Why Does A Celebrant Cost What They Cost, and What Do They Actually Do?

Well hello there. I get it, I really really get it. Surely $2500 is too much money to pay for a celebrant? Aren't they only there for 20 minutes on the day anyway?

WRONG! A very common misconception with celebrant work, or really any performance based work, is that the celebrant (or musician, or dancer, etc) only has to rock up on the day, read their script and be on their merry way.

I think by now, most people understand that years of study, training and practice behind the scenes lead to a polished and professional performance. Marriage celebrants are no different. Most of my work is done in the leadup to marrying you. The icing on top is getting to deliver your ceremony on your wedding day

So what does the leadup actually include?

For me, it includes at least 2 planning and paperwork meetings with you, creating and sending a customised questionnaire to help glean as much information from you as possible, and then using that questionnaire to write your Love Story and ceremony script. This differs for every celebrant, but I spend around 15 - 20 hours on each ceremony I write. Throughout this time, I also make myself fully available to you via phone and email to answer any questions you may have (no question is ever too silly, most couples I marry have never been married before!). On the day, I will liaise with your other wedding vendors to ensure a smooth wedding day for all.

A good celebrant will do all of the above but a great celebrant will do all of the above while supporting you and hyping you up in the leadup to your wedding day!

To put prices in perspective, a bare-bones legal ceremony with no personalisation will set you back $580 at the Victorian Marriage Registry. A celebrant who charges any less than the registry office is, let's face it, probably not going to put a lot of effort or personality in your ceremony. The old adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ really rings true in the celebrant/wedding world.

When a celebrant sets their prices, they are setting a price that reflects their experience, time and effort. A new celebrant usually charges somewhere between $800 - $1200, and a celebrant who’s had a few years of experience may charge between $1200 - $1500, and celebrants who have been working consistently in the industry for years, generally charge upwards of $1500 to $2500. None of these prices are wrong or greedy. They are simply a reflection of where a celebrant is placing themselves in the market.

To have a celebrant means that on your wedding day, you can fully submit to being the one getting married, instead of being the one running around trying to organise everyone and everything.

A great celebrant will:

Take care of all legal aspects of getting married
Answer any questions you may have about a ceremony
Offer to help you with your personal vows
Liaise with your other wedding vendors on the day
Bring a PA system to ensure guests can hear everything
Engage and hype up your guests pre ceremony
Write and deliver a personalised ceremony that speaks to the very best parts of your relationship
Make you feel supported and excited for your wedding

If you find a celebrant that can offer all these things (hi, hello, it's me!), and you like their vibe, reach out and see if they’re free for your wedding! Without a celebrant, your wedding is essentially one big party, so having someone in your corner on the day, who you can trust to guide you seamlessly through the process is a really great investment, and one that I would highly recommend.

Thanks for reading dolls, and see you down the aisle!