really likes them, takes all the stress out of the ceremony and leaves nothing to chance.

Following on from that, it’s probably best not to go with the first person you meet just so you can tick ‘celebrant’ off your list … unless, of course, you absolutely love them and the connection is there. For example, if you’re a relaxed and laid-back couple and want your ceremony to reflect this, don’t go with somebody who appears formal and inflexible, or who doesn’t seem to have much in common with you.

Here are some pointers for you to consider or ask celebrants you meet with:

– What experience the celebrant has in the type of ceremony you are planning?

– Will the celebrant really listen to you? Beware of people who impose their ideas on you. Similarly, be prepared to trust the celebrant’s advice – they do know how to engage your guests; they also know what will send them to sleep!

– Does the celebrant have resources and ideas to help plan the ceremony?

– Is the celebrant organised and professional, and what’s really important – will she/he be fun to work with?

– Does the celebrant book multiple ceremonies on the same day? And if so, how long do they allow to get from one venue to the other? What happens if the first one runs late and yours happens to be the second ceremony? And following on, how early does the celebrant arrive on the day?

– Does the celebrant have his/her own equipment for voice amplification and to play music through? Does use of this equipment increase the cost?

– Does the celebrant allow plenty of time for couples to edit their ceremonies?

– What fee does the celebrant charge, and is it all-inclusive? Make sure you are realistic about fees. For example, a cheap ceremony could mean a formula ceremony, which is absolutely fine if that’s what you want. If, however, you are expecting a personalised ceremony, you may be disappointed. Most celebrants will have various options, and often the difference between something that’s standardised and one that’s written specifically for the couple, reflecting them perfectly, is less than a couple of hundred dollars.

– Does the celebrant live locally? If not, how far are they prepared to travel without incurring cost. For example, I’m a civil celebrant based primarily in Northcote, so happily work all around Melbourne as well as on the Mornington Peninsula without additional cost. Areas further afield may incur additional cost, depending on travel, rehearsals etc.

– Does the celebrant have a back up plan in case she/he is sick on the day?

– See if you can get a sense of the celebrant’s writing style, ie. check out their website, Facebook page, blogs etc. That will usually give you a good idea of their tone and style.

Good luck with it all, and remember there are many great celebrants out there. Make sure you find one that’s a perfect fit for you both.

First of all you need the celebrant to phone you when you send and enquiry email....that way you will get an idea of their personality just over the phone. Make sure you have your correct phone number on the enquiry. Quite a lot of the enquiries I get either don't put their phone number, or the make a typo and the phone number is wrong. That is so frustrating because I like to phone the couple rather than send a generic email. It's more personal. Then if you like them over the phone, make an appointment to meet the celebrant. That way you will definitely know if you want to have me (hahaha) for your celebrant.   Easy!!!