Judy Aulich Celebant with Matt and Bec

This can be a bewildering task as there are so many to choose from. But once you know your date, time and venue, your wedding celebrant should be next on your to-do list. Busy, professional Canberra marriage celebrants can be booked a long way in advance, so it is never too early to book. Friends and work colleagues can be a great source of recommendations. Ask around.

Google and the Internet make finding a celebrant both easier and more complicated, depending on your point of view. Most celebrants have a website that gives you an idea of what they are like. Once you have narrowed it down to a few, contact them for some information.

If your first impression from a phone call or an email response is positive, arrange to meet them. Don’t be afraid to ask either by phone or email, what their fee is and what it includes. You need to know this before you take the time to meet them.

Most marriage celebrants offer an obligation free first meeting, when you can ask questions and get to know them. Don’t feel pressured to book them on the spot. A celebrant should be confident to encourage you to have a talk about it in private and to contact them later if you want to proceed.

There are all sorts of celebrants so here are some questions to think about.

1. Did they have plenty of ideas and a resource folder to help you to plan your ceremony?

2. Did they understand the tone you want for your ceremony?

3. Was the celebrant interested in you both or just wanted to tell you about them?

4. Did the celebrant seem organised with a professional office?

5. Did they explain the legal requirements and seem as though they knew what they were doing?

6. Did they explain the different components of a marriage ceremony?

7. Did they explain the legal requirements of the ceremony, including the mandatory wording?

8. Did you get the impression that they were keen to make sure you had the ceremony you wanted, not the one they thought you should have?

9. Did you feel comfortable and relaxed with them?

10. Did you like them?

You might answer yes to Q1 to Q 8, but if you can’t enthusiastically answer yes to Q9 and Q10 they are not the celebrant for you.

If you’re looking for a professional and friendly Canberra marriage celebrant, please contact Judy Aulich Canberra Marriage Celebrant.