The wedding ceremony, although short, is one of the biggest and most memorable moments of your wedding day. It is when you say your vows, exchange rings, say your “I Do’s”, and share your first kiss as a married couple. It is also during this time that you are officially announced to the world that you are married. But aside from your significant other, there’s another important person you have to share such moments with - and that is your Celebrant.
Your Celebrant will be the authority figure who will guide you through the ceremony, from the opening remarks to the closing. They can determine the flow and tone of your wedding, making it unique, fun, and unforgettable for you and your guests. So this is a person who will play a huge role during your big day. This is the reason why you should choose the right person for the job.
However, finding the right Celebrant can be a challenging task. So to guide you, here’s a list of the most important questions you should ask your Celebrant to know if they are the right fit for your wedding.
What to Ask Your Celebrant?
1. How long have you been a Celebrant and how many weddings have you performed?
Experience can make a difference when it comes to officiating weddings as not everything will go as planned. So you need someone with the experience who can pull off a great ceremony even with the late changes and surprises. You need someone who will stay confident and in control no matter how crazy things may get.
It takes experience for a Celebrant to comfort nervous couples, manage guests, and even use the microphone properly. It also takes many weddings before someone is performance-ready. Furthermore, an experienced Celebrant is more capable to deliver a ceremony that is intimate, heartfelt, and truly memorable.
2. How much will it cost and what does your fee include?
Setting a budget is the first thing you do when planning a wedding. So when it comes to choosing your vendors and celebrant, their fees are the most important information you need to gather.
While you need to look for experience, you also have to look for affordability. So upon meeting the Celebrant, ask what their fee is, the inclusions, and when you need to pay.
For example, with Leanne Booker Celebrant, you can avail of the “Complete Wedding Ceremony Package.” This includes a photographer, flowers, hair styling, makeup, wedding cake, and Celebrant who will design and officiate your custom wedding ceremony. So you can hire almost all the wedding vendors you need at a single price. This will be easier since you only need to communicate with one person (Leanne) instead of multiple people. You can click here to know more about the package.
A professional Celebrant will have a client service agreement for you to sign which should detail everything the Celebrant will do for you.
3. What is your cancellation policy?
It is also important to ask about a Celebrant’s cancellation policy. Ask under what circumstances they will keep the booking fee/deposit and if there are refunds in case you need to postpone or cancel your ceremony.
4. How can you personalise our wedding ceremony?
When it comes to modern ceremonies, personalisation is everything. So ask the Celebrant their process in creating and conducting ceremonies. Will they spend time getting to know you or is there a cap on the number of meetings, emails and texts? Will they write something unique and truly personal for your wedding? Or will they just fill your names in a template? Often Celebrants will have a questionnaire for you both to complete to start the collaboration process of designing your ceremony and will send you a draft of the ceremony at least several weeks before the big day so together you can make any changes you want to ensure the ceremony is perfect for you.
5. How many weddings do you officiate in a day?
For most Celebrants, they take part in multiple weddings in a day and that's okay. What you need to check for is the time between those weddings. Is it enough? Will that leave them rushing from one venue to the other?
It is important to ensure that your Celebrant has plenty of time between their last wedding ceremony and yours. You wouldn't want your Celebrant running late on your big day, right?
Final Thought
The most important thing when looking for a Celebrant, and any other wedding vendor, is communication and rapport, that you feel comfortable with them, and feel you can ask any question or share any worries. So feel free to ask more questions than we’ve stated here to ensure your Celebrant is the perfect fit for you.
You can also contact several Celebrants so you’ll get a feel on who’s the right one for your wedding and most Celebrants offer a no obligation, coffee and chat.
More importantly, you don’t have to hurry. A Celebrant is a very important person who can make your ceremony uniquely yours - or make it just like everybody else’s. So take all the time you need.
Who knows, after looking for a Celebrant, you might need a maternity and newborn photographer in a year or two after your wedding. If you do, make sure to check out Wendy's amazing talent as showcased in her website at https://www.chapteronephotography.com.au/