Marriage celebrants aren’t only there to do a quick ceremony but to support you during the entire process of your wedding. They will help you find the right words for the vows, personalise the ceremony to your style, and provide support with organising your dream wedding. Moreover, on the wedding day, they will welcome guests inside the venue, make announcements, and tell people the schedule for the day. They will also take care of the paperwork, and once the wedding’s over, the celebrant will submit the legal forms to ensure your marriage is recognised.

The truth is that weddings are already costly, and hiring a celebrant can add to those expenses. However, you can’t be validly married unless you have a celebrant. In the absence of a minister or priest, you need a celebrant to manage the legal aspects of your wedding. Even if you don’t want a sophisticated ceremony, your marriage can only be recognized if a celebrant submits the documents to Births, Deaths and Marriages. Hiring a marriage celebrant will put your mind at ease, as they will craft an unforgettable ceremony by taking care of all the aspects.  

Generally, ceremonies performed by celebrants are not legally binding. They can help couples complete the required documents for the marriage license, but they can’t legally approve the marriage. However, in Australia, registered marriage celebrants have a permit from the Attorney General that allows them to officiate legal weddings anywhere in the country. This significant responsibility requires ongoing training, but it’s all worth it, as the celebrants are well qualified, and as such, they can help couples turn their fairy-tale wedding into a reality. 

Both terms refer to the person who officiates wedding ceremonies. The difference is that a civil celebrant is registered to perform legally binding marriages. In Australia, they are also known as Commonwealth-registered Marriage Celebrants. In order to get licensed, they need to complete a Certificate IV in Celebrancy and undertake continuous training to maintain their registration. Therefore, if you want to legalize your marriage, you must check the celebrant’s title to ensure they are registered.  

Choosing the right celebrant is critical for your ceremony’s success, and there are some things you can do to find the perfect fit. First, you need to consider what kind of celebrant you want, namely their personality. Meet potential celebrants and figure out if you like them. Reviews and referrals can both help you make the right decision. And, of course, checking their fee is essential to ensure it fits within your wedding’s budget.   

There are many questions that you should ask a potential marriage celebrant during your initial consultation. The most important ones are the following: Are you available on our wedding date? What are your qualifications? How many ceremonies have you officiated? How much will your services cost, and what do the fees include? Can you help us write our wedding vows? What will be your responsibilities during the day? Do you require a rehearsal? Will you take care of all the legalities? Do you have a PA system?