Posts
about what Celebrants do and how to choose your
celebrant
Four out of five weddings in Australia are officiated by
an authorised celebrant who has been appointed by the
Commonwealth Attorney General and who must abide by
stringent legal rules and standards. However, individual
celebrants can differ widely in knowledge, skills, and
style. These posts will give you a window into what I
think and believe your ceremony can be, together with
easy-to-digest information about my view of the
celebrant's role, plus information about the role of an
authorised celebrant, and how to choose the ideal
celebrant for you.
Why
a celebrant?
21 Good Reasons to Have a Celebrant Wedding
Categories: | Celebrant
| Wedding Ceremony |
A celebrant-led wedding gives you so much more flexibility and choice than marrying in either a religious ceremony or a registry office ceremony while not restricting the content of your ceremony ... More
Civil Celebrants and Clergy - what's the difference
and does it matter?
Categories:
Celebrant |
The Marriage Act differentiates between Clergy and Civil Celebrants (Authorised Marriage Celebrants) in what they can and can't do. So, what is the difference between civil celebrants and clergy, and, if you are planning to marry, does it matter? .... More...
Choosing
your ideal celebrant - hints, tips, and
questions to ask
Would choosing a friend instead of a professional celebrant to conduct your wedding ceremony be a good option for you? Everything you need to consider - and how you can have the best of both worlds ... More...
How to choose your celebrant like you’d choose a
car…
Categories: Celebrant |
Just as the car you choose not only has to fit your budget but also be fit for purpose, so does your celebrant. .... More...
Before you Meet Your Celebrant
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding Ceremony |
Wedding Planning |
There are two distinct aspects to getting married - planning the ceremony and meeting the legal requirements. Without the ceremony, your wedding will just be an expensive party. And without meeting the legal requirements you will not be legally married! Here is a list of things to decide and things to do before you meet with me. If you can tick off all of these the process will go smoothly and efficiently. ... More...
6 Killer Questions a Recruitment Specialist would
ask Your Celebrant
(Guest Blog Post on the Wedlockers site)
“How do you choose a wedding celebrant?” is one of the most common questions asked by couples getting married in Australia. These questions will help you find the celebrant who is perfect for you ... Read it
Your
celebrant and your ceremony
What
your celebrant
says in your
wedding - law
and custom
Categories:
|
Celebrant
|
Wedding
Ceremony |
Wedding
Legals |
The Marriage Act requires your celebrant to say only one thing in your wedding. Other people can speak and lead parts of the ceremony. More
4 ways your choice of celebrant can make or break
your wedding photos
Categories:
| Celebrant | Wedding
Ceremony |
(01/09/2022)
There 4 surprising and not-so-surprising ways that who you choose as your celebrant can have a positive or negative impact on how well your wedding photos turn out ... More
The 3 Reasons Where and How You Stand
during Your Wedding Ceremony is Important
Categories: | Celebrant
|
Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals
Where you and your celebrant stand in relation to each other during your marriage ceremony is both legally and psychologically important ... More...
What do I have in my celebrant wardrobe? And how do I decide what to wear on the day? These are important questions, What your celebrant wears matters ... More ...
Your
celebrant and the law
Consent, Ceremonies, and Celebrants
Categories: | Published Article |
Celebrant | Wedding Legals |
(24/12/2022)
What is consent? And how does Real Consent, Informed Consent, and Intimate Consent apply to celebrant-led wedding ceremonies? Repost of my article originally published in The Celebrant, Issue 10, December 2021, pp 59-68 ... More
There are nine things which celebrants cannot do because they are illegal or in breach of the celebrant Code of Practice ... More...
There are certain things that the Marriage Act requires that your celebrant must know in order to make sure your marriage will be lawful. There are also things that they don't need to know... More...
While scams involving persons who are not authorised celebrants are extremely rare in Australia, now that a celebrant can be deregistered forthwith if he or she fails to pay the annual fee celebrants are now required to pay, it is particularly important to check whether your celebrant is still registered More...
Not "Just a Celebrant" (and Not "Just Half an Hour")
Categories: | Celebrant | Wedding
Ceremony | Wedding Legals | Wedding
Planning |
What does a celebrant do? And why do they charge for more than the half hour the ceremony takes? The easy answer is that a celebrant changes your legal status from not-married to married. which is a pretty big thing. Life-changing, in fact. And they do that by creating and performing a ceremony. But it certainly doesn't stop there. When you hire me as a celebrant, you're getting a lot more than someone who will make sure you tick a few legal boxes, stand up in front of your guests, rabbit on for a bit, and then declare that you are married. ... More ...
