How does a celebrant work?

He, or she needs to be qualified and registered to perform the celebrancy work. Like in all walks of life we all work our magic differently in the way we go about things, but your celebrant needs to be up with the legal requirements and paperwork and be able to guide you throughly through the steps to getting married. Every couple is different so meeting and chatting is a good thing to see if you are compatible and you can trust the celebrant to do the right thing by you and the presentation of your ceremony.

some great responses below .... I suggest you meet a couple of celerbants face to face and book the one you best connect with ... .have a great wedding  .... Cheers Andrew 

You have gotten a lot of wonderful answers and suggestions here as celebrants are mainly wonderful people who want to do a professional job that their couples are happy with! We want you as the couple to feel listened to and that the ceremony reflects what you want for your big day and completes all the legal requirements.

You will know when you click with a celebrant and that you trust them to manage your wedding, whether you want simple or romantic with lots of rituals and a huge wedding party. We are all different in what we want for our wedding day!

Good Luck!

This is an interesting question because there is no set answer - it boils down to the chemisty between the celebrant and the couple, once the basics of price and availability have been sorted. After the initial enquiry, my next step is to arrange an obligation-free meeting with the couple to talk generally about them, their wedding concept and the way the ceremony can be developed. I always write a pesonalised ceremony for every couple. Once they have engaged me, and the wedding is booked in, we meet again to complete the Notice of Intended Marriage and start planning the ceremony in more detail. We communicate frequently between this meeting and the rehearsal to get the ceremony right. Other factors I would expect the couple to consider before they make their choice are: is the celebrant well presented; does she speak warmly and clearly; is she orgnised and punctual; is she a good listener and able to put our ideas into the final ceremony?

Many people don’t know what a celebrant can do for them, I am happy to come and meet with you, obligation free.
I can explain the process and leave you with a free Ceremony Kit or alternatively post one out to you.

Most importantly a celebrant will promise to make your ceremony special, which I craft and personalise, and have lots of material
and information to assist you. Your wedding ceremony is a memory for you, just like the photos you take and should reflect your
personal values and personalities in your vows, the music you play and the readings.

HI there,

1. The process a Celebrant uses can vary on the number of meetings per couple, some may take only one meeting, where other couples may need more. You are required to have a NOIM witnessed, which is the first step, and then move forward from there  
2. First and formost, you should choose a celebrant that you feel comfortable with, who you like and who can work with you to make the ceremony you want.
3. Your celebrant, should be helpful and offer you suggestions and guidance in the content of your ceremony, taking into account any additional aspects you want to include
4. They should clearly explain what they provide to you and what you need to do with regard to legalities and paperwork
5. Give you all costs upfront
6. Make you feel at ease and communicate as much as you need through the time up to your wedding day and afterwards if you need their help 

The information provided by the other celebrants is good. I agree that we all work by the Code of Practice and that we are professional, giving the couple all the information about the process. I pride myself on developing bespoke ceremonies with the couple. To do this I ask many questions, listen and provide answers. Yes a meeting with the couple helps that process. However, I have conversed over the phone and internet for couples living overseas and wanting to marry at home in Australia.

The question as been pretty much covered.  When you find a celebrant you are happy & comfortable with - you need to fill out the form that you will find at this link - and lodge it with your celebrant.  

Happy to answer any other questions if you want to chat - 0417 584 156.    Here is the link to the Notice Form.  

https://www.ag.gov.au/FamiliesAndMarriage/Marriage/Documents/New-notice-of-intended-marriage.pdf 

Regards - Craig Moran - Celebrant since 1995.  

HI!

Congratulations on your Engagement!

My fellow Celebrants have done a wonderful job highlighting the process of your nuptials. 

In brief, your Celebrant should be reliable - that is the most important! I got called last month the day before a wedding with a bride in tears as her Celebrant just cancelled on her. So first and foremost, the testimonials for your Celebrant should speak for themselves. Check out their social media pages and website.

Definelty meet with them over a cuppa and see if you and your partner are comfortable with them. It will make the communications process a lot easier!

Best of luck with your search, if you are planning a wedding in Sydney Northern Beaches or on the Gold Coast Id love to meet you for a coffee!

If you are not going to get married in a Church, you will need a Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrant to conduct your wedding ceremony. When choosing your Celebrant, you should look for: (a) Someone who knows what they are doing. A Celebrant's role is to make sure your marriage is a valid one and to address all the legal requirements of the wedding ceremony.  This means helping you complete all the legal documents, lodging the documents with the appropriate authorities, registering your marriage and ensuring the correct words are said during the ceremony. A Celebrant can marry you anywhere in Australia; your home, a venue, a park, a boat etc. Ask how many ceremonies they have done? (b) Someone who is willing to work with you, not dictate to you. Some brides and grooms know exactly what they want and some arrive ‘fresh’ and knowing very little about the process. A Celebrant will ask a lot of questions about you both, present you with a lot of different options and discuss the things you want (or don't want) to include in your ceremony. Together you will create a ceremony that reflects your personalities, something that will delight you and your guests. (c) Someone who is friendly.  You should find a Celebrant who you like, someone who you feel comfortable with.  Ask a lot of questions to see if they are your kind of person.  Ask what they love about being a Celebrant?  (d) Someone who is professional.  Everyone's idea of a professional is different, however, I would ensure that the Celebrant has all the right equipment and insurances, will offer you a draft ceremony that you can edit, offers a rehearsal, will maintain contact with you throughout the journey to your wedding day.  If you have seen the Celebrant in action, that's a bonus, however, you could ask for videos or read testimonials about the Celebrant, not only on the Celebrant's website, but on Fb and Easy Weddings!