Take the quiz to find the right Celebrant for you
The essential moment upon every wedding day pivots, is the moment the bride and groom exchange their vows. Without the vows, after all, there is no exchange of a promise that will see you legally united for life.
So choosing the right Celebrant (or ordained officiant if you’re marrying in a religious institution) is essential if you want your ceremony to be everything you’ve dreamed of.
From the budget Celebrant catering to simple ceremonies, to the high-end Celebrant offering a 5-diamond service, Celebrants’ fees reflect their experience and different services on offer.
This quiz will help you work out what’s important to you when deciding on who you want to officiate your ceremony.
Rate the importance of each of these statements ~
1: disagree — 3: don’t care — 5: fully agree
- I have no idea where to start with my ceremony creation – a step-by-step planning kit would be great
- It is important that I have rapport with my Celebrant
- I really don’t want the same wedding my friends had – I want something unique and tailored to my style
- I want a Celebrant who will cooperate with the other wedding professionals I have employed
- I do NOT want to sign the wedding register with a tacky plastic pen
- I really don’t want crass, stupid or off-the-cuff jokes during my ceremony
- At crunch time, I’d like my Celebrant to be able to second-guess my needs if I’m unavailable
- It is important that someone rallies the groom and his attendants in preparation for my arrival
- I like that my Celebrant practices pronouncing our names and gets them right!
- It’s important to me that my Celebrant makes our guests feel welcome.
- My ceremony is an important part of the day – the vows we make are sacred and for life, so a ceremony should reflect the occasion.
Results
Add up your scores to find out what style of celebrant would be great for you…
33-55:
Your ceremony is important to you. You recognise that the vows you make on your big day are once-in-a-lifetime promised to the person you love most, and that such vows deserve the full attention and respect of all involved – your guests, your celebrant and you, the couple.
The celebrant that suits you is one that recognises the privilege of their sacred task, and honours your special wishes during the creation and delivery of your ceremony.
Tip: Book your celebrant early, as the truly professional celebrants tend to get very busy during wedding season!
22-32:
If the ceremony is not the be-all-and-end-all focus of your day, your ideal celebrant is one who can facilitate your vow exchange smoothly so you can move on to the party. There is no need to meet them ahead of time or to do a rehearsal, as you really only want them to preside over the legals.
It’s OK if they’re casual, or if they use a standard ceremony – a vow is a vow after all. You don’t want a shoddy job, but you do want someone who knows enough to ensure your marriage is legal.
Tip: Go for a celebrant whose fees are middle-of-the-range, and that doesn’t promise “one ceremony per day” – exclusivity generally has a high price tag attached.
11-21:
You might be saying, “Just marry us already!” For various reasons, some couples are not interested in a big-production wedding ceremony. They might be in a hurry to wed, or do not have the budget for the “bells and whistles”, or they may be having their ceremony overseas so just need the legals done here in Australia…
Whatever the reason, (and most reasons are valid!), if the ceremony is low-ish on your priority list, the registry office might be your best bet, or a budget celebrant who can guide you through your vows, process your legals and wave goodbye as you skip off to the party.
Tip: Some Celebrants offer budget services, which may require a mid-week service, a ceremony at the Celebrant’s office (to save them travel), or a one-size-fits-all, bare-bones ceremony.