If you’ve googled this, or been looking in FB wedding groups one thing that stands out is that we all look pretty much the same on paper.
Most Celebrants advertise 2 or 3 packages with lists of inclusions and, to be honest, most of those inclusions won’t mean much to you. They also aren’t the most important thing to think about when choosing the person who is going to shape the whole wedding experience for you.
My take on this is probably a bit different to other articles you’ve read on the interwebs, so read on see if you agree.
What do celebrants include in their packages that help you choose?
TL:DR – NOTHING
You will probably notice a long list of inclusions about support, copies of your script, vow cards to keep, doing the legal paperwork and many will tell you the brand of their PA and microphones.
Yawn. And, more importantly, giving you support and doing the legal stuff is not unique or special, it’s what we’re here for. Unless you’re a sound engineer the type of PA we use means nothing. All you care about is that it works ok on the day.
The long list of shit we do and/or give you is irrelevant to how they treat you in person, how well they listen to your ideas and how they make you feel.
Their social media feeds tell you they’re still active and taking the job seriously, but aren’t always an indicator of quality. My IG is a bit shit. I’ve been told it looks like “Nanna’s been playing in Cavna” by someone’s daughter who shall remain nameless. My feeds aren’t full of beautifully curated images from past weddings because I’m too busy delivering a service, too busy being physically and emotionally involved in “bringing it” to be worrying about content creation. I’m rarely in your professional shots because I keep the fuck out of the way.
Why do prices vary so much if all celebrants do pretty much the same thing?
We don't. We’re all different and a lot depends on whether it’s our full-time career or whether it’s a hobby we fit around our families and another “proper” job. The newbies are usually cheaper because they don’t have the runs on the board and are still testing what the market will pay them.
Choosing a celebrant to play this pivotal role in your celebration isn’t a decision to make based on price. Lock in the venue, photographer AND celebrant nice and early so you don’t run out of budget for the big stuff, ditch the little stuff unless funds allow.
You’d rather have a meaningful and memorable ceremony that guests will remember forever, than buy them all a vegan organic cactus plant in a cruelty free, hand thrown pot that they’ll probably forget to take home… amiright?
I have a separate post about how I worked out my pricing which I'll link down the bottom for you.
Choosing a celebrant needs a “vibe check”.
There are some celebrants who just give you an online booking form and believe you know them well enough from Instagram to make the decision. That makes me sad, because if there’s no chemistry between the two of you and the person who is setting the tone and feeling for the REST OF YOUR LIVES then… wtf?
I believe it’s imperative to meet (most of) your vendors in person. You are putting a whole heap of trust in that person to deliver and authentic and meaningful experience for you and your guests. In person is better than video calls, but if you’re a couple of hour’s drive away it’ll do. Meet more than one (3 is good) and afterwards, ask yourself how that celebrant made you feel.
A celebrant, a photographer, a wedding planner or on-the-day coordinator needs to match your energy for the event to be a true reflection of your energy.
What should you ask your celebrant to help you choose the right one?
Think about what concerns you personally rather than generic questions about their services, or why they’re a celebrant. If you’re keen environmentalists, sci-fi nerds, love horses, hate Collingwood, want to include elements from your cultural heritage…. Ask them about those things.
Do they leave you feeling excited, optimistic, understood and confident?
If not, move on to the next one.
I would really love to chat to you about what makes you tick, tell you what lights me up and see if we have some common ground on which we can build a beautiful working relationship.
Contact me here and we'll work out a time.
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