weddings 'n' other things

How much should I pay for my celebrant?

24 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment

by weddingsnotherthings in Weddings Tags: celebrant, wedding budget

This is a question that many couples ask when they begin searching for their celebrant.  And as most couple will find, prices vary greatly in the open market we work in.

Weddings are expensive – there is no doubt about that!  So, it is understandable that most couples will have a wedding budget, and naturally, will try to economise wherever they can. When you consider just how much is spent on items such as the reception, the bride’s and bridesmaid’s dresses, the suits for the men, the photographer, the flowers, DJ, cars, and all the other incidentals, it is most likely that the celebrant’s fee will be cheapest fee of all. However, it is also the most important part of the wedding ceremony.  You can still have the photographer, the dress, the flowers, the reception and the rest – but without a celebrant, there is simply no wedding, just a very expensive party!

What should you look for in your celebrant?

The first and most important thing is that you feel comfortable with your celebrant.

And secondly, is the celebrant going to deliver the ceremony that you, as a couple, want? Will you remember your ceremony for all the RIGHT reasons and not the WRONG reasons? (And yes, there are some horror stories out there!)

What exactly does a celebrant do?

Many couples are under the misconception that a celebrant comes to the wedding ceremony, spends 20 minutes, and that’s that – their job is over! The reality is much different to this.  A celebrant should be spending between 8-12 hours on most ceremonies, as noted below:

• At least 2 “face to face” meetings with the couple prior to the wedding: (approximately 3 hours)
  • completing the required paperwork, and
  • ensuring all documents are correct,
  • organising a rehearsal (if the rehearsal is to be held at the ceremony location, travel time will add to this time).
• The day of the wedding: (about 2.5, including travel time).
  • Arrive at the ceremony location at least 30 minutes before the ceremony starts, to set up the equipment (PA system, signing table, certificates etc), meet with the bridal party and participants.
  • Perform and officiate at the ceremony (minimum of 30 minutes).
  • After the ceremony, there is the packing up before finally heading home.
• Numerous emails to and from the couple, answering questions, doing research, offering assistance and suggestions: (amount of time can vary from couple to couple)
• Writing the ceremony: (minimum of 3 hours).  Celebrants who personalise the ceremony especially for each couple as I do, will spend more time writing the ceremony. They will need to gather information about the couple, prepare drafts, and do any adjustments the couple require.

As you can see, we are already up to much more than 20 minutes.

Then, after the ceremony, the wedding has to be registered, and documents need to be finalised, photocopied, collated and sent to the Registry office.

And these are the things that you get to see – behind the scenes the following have to happen:

• The celebrant designs and produces a wedding resource manual, which includes sample readings, vows, ring exchanges, rituals etc.  The time spent on producing this manual is immeasurable, and is basically a work in progress, as the celebrant is constantly updating her own resources. The celebrant will need to have numerous copies of this manual printed, as every couple is lent a copy which they keep until the wedding (and some of these copies are never returned to the celebrant).
• The celebrant provides the following:
  • PA system
  • Signing table and chairs
  • Linen for signing table
  • Table decorations
  • Official stationary (Marriage Register, Certificates etc) purchased from Australian government suppliers.
  • General stationary and office supplies (computer, printer and consumables, paper etc)
• Administration costs
• Advertising (internet presence, webpage, listing on Wedding sites and in Yellow Pages), one of the most expensive, yet necessary costs that a celebrant will incur
• Clothing: A well groomed celebrant is essential.  The bride who has spent $2,000 plus on her wedding dress certainly doesn’t want to have her celebrant spoiling her photos because he/she looks drab or untidy.
• Annual Ongoing Professional Development (a legal requirement for every celebrant, to ensure their training is up to date).
• Professional celebrants will also belong to a Celebrant Association for the back up and expertise that these associations provide
• Recommended insurance cover
• From July 2013, all celebrants will be required to pay an annual fee to the Federal Government.  The amount of this fee has not yet been decided upon, however we wait in anticipation.

All these on-costs also add to the ongoing cost of being a celebrant.

Another misconception that many couples have, is that small weddings will reduce the celebrant’s fee.  Obviously the size of a wedding will influence things such as the reception, food, drink, maybe even the photographer.  However a celebrant’s time and requirements are the same, regardless of whether there are 20 guests, or 200 guests.

Registry offices offer basic, no frills wedding ceremonies in their offices. They offer one meeting to lodge the NIM, and to perform the ceremony on the day.  There is no choice in the ceremony wording, and the number of guests is severely limited. The current rate for a wedding at a NSW BDM starts at over $370 for weekdays, and $430 for weekends or Friday nights – for about 1.5 hours in total.

So, if a celebrant is charging less than the BDM, you shouldn’t be asking “How much should I pay for my celebrant?” but “What is my celebrant NOT doing to be able to charge so little?