Behind the Scenes: What Goes on in Preparing your
Ceremony
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding
Budget |
It is not unusual for a celebrant to receive a request for a lowball fee on the grounds that "it is only an hour". However, what you and your guests see on the day is only a fraction of what I do to make your ceremony special and your marriage legal. An incredible amount of work and preparation happens behind the scenes to make that hour possible. It is also not unusual for full realisation of how much behind the scenes preparation is involved to sink in only when a couple attends other weddings down the track and sees the result of some of that behind the scenes work being omitted ... More...
Your celebrant is NOT ripping you off (it is more than
just half an hour)
Categories: Celebrant |
Wedding Budget | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Planning |
There is an awful lot that goes into the half-hour the ceremony lasts - and that's what you are paying for .... More...
This is me ... a rant from 2019 about
ageism and celebrants
10/02/2024
Categories: | Celebrant |
A discussion about negative images of older celebrants promulgated within the celebrant profession ... More...
(09/01/2020)
As a secular humanist whose calling, commitment, and passion is creating and performing fun, relaxed, inclusive ceremonies, I believe with my whole heart that all people are worthy and should be equally valued and treated with equal respect. Neither diversity nor inclusion is optional ... More ...
I Won't Judge You or Your Choices (unless the Law
makes me do so)
Categories: Celebrant |
Wedding Legals |
There are some things which the law, and my obligations under the law as a Marriage Celebrant, requires me to make judgements about. But there are many things that people fear being judged about that I definitely don't and won't judge you for ... More...
Food, Flowers, and Furniture
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding Ceremony
Every now and then, someone asks me what I supply in terms of styling and other add-ons for a wedding ... More...
Measuring
Celebrant
Performance
Pros and pitfalls of various methods of measuring
celebrant performance. Repost of my article originally
published as Do You Like Me? How Much Do You Like Me?
in The Celebrant, Issue 6, December 2020, pp
14-23
... More
Setting
Celebrant Fees
in a Regulated
Environment
Categories:
|
Published
Article
| Celebrant
| Wedding
Budget |
(25/11/2022)
Celebrant fees need to cover multiple expenses, some of them regulated, but how celebrants set their fees and what they charge is unregulated. Repost (with additional material) of my article published in The Celebrant, Issue 7, March 2021, pp 68-78 ...
- Why
a celebrant?
- Choosing your ideal celebrant - hints, tips, and questions to ask
- Your celebrant and your ceremony
- Your celebrant and the law
- Behind the scenes
- Me as your celebrant - my view of my role
- Professional Development Articles for Celebrants
Why
a celebrant?
21 Good Reasons to Have a Celebrant Wedding
Categories: | Celebrant
| Wedding Ceremony |A celebrant-led wedding gives you so much more flexibility and choice than marrying in either a religious ceremony or a registry office ceremony while not restricting the content of your ceremony ... More
Civil Celebrants and Clergy - what's the difference
and does it matter?
Categories:
Celebrant | The Marriage Act differentiates between Clergy and Civil Celebrants (Authorised Marriage Celebrants) in what they can and can't do. So, what is the difference between civil celebrants and clergy, and, if you are planning to marry, does it matter? .... More...
Choosing
your ideal celebrant - hints, tips, and
questions to ask
Friend or Professional Celebrant?
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding Legals |Would choosing a friend instead of a professional celebrant to conduct your wedding ceremony be a good option for you? Everything you need to consider - and how you can have the best of both worlds ... More...
How to choose your celebrant like you’d choose a
car…
Categories: Celebrant |Just as the car you choose not only has to fit your budget but also be fit for purpose, so does your celebrant. .... More...
Before you Meet Your Celebrant
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding Ceremony |
Wedding Planning |There are two distinct aspects to getting married - planning the ceremony and meeting the legal requirements. Without the ceremony, your wedding will just be an expensive party. And without meeting the legal requirements you will not be legally married! Here is a list of things to decide and things to do before you meet with me. If you can tick off all of these the process will go smoothly and efficiently. ... More...
6 Killer Questions a Recruitment Specialist would
ask Your Celebrant
(Guest Blog Post on the Wedlockers site)“How do you choose a wedding celebrant?” is one of the most common questions asked by couples getting married in Australia. These questions will help you find the celebrant who is perfect for you ... Read it
Your
celebrant and your ceremony
What
your celebrant
says in your
wedding - law
and custom
Categories:
|
Celebrant
|
Wedding
Ceremony |
Wedding
Legals |
The Marriage Act requires your celebrant to say only one thing in your wedding. Other people can speak and lead parts of the ceremony. More
4 ways your choice of celebrant can make or break
your wedding photos
Categories:
| Celebrant | Wedding
Ceremony | (01/09/2022)
There 4 surprising and not-so-surprising ways that who you choose as your celebrant can have a positive or negative impact on how well your wedding photos turn out ... More
The 3 Reasons Where and How You Stand
during Your Wedding Ceremony is Important
Categories: | Celebrant
|
Wedding Ceremony | Wedding LegalsWhere you and your celebrant stand in relation to each other during your marriage ceremony is both legally and psychologically important ... More...
