How To Choose The Perfect Wedding Celebrant?

Have you ever been a guest at a wedding and almost fallen asleep because the ceremony was so long, boring or impersonal and thought to yourself, I could totally do a better job than this? Well, that was me about 6 years ago. When my brother got engaged, I decided that there was no better wedding present than to be his celebrant, and without knowing it at the time this was to be the start of the most rewarding, fun and love-filled career as a civil marriage celebrant.

Initially, I thought if nothing else, it would be a bit of a laugh to marry my brother to his wife and to be honest, that’s as far as I imaged my celebrant career going, but as I stood there, and watched two people so in love, marry the absolute love of their life, I knew that this was the career for me.

Also, their wedding date being Christmas Eve, was a very special date in the family as that’s when my grandparents married many years earlier, and this story is an absolute tear jerker… Read it here.

It also highlighted such an important point - yes, any other celebrant could have legally married them, but would they have been the perfect match? Finding a celebrant that suits your vibe, style & personalities is in my opinion, one of the most important decisions you will make when planning your wedding. A celebrant can either make or break your ceremony, leaving guests bored and asleep or pumped up and ready to celebrate one of your biggest milestones yet.

The tone and vibe of your entire wedding starts with the celebrant, so choosing someone that you connect with, and more importantly, one who will tell your story in a way that’s true to you, whilst engaging and entertaining your guests is an absolute must.

Key Qualities to Look For When Choosing Your Celebrant

Budget-friendly vs Personality

Before choosing a celebrant, you really have to think about what is most important to you. Does price factor into your decision first and foremost, and is more important than any connection you have with the celebrant? If so, choosing a more budget-friendly celebrant that offers a more stock standard ceremony might be the way to go rather than a more expensive one. 

On the contrary, is the connection and relationship you have with a celebrant and the style and personalisation of their ceremonies more important to you? If so, doing a little more research and finding a celebrant that has similar values and personality to you, or perhaps uses the same tone of language as you may be the way to go, with their fee a lesser factor in your decision-making. 

Either avenue is absolutely fine, and there are celebrants for all budgets, styles and tastes, but knowing exactly what you’re looking for first will help make the search for the perfect celebrant a little easier.

Traditional vs Non-Traditional

Some couples may not want their love story told to their guests, and instead, want to focus on the traditional and legal elements of a wedding and will choose a celebrant who offers this. Alternatively, you might be looking for someone to take the pressure off you, tell your love story in a most authentic and entertaining way, have you and your guests on a rollercoaster of emotions from heartfelt to hilarious, and leave everyone saying that was the best damn wedding they’ve ever been to. And that’s where I come in. Non-traditional yet respectful, heartfelt and hilarious but in the perfect balance, personable and professional. I focus on you and your story, telling it in a way that is reflective of your personalities, focusing on all your biggest milestones, engaging and entertaining your guests from start to finish, with happy tears and plenty of cheers in between. Oh, and cowboy boots and whips are non-negotiable and really do make for a crackin’ good time.

Click here to see if I’m available on your date.

Where Do I Find the Perfect Celebrant?

One of the easiest places to start looking for a celebrant is online, either via a Google search or social media, where you will find many local marriage celebrants in your area. From here, you can create a shortlist of celebrants whose websites or social media profiles you like the look of. Reading testimonials or reviews is another great tool too, as this can validate a celebrant’s experience and quality, making it easier for you to make a decision. There are also many online wedding directories which can be a great place to look, as these generally showcase celebrants of a certain style or experience level.

Alternatively, word-of-mouth recommendations or a list of recommended wedding vendors from a wedding venue is a great place to look, as these generally only list celebrants whom they’ve worked with personally or come with a higher level of experience.

Questions to Ask Before Confirming Your Celebrant

When first making contact with a celebrant, it’s important to give them a little information about yourself, the style of ceremony you’re looking for and even let them know what you want to avoid based on what you might have seen before. This can help a celebrant tailor their response to suit you, which in turn makes the initial conversation a little easier and a lot less daunting.

Generally, people have been to a ceremony either for a friend or family member that they didn’t like or don’t want for themselves, so letting a potential celebrant know why and what it was that you didn’t resonate with can help them to understand the style and vibe you’re looking for.

‌Topics such as the length of the ceremony, how they get to know and write your story, what the legal requirements are, how much they charge and what’s included in their fee, if there are different ceremony options and inclusions, even what they will wear to your wedding are all important questions to ask.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get crackin’

A celebrant can either make or break the tone and vibe of your entire wedding. If you view your ceremony as an important part of your wedding, then finding the perfect celebrant for you should be one of the first and biggest decisions you make when planning your wedding.

A great celebrant does more than just get you and your lover legally hitched. They’re the party starter, mood maker, vibe setter for one of your biggest days yet, so choosing a celebrant who you vibe, resonate and connect with is absolutely crucial if you want your guests to be saying, “that’s the best damn ceremony we’ve ever seen”.

‌If a fun and young wedding celebrant, known for heartfelt, hilarious and engaging ceremonies is your vibe, make sure to have a look at my testimonials or Google reviews. And if you think we will be a good fit, send me an enquiry and let’s get crackin’!