PICKING THE RIGHT CELEBRANT!


Posted on 10 Apr


I’ve heard a few horror stories about celebrants, here’s a few things to watch out for when picking your Celebrant. 

Now, I’m not saying ‘pick me, pick me’ ... but I do want to warn you about some of the types of Celebrants you should avoid when making your decision on who will officiate your nuptials on one of the biggest days of your life.

 When meeting couples for the first time, I always ask “what would you like to include or not include in your Ceremony” and “what have you liked or not liked about other Ceremonies you have seen?”

 Here are a few of the complaints I’ve hear more than once:

-          The Celebrant got their names wrong
-          We couldn’t hear the vows (or the Ceremony)
-          The Celebrant rambled on and started talking divorces!!!  (Yes, really!)
-          The Celebrant started telling her own personal experiences
-          The ceremony was too cheesy
-          It was boring

You can’t always find the answers or solutions to these problems by sending an email to a Celebrant, you should meet with them and get a good feel for what sort of person they are and whether they’ll suit your style of Ceremony.  And I hate to say it, but sometimes, you pay for what you get.

Here are a few out of the norm questions, you should ask the Celebrant at your first meet, to avoid any nasty surprises on your big day.

-          Q. ARE YOU SCRIPTED OR OFF THE CUFF?  (Unless your Celebrant is the super amazing, off the cuff, can mean forgetting names, going off topic and telling their own stories – beware!)

-          Q. HOW WILL YOU PROJECT YOUR VOICE SO ALL OUR GUESTS CAN HEAR?  If the venue doesn’t provide a mic and your celebrant seems quiet, chances are he/she may not throw their voice enough for your guests at the back to hear

-          Q. WILL WE GET TO PROOF THE CEREMONY BEFORE THE DAY?  Yes, yes, yes – this is a must!  To avoid any boring, cheesy, inappropriate Ceremonies.   If you don’t have a hand in writing the Ceremony make sure that you at least get to see it in writing