| 3. Think about your longer term goals |
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doing weddings only |
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offering ceremonies for all occasions |
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specialising in a particular way
Link: Being a celebrant
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| 4. Be optimistic but realistic |
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If you think doing weddings only will make you income, you are likely to be disappointed |
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The CCNA sees being a civil marriage celebrant a privilege, not a right. |
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The CCNA sees being a celebrant in 2008 as an opportunity to pioneer the next stage of celebrancy |
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Our career or craft as civil ceremonialists is less than 40 years young, although there is an immense traditional upon which to draw from religious celebrancy |
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Celebrancy will be hard work for most, but personally rewarding and enriching.
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| 5. And do not expect a free ride ! |
Please do not be offended by this statement. We are not suggesting new celebrants lazy. However many, being new, expect long term celebrants to share their knowledge and skills as freely as they did in the past.
Many new celebrants assume that they have little to offer, which the CCNA believes is not true. Newer celebrants can bring their energy to promoting a range of ceremonies to their communities thus increasing the opportunities for ceremonies for all celebrants.
So what has changed ?
• When civil marriage celebrancy was restricted per head of population (and the government set the fee), it was a privilege to mentor one's colleagues, as celebrants all had the same chance of gaining weddings |
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Celebrants prior to 2003 worked via non-profit associations to better their skills and "craft". Again in that framework sharing was a win:win for all |
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Now marriage celebrancy has been determined to be open to "market forces", celebrants do not have the same chance of doing weddings. Many areas have a much higher number of marriage celebrants per head of the marrying public than others. |
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All marriage celebrants now have a lower chance to do wedding work than prior to 2003. The number of civil marriage celebrants has escalated, whilst the rate of wedding work has remained the same. |
| • Now mentoring can be training up your competitors to take your clients ! |
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Many celebrants are reliant on their work as celebrants for their "part-time or full-time wage" |
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As new business in a village, you would not expect your established competitor to help train you up in areas where you are unskilled or lacking in knowledge or confidence. |
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As a celebrancy "small business" neither should you expect any other celebrant to give away their hard earned wisdom "for free". |
| • You need to "pay" your way by contributing financially and in other ways to the development of celebrancy |
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And please remember sharing "copyrighted" resources you have purchased via celebrant businesses or gained via your membership in associations etc. |
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This can create legal problems for those who receive them without rightful proof of purchase. |
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Many resources have been provided at low cost for your benefit, not to be passed onto others for free. |
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Ongoing sales will ensure new products can be developed. |
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A win:win situation
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| 6. Nor every celebrant to share your excitement ! |
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Some will |
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Some won't |
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Many will feel very ambivalent. |
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Previous training programs have not explained the history of celebrancy in Australia to their trainees. Nor the realities of being able to gain a decent wage from wedding work.
The previous standard of training was too low to prepare many celebrants to function competently without any extra assistance and support. This has created false expectations of new celebrants and resentments amongst longer term ones |
We suggest you take time to try to understand the bigger issues facing celebrancy and be sensitive to the concerns and needs of your colleagues.
See: Existing Celebrants
See: Our early years
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| 7. Organise mentoring support |
| While you sought the wood from the trees, make sure you have someone to rely one to be your personal marriage celebrancy mentor. |
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We have some long-term celebrants with awealth of knowledge, experience, patience and respect for new and loner term celebrants |
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Some training oranisations offer mentoring, others find celebrants via our forums to privately support thema |
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Email us if you do not want to risk asking a "silly" question online with others watching on. |
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See: How our Celebrant Forums work here |
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Another great way to win:win.
You get assistance, Tony gets remunerated, celebrant discussion forums can move forward by not having to go over old ground ! |
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| 8. Join us |
| The CCNA sees |
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celebrants as self funded family and community workers, whether you are full-time, part-time or doing occasional ceremony work |
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an opportunity to develop our celebrant roles into full-time occupations. |
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our role as assisting you to enrich your work in a variety of ways |
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with your financial support via CCNA membership, directory listings, Celebrant Shop purchases etc. |
New situations often need new responses.
Our joining fee this year is low to encourage you to work with us, so we can all bring fresh approaches to celebrancy issues |
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We believe our LOW COST STANDARD membership fee is a must for every celebrant who wants to be the best celebrant they can. But then we may be biased :-)
Join CCNA now !
See: Benefits of CCNA membership |
PS Don't take our word for it. Take out Standard Membership to find out for yourself !
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| 9. Join a celebrant association or network like ours |
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The CCNA is is a celebrant resource service hosted by a non-profit community based celebrant association. |
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Celebrant associations are not-for-profit groups with a variety of aims and services for their members. Most associations do not have paid offices. They have their strengths and weaknesses. |
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Members "own" their association, and need to be more actively involved in making their needs clear to their Committees. |
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Their committees are served, mostly by volunteers, though some associations do allow for Committee members to gain income from their association activities. |
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Committee are there to serve their members, not vice versa |
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If you are looking for value for money, check out the Celebrant association section of our website to compare what they are offering.
See: Celebrant asociations
Ask fellow celebrants.
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| 10. Take out celebrant insurance and copyright licence |
| Insurance Tips: |
| There are individual plans and group plans |
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Check out associations with insurance. To our knowledge, the ACMCV, AFCC and the MCAINCWA are the only associations that organise insurance for their members. Some has a component included in their membership fees, the others not. |
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Consider joining an independent Group Celebrant Insurance plan. OAMPS has two plans for
1. Professional Indemnity and Public Liability
2. Personal Accident & Sickness
The more celebrant that join these plans the better position the CCNA will be in to negotiate fees.
See: information on celebrant insurance plans |
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Copyright Licence |
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A low cost group celebrant licence is available for all celebrants.
This can be purchased through our CCNA Shop |
New situations often need new responses
Our joining fee this year is low to encourage you to work with us, so we can all bring fresh approaches to celebrancy issues.
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| If you would like more information, please contact us |
