Who do you say ‘I do’ and ‘I don’t’ to? – The question of which celebrant
Without being too harsh, there is no shortage of celebrants. But just because there’s many , doesn’t mean to say that they’re all the same.
There are some true diamonds out there. You just have to find them.
And that’s where your challenge lies. To find someone, that’s a perfect fit for the two of you.
It’s seeking out that one very, special someone that can truly conduct the way your ceremony flows, one who can make the vows mean something, and create a seamless moment in time. One person , that will help you two, remember your vows and that special moment forever.
When it comes to making your day memorable, don’t just think venue, photographer and wedding styling.
Start looking earlier on for that ‘Mr, Mrs, Ms or Miss Right’ celebrant!
But how do you find the one for you?
Ask your friends that have married. Seek out wedding sites such as Easy weddings and ABIA, then check out their reviews. Look up celebrant’s sites, or just ask the venues if they know who are some of the more professional ones.
Then, ring a few, speak to them, meet with them. Also, make sure that they have your chosen day, free.
Most couples usually meet with at least 2 celebrants. before deciding.
Don’t be afraid to dig. Do make sure you due diligence, as it can make all the difference to your day.
And when you find your special celebrant, there are so many questions you need to ask them such as:
- What is their cost?
- Does your celebrant charge extra for traveling to your venue for the ceremony and the rehearsal?
- Do they do include a rehearsal? (Perhaps utilize this time and have an informal dinner with your wedding party post rehearsal, a time to have some fun together, get to know each other before the big day.)
- Check the ‘Terms and Conditions’ from your celebrant, what happens if the wedding party is running late and the start is delayed? How long will the celebrant wait?
- What if you postpone? Or worse still cancel? Is there a cost involved?
- what happens if the celebrants sound system fails?
- Does the celebrant have a back up system/ microphone?
- Are you doing anything during our ceremony that is out of the ordinary eg : is there a fur baby involved in your bridal party? (Always make sure the celebrant knows of your plans).
- Is there live music? Your will celebrant need to discuss the ceremony music with your musicians.
- You must be under .08 to sign legal documents, this applies to your witnesses too. Make sure you hold off on the celebratory champagne!
- Remember that you’ll need 2 witnesses over 18 years of age.
- You can ask what the celebrant intends on wearing (no bright yellow suits for example :))
- Most importantly, your ‘Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) ‘ must be lodged minimum of one month prior to your intended wedding date. That’s not negotiable. That’s law.
- Remember that both parties need 2 original pieces of ID, Birth Certificate, Passport, Driver License
- There must be no legal reason why you can’t marry
- You both must be over 18 years of age
- Neither of you can be legally married to anyone else
- You’ll need Proof of divorce, annulment or death certificate
- There are words during the ceremony, ‘the asking’, otherwise known as ‘the Monitum’ , plus there are minimum legal vows that must be said, apart from that…. go your hardest with your words for each other.
- Do they MC as well? (If you form a comfortable relationship with them, you may want them to MC your reception afterwards.)
A good celebrant will enquire and possibly enquire about all of these points, and more. If you have a great story to tell about the two of you, then make sure you brief the celebrant. It can go towards making your vows, uniquely yours.
And don’t forget, that If you find Celebrant that’s a ‘diamond’ , then your ceremony will be guaranteed to make your ceremony, sparkle!
