The perfect celebrant can be tough to find. You want someone who truly helps you convey your personality alongside your partner. Who encapsulates your individually but also as a couple. Someone who can tell your story without putting the crowd to sleep, but still drum up the emotions you want in a ceremony. And by now we all know weddings are all individual. It may be super important to you that your celebrant is male, LGBTQIA friendly, or bilingual to ensure your overseas family can understand the ceremony and have the full experience alongside English speakers. No matter what you might be looking for there is a celebrant out there for you and it’s important not to just settle for someone who’s okay or who you think “will do”. You want to be as in love with your celebrant as every other aspect of your day, if not more.
We asked our good friend Michelle Cedro from Marry Us Mich who has been a certified Australian Celebrant since 2019 and married over 200 couples to date to weigh in with her years of expertise. Mich has been successful as she saw a market to break out of old stuffy boring ceremonies and wanted to make them fun.
“I offer engaging & fun ceremonies, I love a good swear word, a crude joke or a bit of a roast. I am warm, bubbly & will go above and beyond for my couples! I help with vows, calm nerves & even wrangle guests for them!”
By offering things that traditional celebrants didn’t at the time Mich was able to secure a number of “non-traditional” Bride’s, Groom’s and Non-Binary Partners who wanted her vibe to fill their day. Mich stresses the importance of finding a good celebrant, particularly if you don’t have a planner to guide you. Ensuring you book someone well in advance is a top tip but she also stresses the importance of not booking someone on a whim, taking your time to have a call or meet with each prospect and ensure they are right for you.
A common misconception regarding celebrants is that they are not important to book in advance and they don’t do a lot as they are only there for an hour on the day, when in actual fact celebrants alongside venues and photographers are in the top 3 vendors you should book on beginning your planning; as some book out 2-3 (even close to 4) years in advance. They are an essential part of your day as without them and their efforts your marriage under Australian law isn’t actually legally binding! And aside from this they actually put in hours of work and preparation both before and after the day taking care of the following responsibilities:
- cultivating a personalised ceremony script based on your love story
- assisting with vow writing (tips, guidance and good ones will also have a copy on the day so you don’t have to stress)
- lodging your NOIMS (Notice of Intended Marriage) – legally required with the Department of Births, Deaths, Marriages Australia
- signing your marriage certificate to legalise your nuptials
- lodging your legalised signing and certificate with DBDM post wedding
- checking in pre ceremony to ensure all ring bearers, groomsmen, bridesmaids etc know their cue (if you have a planner/coordinator this may be shared with them)
Really excellent celebrants who may cost a little more but are definitely worth it as they MAY also assist with additions like:
- guidance on how to legally change your name after the wedding (including links to forms, steps required, etc)
- guidance on where to stand during the ceremony
- if you don’t have a planner who has gone through this – they may also guide you on how to hold your bouquet, fix your veil and other minor things to ensure you look perfect
A good celebrant should have extended passion for each couple and overall what they do, so we asked Mich what her favourite part of the day was and if she had any other tips for engaged couples, she said this:
“I love reading couples vows before the day – it’s a true honour to get these first and often I end up in tears! I love the rawness of them. I also love the overall ceremony planning. Most couples think they have to have the same traditional ceremony things but once I explain all the ideas and things they can do instead, the ceremony world opens up to them! NO MORE BORING WEDDINGS!
My top tips would be take as many moments through the night as you can. It goes so fast so be together as much as you can. Your guests will come to you so just get on the dance floor! And just stop letting others influence your day. If you are unhappy with something don’t do it!”
We couldn’t agree more with Mich’s tips!
If you want to enquire with Mich about being your celebrant or just want to check out her fabulous wedding content, find her at:
Marry Us Mich
Web: www.marryusmich.com.au
Insta: @_marryusmich_
Facebook: /marryusmich