So how much does a marriage celebrant cost?

A Marriage Celebrant plays a huge, and vital, part in your wedding day. They can play a massive part in setting the mood of the guests, and keeping things on track before you make your grand entrance. The celebrant is often the unofficial organiser of your guests. They are the glue that holds your wedding ceremony together for you, because your mind is on other things. With that being said, choosing the right Marriage Celebrant to compliment your wedding day is SO IMPORTANT. There are so many things to consider when booking a celebrant.

Do you get along with them? Are they serious or funny?

Do you have a similar sense of humour to you, as a couple?

Are they going to fill the brief you’ve given them, or do their own thing?

Celebrants typically charge between $350 and $1,000 for their services, and frustratingly we often hear couples wanting a “cheap” celebrant because “it’s only an hour” that they need the Celebrant for. As we are about to reveal, there is so much more to a wedding ceremony than just the 30 minutes, or in some cases an hour, spent in front of your assembled family and friends. Here are some of the things involved in getting you married that you’ve probably not thought about.

Marriage Celebrant Qualifications

Becoming a marriage celebrant takes time and money.  Prior to becoming a celebrant, the Certificate IV in Celebrancy must be successfully completed and passed. The course ranges in price between $1000-$2000.

Application Fee

Once the course has been completed and passed, celebrants must apply to the Commonwealth Attorney General to legally become a celebrant. The application fee is $600. You may only advertise your services as a marriage celebrant, accept Notice of intended marriage forms, and solemnise marriages once you are registered.

Annual Registration Fee

Once the celebrant’s application is successful, a celebrant is then required to pay an annual registration charge of $240.

Ongoing Training

There is an annual requirement for celebrants to complete five hours of professional development.  This is to necessary to maintain their qualifications. The professional development can only be delivered through four approved training organisations and costs approximately $170.

Meetings with the Bride & Groom

Typically, celebrants will meet with the couples they are marrying two or three times, for up to an hour each time. This is to complete the necessary paperwork, choose readings and discuss the flow of the ceremony.  Meetings also allow the celebrant to get to know the couple and develop a rapport. Knowing the couple well helps the big day run smoothly.

Travel Requirements

Your celebrant will travel to your wedding ceremony venue in the metropolitan area and this is often included in the price. Expect to pay more if you are asking your celebrant to travel further away from the Port Macquarie area

PA Equipment

A celebrant will normally supply audio equipment to amplify the vows, so they can be heard by all the guests.  This same sound equipment may also be used to play music during the ceremony. Good quality sound equipment is expensive. It needs to be maintained to avoid dropping out or crackling throughout the vows.

Preparation of a Personalised Wedding Ceremony

It takes time to collate the readings and the vows the couple have written to each other.  A good celebrant will also write about the couple using knowledge, gained from the meetings they’ve had with the couple, and add that personalised touch for each ceremony that they perform. So basically, no two ceremonies are the same. And let’s be honest, why would you want the same ceremony as someone else? This is YOUR special day!

Marriage Certificates

At the end of the wedding ceremony, the celebrant will hand over a lovely marriage certificate.  Often the couple will also receive a beautifully presented copy of the entire ceremony.

Sundry Expenses

This includes ink, paper, emails, phone calls, registration fees, advertising and public liability insurance. Most importantly it covers the submission of the paperwork to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (so it’s legal).

Time

On average, a celebrant will spend a total of 15-17 hours preparing for your wedding.  This is inclusive of meetings, travel, rehearsal, ceremony etc.

As you can see, there is so much that goes into being a celebrant. So please consider all of this when questioning how much a celebrant will cost to perform your wedding ceremony.