Thinking of Becoming A Celebrant?

Published on by roxyhot10

Some advice from a seasoned professional

Having been a celebrant since 2011, there’s a lot I’ve learnt over the years. I love helping new celebrants enter the industry, and I truly believe it’s the best job ever.

With over 600 weddings under my belt, I’m still constantly learning about this industry. It’s constantly evolving, which is one of the million reasons why I love it so much.

So, if you’re thinking about becoming a celebrant, here’s some of my golden advice.

1. Join a celebrant group

Photo Aisling Bourke

One of the downsides of being a celebrant is that it can feel a little lonely at times. I went full-time as a celebrant in 2017, and really missed that banter and chat which can come from working in a team.

I joined The Celebrant Society (TCS) in 2018 and it was a godsend. All of a sudden I had

  • celebrant friends
  • access to social events, such as picnics, drinks, Christmas in July, etc
  • support on-line and in person via their Facebook Group
  • access to bucketloads of learning
  • sharing of leads

    I’m definitely a better celebrant as a result of joining this group, and although there are others out there, I found TCS had the right values for me.

    Full disclosure – in 2021 I become a Local Leader for TCS, which means I organise in person and on-line get-togethers, and help with decision-making for the group.

    2. DON’T Compare Yourself to Others

    Unfortunately, imposter syndrome is rife within the wedding industry. It’s easy to look on social media and see another celebrant who is busier than you, cooler than you, more experienced than you. However, couples will choose you for YOU, and the more you can spoon-feed to your couples what you’re about, the easier it will be to attract your people.

    Your celebrant career will take a little while to flourish, so allow time, and don’t worry about how many bookings another celebrant is getting.

    3. Be Prepared to Invest Time and Money

    When you become a celebrant, there’s an initial financial outlay, including:

    • Training costs
    • Registration fee with Attorney General’s Department
    • Website design and maintenance
    • Marketing and advertising
    • Public Liability Insurance
    • Accounting system
    • Customer Management System
    • PA system (I recommend Bose SPro1)
    • Microphone (I recommend Sennheisser microphones)
    • Membership fees
    • On-going professional development
    • Legal certificates
    • Logo and branding design
    • Kindle or iPad to read scripts

    Time-wise, I’m a full-time celebrant (approximately 80-90 weddings a year) and I spend anywhere from 20 to 60 hours a week working, depending on the season. For example, late July through to early November is high wedding season here in Brisbane, and during this time, my social life is zero. Not that I’m complaining – I make up for it when it’s low season!

    4. Make Wedding Industry Friends

    Photo Sam Wyper Photography

    One of the best ways to attract bookings, and keep in the ‘know’ with wedding trends, is make wedding industry friends. There’s a few ways to do this:

    • Go to networking events
    • Reach out to like-minded vendors and say ‘hi’
    • Introduce yourself when on site to the photographer, the event manager, the stylist, the florist, the videographer – if they like you, they might refer you

    5. Get yourself a mentor

    I offer 1-2-1 mentoring sessions, which you can read more about here. These can really help you avoid costly mistakes early on in your career, and for a reasonably small investment, you can kick-start your career.