Ever wondered what a celebrant actually does in preparation for your wedding?
Many couples don't really know what to expect when they first meet a professional civil celebrant.
So here is a quick run down of the steps that a celebrant goes through in preparation for a wedding. Different celebrants have different styles but this will give you an idea of what is involved:
- Responding to enquiries about ceremonies
- Initial and subsequent meetings with the couple
- Phone calls and emails to stay connected and exchange ideas for the ceremony
- Witnessing and receiving your Notice of Intended Marriage
- Checking identity documentation
- Providing a wedding ceremony planning kit or resources
- Discussing your ideas for the ceremony
- Preparing first and subsequent drafts of ceremony for you to approve
- A rehearsal if you would like one
- Preparing certificates and ceremony mementos
- Attending ceremony with agreed equipment eg PA, signing table,
- Conducting the ceremony on the day
- Ensuring all legal requirements are met
- Forwarding signed marriage certificate and other documents to the appropriate Registry
- Providing information on ordering marriage certificate
- Seeking and acting on evaluative comments from couple
Behind the scenes, as independent professional celebrants are in private practice, they also:
- ensure all the activities meet the Code of Practice required of them by the Marriage Act 1961
- need to keep up to date with the lastest changes in the law and with relationship education services
- attend annual professional devleopment sessions and/or conferences
- pay annual fees to cover the cost of the government regulation of marriage celebrants
- ensure their websites and other advertising activities meet the government's Advertising Guidelines
- participate in their celebrant association's networking on-line and/or face-to-face activities
- ensure their office is equipped with appropriate stationery (legal and other) to resource their work
- plan and network with other celebrants to ensure back-up systems are in place should unexpected illness or other circumstances affect their ability to proceed as your celebrant
To support all the above a celebrant requires a wide range of planning, organisation, business, marketing and other skills to run their celebrancy practice efficiently and effectively.
Just because they can make their work look easy - it does not mean that it is easy.
Professional civil celebrants care about making your day special!
Image: TCN Celebrant Charmaine Barrett