15 Questions To Ask Your Marriage Celebrant

You have found a potential marriage celebrant? Here are the 15 key questions you need to ask them at your first meeting…

1. How much will it cost?

Find out what your celebrant’s fee is and when you need to pay. This is an important piece of information you need to plan your wedding budget, so this should be the first and most important question to ask. 

2. What does the fee include?

You also need to ask what exactly does this fee include and are there any additional costs. You may need to provide some things yourself such as audio-visual equipment.

3. What is the cancellation policy?

It is also useful to ask about the cancellation policy in case you need to cancel or postpone your wedding ceremony. Ask them if they keep the deposit and if they offer refunds.

4. What are their qualifications?

Unless you decided to have a religious ceremony, you need to check if your preferred marriage celebrant is trained and registered. Ask them if they are qualified to legally perform your ceremony. 

5. How many weddings have they performed?

You also want to know about their experience. Ask them how long they have in the business and how many weddings they have performed. Some celebrants specialise in weddings while others have more experience in naming and other types of ceremonies. 

6. How many weddings do they book per day?

Some celebrants perform only one wedding per day while others schedule more. If they usually have more than one wedding per day make sure that they will leave enough time for your ceremony and that they won’t need to rush to another place. 

7. How many meetings are needed before the wedding?

While many marriage celebrants will allow you to have as many meetings and phone calls as you need to plan the perfect ceremony, others might include only 1 face to face meeting in their package. Make sure to find out how much of their time they are ready to dedicate to you. 

8. What equipment do they provide?

Most celebrants have their own PA system, but make sure to ask in advance if they do. It is also important to check if it is good quality because you may need to hire more equipment depending on your ceremony location. Some celebrants also have a signing table and chairs.

9. Can they assist you in writing your vows?

Do you want to write your own wedding vows, but not sure where to start? Ask your marriage celebrant if they have some sample samples of traditional and non-traditional vows or quotations you can use. 

10. How can they personalise your ceremony?

Modern wedding ceremonies are all about personalisation, so you will want to make it unique and fun. From finding fabulous ceremony locations to designing the backdrop and including some romantic rituals such as hand fasting or unity candle ceremony, there are many ways your celebrant can assist. Ask them if they have any ideas.

11. Do they do ceremony rehearsals?

Now that you designed the perfect ceremony, you will need a rehearsal to check how long it goes for and to see if it is how you envisioned it. Your celebrant might do a quick run through at their office or even do a full rehearsal at your venue. Ask them beforehand how they want to do this. 

12. When will they arrive on the day?

Your celebrant should arrive to the venue at least thirty minutes before the ceremony to set up the sound system and maybe even quickly brief everyone involved in the ceremony. To ensure they will arrive on time, ask them how early they usually show up at the location. 

13. What will they wear?

Celebrant’s attire is a minor but significant detail, and it is definitely worth mentioning during the first meeting. Do you want them to wear something specific? Or a certain colour? Or ask them what they would normally wear and have a look at the pictures from previous weddings. If you have any suggestions let them know. 

14. What happens if they are sick?

Ask your celebrant what happens in the event they are unable to perform the ceremony. Do they have a replacement? 

15. Is there any mandatory paperwork that is required?

Ask your celebrant what kind of paperwork you need to prepare before the wedding and what are the deadlines for submitting them. They will need to lodge the marriage certificate after the wedding, so make sure that everything is in order. 

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