What Are The Different Types of Celebrants?

G’day lovers, I’m Monty from Holymatrimonty, and I’m here to help you understand the very confusing world of marriage ceremonies and celebrants within Australia and explain the vastly different options you have when choosing a celebrant.

Click here to read my blog about how to choose the perfect marriage celebrant.

‌If you’ve ever been a guest at a wedding and had to suffer through a long, boring and impersonal ceremony, you’ve no doubt thought to yourself, that’s exactly what I don’t want, but when it’s come time to organising your own wedding, you feel like you still have absolutely no idea what to do. That’s where I come in.

Marriage Ceremony Options in Australia

To be legally married in Australia, all you need is 5 people to be present, the celebrant, the couple to be married (that’s you and your lover) and 2 witnesses. Nothing else, that’s it. And though this is super simple and may suit many people who want to elope, it might not be for you. And if it’s not for you, that’s great too, as there are many other options out there for you to choose from, whether it be a religious wedding in a church with 200 guests, or a civil marriage ceremony in a pub with 50 of your favourite people, the options are endless.

I’m a civil marriage celebrant, which means I can marry any two people (no matter your sex or gender) who are willing and legally able to marry, and despite my business name “Holymatrimonty”, I am not religious in the slightest, it was just too good of a wedding pun with my name, Monty, to pass up. But as you’ve probably realised, there are a few different types of celebrants, and I’m here to explain each one, helping you make an informed decision. 

Understanding Celebrants

Apart from legally marrying two people, a celebrant wears many hats, especially those who write their ceremonies from scratch for each of their couples (like me) and can be involved in many aspects of your wedding.

For example, as soon as a couple books me in as their celebrant, I help them with the rest of their wedding vendor searches, sending them my “recommended vendor list” which is a carefully curated list of, in my opinion, the best of the best wedding vendors in every category, from musicians to photographers.

In addition to this, I also send my couples a list of handy discount codes for various wedding-related services, which is a result of many years of relationship-building within the industry.

As we near the wedding date, I send the required legal documents and information as well as a step-by-step ceremony guide whereby couples can see exactly what will happen from start to finish during their ceremony, including all the legal bits and the fun stuff.

Then in the weeks leading up to the big day, I send a quiz to my couples, whereby they tell me all about their favourite people, their love story and any other important information that is relevant to their ceremony, and this is how I craft their ceremony, writing from the answers they’ve given me which means there’s no pre-written wedding jargon or made up stories, it’s 100% authentic and all about them.

And finally, about a week before the wedding, I send my couples a ‘vow writing guide’ which helps them put together the most amazing vows to each other. This is something that I then help them edit, offering suggestions and support so that they can be confident they are going to absolutely nail the moment.

You can learn more about the celebrants' role and what they actually do here.

Types of Celebrants

Did you know there are four different types of marriage celebrants in Australia?

1 - Commonwealth registered marriage celebrants or (Civil marriage celebrants) who are authorised to marry “TWO PEOPLE” who both meet the legal requirements to marry, anywhere within Australia’s states, territories and borders. That’s ME!

2 - Commonwealth registered religious marriage celebrants, are celebrants who can choose to marry couples in line with their religious beliefs, despite not being a minister of religion. In other words, they can choose NOT to marry two people of the same sex if that doesn’t align with their religious beliefs. Boo!

3 - Ministers of religion, who are from a recognised denomination and marry couples according to that denomination.

4 - State and territory officers, which include magistrates, judges and government officials, who are authorised to marry couples in a variety of settings including registry offices, courthouses and other government buildings.

Which Type of Celebrant To Choose?

Of all these different types of celebrants, civil marriage celebrants are usually the ones more likely to make your ceremony more personal, fun and entertaining, as they aren’t focusing on religion. Instead, they’re focusing on you, so it’s important to decide early on what sort of ceremony you’re looking for, as this may sway your decision when choosing a type of celebrant for your wedding.

My style for example, is based in opposition to tradition, without it being a total piss take, and what I mean by this is, I focus on you and your love story. Instead of outdated traditions, I work with you to create the most personalised, fun, entertaining, heartfelt and hilarious ceremony that is truly reflective of your story and personalities, leaving your guests wondering how long we’ve known each other or thinking we must have been friends for years.

This feedback comes from every single one of my couples, as the ceremony I deliver is so true and so you, taking you and your guests on a rollercoaster of emotions, with plenty of laughs, cheers and happy tears, they just assume we’re best mates. And best mates we will be.

So, what’s next?

‌Choosing the right type of celebrant is a crucial part of creating your perfect wedding day, and I hope this article has helped clarify your options. It's not just about finding someone who can legally marry you but finding someone who understands your vision, your personalities, and what makes your relationship unique. 

No matter where you’re getting married in Australia, from Darwin to Tasmania and everywhere in between, if you want a shit hot wedding that will have your guests talking about how much fun it was for years to come, saying it was the best damn wedding they’ve ever been to, then send me an enquiry and let’s get crackin’.