WHERE TO START
This could possibly be the most important decision of your wedding… aside from the dress, of course! The person who marries you and your husband, binding you together in love and in law for life, is going to have to be someone pretty darn special!
The first thing you need to do is talk with your fiancé about what you both would like to experience in the moments leading up to the announcement you just can’t wait to hear, “I now pronounce you husband and wife!” There are so many possibilities when it comes to wedding ceremonies, and you want to make it as personal and special as you always dreamed.
Be sure to take a stroll through our wedding supplier directory and read the stories of our Sunshine Coast celebrants.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
There are legalities and the personal touches to consider. So make sure you are getting all the information you need to make your choice. I would definitely recommend you make a phone call and set up an initial consultation in person with you and your groom to ask the following questions, as it’s so important to find the right celebrant for you.
Are you available on my wedding date and my rehearsal date?
Do you/will you have any other weddings booked in for that day and how will they be scheduled?
Are you a religious or civil celebrant?
What official licenses/qualifications do you hold?
How many weddings have you performed?
Optional question if applicable – Are you open to performing inter-faith ceremonies?
Do you expect us to have pre-marital counselling? If yes, could you recommend someone?
Are your ceremonies written for each individual couple, or do you have pre-written ceremonies that you can personalise for us? Or do you have standard ceremonies that we can choose from and use as is? (alter according to your preference)
Do you have samples of your ceremony messages or sermons and vows we can read over?
Can we alter the ceremony proceedings to include our own words or exclude certain parts of your scripts?
Can we include our own poems/vows/music? Do you have any restrictions on these?
Will you come to our desired ceremony location?
What is the usual length of your ceremonies?
Will you stay within a certain time period if we request so?
Will you keep track of when we need to submit the necessary documentation?
Do you have any other restrictions we should be aware of?
What is your fee for the kind of ceremony we want? What are the inclusions/exclusions? Does this include the cost of the rehearsal?
Do you hold Public Liability and Personal Indemnity insurances?
Does your fee include the hire of a PA system so our guests can hear the ceremony?
How many meetings can we expect to have with you leading up to our wedding?
If for any unforeseeable reason you are unable to perform our ceremony, are you able to provide us with/help us organise an alternative celebrant?
Are we expected to pay up front or put down a deposit to secure our booking?
These questions are conveniently laid out for you with space to record your answers and any additional comments in our Planning Tools section here.
THE CLICK
You, as a couple, really need to click with your celebrant. After your initial consultation, if you found you really clicked, lock him/her in immediately. If you’re not convinced, book a consultation with another celebrant, rinse and repeat if necessary, until you find someone you and your fiancé are both happy with.
More handy articles to assist you with the basics of organising your wedding can be found in our Resource Guide here.
Image is by Lindy Photography and features popular Sunshine Coast wedding celebrant, Bill Scurry, doing what he does best – ensuring a wedding couple enjoy their big moment on their wedding day!
