01 Jul CHOOSING THE RIGHT CELEBRANT
The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. Benjamin Franklin
We highly encourage you to meet a range of celebrants, as we truly believe your day should reflect your personalities, and this can only be achieved by someone with whom you feel fully comfortable.
As you approach celebrants, you may wish to have a handful of questions ready, such as:
1. How many weddings do they perform in a day?
It is a good idea to look at celebrants who only take one wedding booking a day as this ensures a truly personal touch. Plus, you don’t want your celebrant being late for your ceremony or rushing off to the next ceremony, treating you like a number.
2. How “personalised” is the ceremony?
Many celebrants offer you the choice of a few already prepared ceremonies and you just put together the sections you like, thus making it “personal”. Some celebrants give each couple a questionnaire which depicts the couple’s history and story they wish to convey to their guests.
3. Do they offer an on-site rehearsal?
Some celebrants advise a rehearsal isn’t necessary as they have done so many they will guide the couple on the day. This will be the first time you are having the ceremony, so it doesn’t matter how many times the celebrant has done the ceremony before! A rehearsal either at the venue, at the couple’s home or celebrant’s office, depending on the circumstances, is recommended. The rehearsal gives a good indication of the flow of the ceremony and helps alleviate some of the inevitable nerves.
4. What equipment do the celebrants supply?
Celebrants may provide items like a public address system with both lapel and hand held microphone (and stand). This can be helpful as some reception venues charge extra for the use of their ‘in-house’ PA system.
5. What would you normally wear to a ceremony?
Some of the details you should discuss with your celebrant include the theme of the wedding, the colour scheme and if there are any colours or styles you would prefer them to wear or avoid. The time of day, venue and weather conditions also influence wardrobe decisions for your ceremony.
Catherine Mueller is a fantastic celebrant who will be exhibiting at the Werribee Bridal Expo on 31st July 2016. She offers all the above services and more. We encourage you to join us at the next Bridal Expo and talk to Catherine about how she can bring ceremony to your celebration.