Love is in the air – How to choose the right celebrant

Love is in the Air

You’re engaged and now planning your wedding.  You will be ticking items off your list:

• Dress – check
• Venue – check
• Flowers – check
• Rings – check
• Cars – check

Celebrant – oh oh! Almost forgot about the most important thing!

How do you choose a marriage celebrant?

There are two types of marriage celebrants: organisational or religious and independent.

A great number of couples choose independent marriage celebrants for their flexibility as they are not tied to a particular location.  Weddings on the beach are very popular – as well as in parks or reserves, hotels and stately homes, on mountain tops and at home… to name but a few.

The most important point in choosing a celebrant is deciding if you’d feel more comfortable with a male or a female celebrant.  There are in fact more female and male marriage celebrants, and couples do tend to be more comfortable with a female.

 Style is very important.  A lot can be gleaned from the way the celebrant is dressed, either from photographs or at the first meeting to discuss requirements.

 Religion is rarely a factor, but a celebrant should be knowledgeable in certain religious customs as well as cultural backgrounds and should be sensitive to these.

Most celebrants will show copies of previous work and/or photos and talk about previous ceremonies to demonstrate their experience.  Their experience may also be qualified with a Certificate in Celebrant Studies.

Getting a good vibe is very important and works both ways; it’s what is also called “the right fit”.

Do you like the look of the celebrant?  Remember that the celebrant’s face will appear on most of your photographs.  Also, their appearance will say a lot about what sort of person they are.

 Cost should not be a major issue when selecting a celebrant if you are spending a lot of money on the dress, the flowers, the venue.  A good celebrant may charge on average between $400 and $1000; there is no set rule.

Search the internet for an Independent Marriage celebrant, on sites like:

• Department of Internal Affairs (Births, Deaths and Marriages) – all registered celebrants will have been gazetted
• CANZ – all celebrants registered here follow a code of conduct and are covered under its public liability insurance
• co.nz – this is like a Yellow Pages for Celebrants
• Blogs – these can very informative and may help you decide on who to choose as your celebrant

 

The Many Roles & Duties of a Marriage Celebrant

 Without a good celebrant to orchestrate the ceremony, things may not go as planned.  It is also about making a special day even more special, ensuring that the scene is set for the ceremony and that all the key players in the orchestra are able to deliver a great concert

Whatever your choice, choose a celebrant to will fit in well with you, understands you, understands your background, your culture… one who is empathic.

It is a huge privilege and an honour to be part of someone’s special day, to take part in their happiness, to see a sea of happy smiling faces.  Every wedding is different, every wedding is special, every couple – irrespective or sexual orientation – is special to me… and they may well become new friends.