Dressed for the Occasion: Personal Thoughts About What the Celebrant Wears for Your Wedding
Categories: | Celebrant |What do I have in my celebrant wardrobe? And how do I decide what to wear on the day? These are important questions, What your celebrant wears matters ... More ...
Your
celebrant and the law
Consent, Ceremonies, and Celebrants
Categories: | Published Article |
Celebrant | Wedding Legals |(24/12/2022)
What is consent? And how does Real Consent, Informed Consent, and Intimate Consent apply to celebrant-led wedding ceremonies? Repost of my article originally published in The Celebrant, Issue 10, December 2021, pp 59-68 ... More
9 Things Celebrants are NOT Allowed to Do
Categories: | Celebrant | Wedding Ceremony |There are nine things which celebrants cannot do because they are illegal or in breach of the celebrant Code of Practice ... More...
7 Things your Celebrant does NOT need to know ... and 3 things they have to be sure about
Categories: | Celebrant | Wedding Legals |There are certain things that the Marriage Act requires that your celebrant must know in order to make sure your marriage will be lawful. There are also things that they don't need to know... More...
Is your celebrant duly authorised?
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding Legals |
While scams involving persons who are not authorised celebrants are extremely rare in Australia, now that a celebrant can be deregistered forthwith if he or she fails to pay the annual fee celebrants are now required to pay, it is particularly important to check whether your celebrant is still registered More...
Behind the
scenes
Not "Just a Celebrant" (and Not "Just Half an Hour")
Categories: | Celebrant | Wedding
Ceremony | Wedding Legals | Wedding
Planning |What does a celebrant do? And why do they charge for more than the half hour the ceremony takes? The easy answer is that a celebrant changes your legal status from not-married to married. which is a pretty big thing. Life-changing, in fact. And they do that by creating and performing a ceremony. But it certainly doesn't stop there. When you hire me as a celebrant, you're getting a lot more than someone who will make sure you tick a few legal boxes, stand up in front of your guests, rabbit on for a bit, and then declare that you are married. ... More ...
Behind the Scenes: What Goes on in Preparing your
Ceremony
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding
Budget |It is not unusual for a celebrant to receive a request for a lowball fee on the grounds that "it is only an hour". However, what you and your guests see on the day is only a fraction of what I do to make your ceremony special and your marriage legal. An incredible amount of work and preparation happens behind the scenes to make that hour possible. It is also not unusual for full realisation of how much behind the scenes preparation is involved to sink in only when a couple attends other weddings down the track and sees the result of some of that behind the scenes work being omitted ... More...
Your celebrant is NOT ripping you off (it is more than
just half an hour)
Categories: Celebrant |
Wedding Budget | Wedding Ceremony | Wedding
Planning |There is an awful lot that goes into the half-hour the ceremony lasts - and that's what you are paying for .... More...
Me as your
celebrant - my view of my role
This is me ... a rant from 2019 about
ageism and celebrants
10/02/2024Categories: | Celebrant |
A discussion about negative images of older celebrants promulgated within the celebrant profession ... More...
Jennifer Cram, The Inclusive Celebrant: My Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Categories: | Celebrant | Inclusive Weddings |(09/01/2020)
As a secular humanist whose calling, commitment, and passion is creating and performing fun, relaxed, inclusive ceremonies, I believe with my whole heart that all people are worthy and should be equally valued and treated with equal respect. Neither diversity nor inclusion is optional ... More ...
I Won't Judge You or Your Choices (unless the Law
makes me do so)
Categories: Celebrant |
Wedding Legals | There are some things which the law, and my obligations under the law as a Marriage Celebrant, requires me to make judgements about. But there are many things that people fear being judged about that I definitely don't and won't judge you for ... More...
Food, Flowers, and Furniture
Categories: Celebrant | Wedding CeremonyEvery now and then, someone asks me what I supply in terms of styling and other add-ons for a wedding ... More...
Professional
Development Articles for Celebrants
Measuring
Celebrant
Performance
Pros and pitfalls of various methods of measuring
celebrant performance. Repost of my article originally
published as Do You Like Me? How Much Do You Like Me?
in The Celebrant, Issue 6, December 2020, pp
14-23
... More
Setting
Celebrant Fees
in a Regulated
Environment
Categories:
|
Published
Article
| Celebrant
| Wedding
Budget |
(25/11/2022)
Celebrant fees need to cover multiple expenses, some of them regulated, but how celebrants set their fees and what they charge is unregulated. Repost (with additional material) of my article published in The Celebrant, Issue 7, March 2021, pp 68-78 ...