My Celebrant Fees Explained

 
Price alone will give you very little information about the other things that matter. You need more information! My celebrant fees reflect the value of my services, together with the time, care, experience, and energy that I put into creating, preparing, and officiating your ceremony, together with the flexibility I offer in terms of where and when you hold the ceremony. They also reflect the efficiency of my work practices. I do not charge you for time I don't need to spend!

The Australian Government expects me to operate as a business

 
Authorised marriage celebrants are appointed by the Australian Government to solemnise civil weddings on behalf of the government. However, we are not government employees. We are required to be independent business persons, and therefore I am subject to all of the same costs that apply to any small business in Australia, in addition to which I am required to
  • Pay an annual fee to the Attorney General's Department
  • Supply and pay for all official stationery (yes, even the certificate I am required to give you on the day, the one with the Australian Coat of Arms on the top), together with the Happily Every Before ... And After  information leaflet which I am also required to give marrying couples.
Any celebrant who doesn't cover expenses will go out of business
- and this could happen at a time that is most inconvenient to you.

How do you know that you have chosen your celebrant well and have confidence that you will be getting the ceremony and the level of service you want, the fee value for money as well a good fit for your budget? Check out
  • the experience, knowledge, and skill of the celebrant
  • the style and tone of the ceremony
  • whether it will be a unique ceremony custom-created for you or a boiler-plate standard ceremony into which the celebrant just inserts your names, or something in between
  • whether the ceremony will set the tone for your wedding or be merely something to endure and get through
  • whether GST is payable

Celebrants do not all offer the same level of service or have the same experience and expertise

 
There are some very strong differences that separate the services I provide you from those you may experience elsewhere
  • I take time to explore with you all of the magnificent options there are to make your ceremony uniquely you. The Best. Ceremony. Ever. Not just the standard traditions with a teeny tweak. I go way beyond giving you a list of what should be included. Instead, I make sure we are on the same page with what has to be included (by law), and therefore what you can leave out, ignore, or change, as well as countless wonderful ways of doing that.
  • I make sure you understand that the average wedding ceremony, for example, is still based on mediaeval religious rituals, and why there is so much room for doing it so much better in line with the lives we live in the 21st century
  • I remove the guess work from both meeting the legal requirements for your ceremony (even some of the non-legal ceremonies have legal requirements, specifically what you must not do, rather than what you must)
  • I use very effective processes to gather information from you as to what you want in your ceremony - which you do in your own time, not at a pressured meeting.
  • Because I'm a skilled researcher, if I don't have the answer, I can find it quickly.

Inclusions: What You Get for Your Payment to Me

 
I offer a range of packages depending on the type and style of ceremony you engage me to create and perform for you. Flexible payment plans are available for all packages.

Regardless of which package or which type of ceremony you book, you will receive
  • the services of a full time, professional, skilled, and experienced celebrant who has all the bases covered and is committed to working as part of the team with your other wedding vendors
  • superior service
  • great value for money
  • comprehensive legal, ceremonial, and cultural knowledge
  • an individually created ceremony that includes uniquely creative additions and methods of carrying out the various traditional parts of the ceremony that are exclusive to me
  • unlimited number of revisions to the ceremony
  • your total control over the final draft of the ceremony
  • peace of mind, knowing exactly what I'm going to say on the day
  • arrival at the venue in plenty of time to set up and liaise with other vendors, including your photographer, videographer, and music people
  • a ceremony with lots of Instagrammable moments
  • polished, professional, but relaxed and entertaining performance of the ceremony that keeps your guests engaged
  • (for a wedding) a rehearsal either at my office or at the venue - at least an hour and longer if necessary.
  • (for a wedding) prompt and efficient submission of your marriage details for registration of your marriage

The fee for all packages covers:

  • Reservation of your ceremony date and time. This includes a generous amount of time both before and after your ceremony start time to allow for travel, setting up, and packing up.
  • The legal service (for Weddings) – knowledge and service provided, including tasks carried out in compliance with the requirements of the Marriage Act, 1961.
  • The ceremonial service – creating and performing of a unique ceremony developed just for you
  • The skills, knowledge, and experience that underlie the service I provide to you. These are at your disposal in the form of information and advice provided to you, and in creation and performance of your ceremony.
  • My time – as with any 'performance', what you and your guests see on the day is just the tip of the iceberg. On top of the hour or more spent at the venue on the day, setting up, performing the ceremony, and packing up afterwards, many, many hours go into writing, editing and refining the ceremony, communicating with you, preparing and printing certificates, reading and keepsake copies, and traveling to and from the ceremony venue. And of course, it is also the value I bring to the time I spend with you, and on your ceremony.
  • Administration and record keeping
  • Provision and maintenance of the business infrastructure and which enables me to provide you with the service you have booked, and which assisted you in finding and choosing me as your celebrant.
  • My use of a quality PA during the ceremony (no extra fees for this!)
  • Travel to your venue up to 50 km from my office (above that excess travel fees apply)

Summary of my fees

 
For information and a quote about other types of ceremony, please contact me.
image