Choosing a celebrant…. it can be hard to arrange a wedding from afar, especially if you don’t have friends or family at the location of the event to help you. So, what are your options for choosing a celebrant?
OPTION ONE: Choose a celebrant close to where you live
Choosing a celebrant close to where you are located gives you the option of establishing a more personal relationship with them. If you don’t want a ‘stranger’ marrying you, then building this relationship is of course much easier face to face. It also means that you can meet with a number of celebrants before choosing the right one for you. Of course, the downside is that there’s an extra cost attached to this as your celebrant will usually charge for their usual price for a ceremony, for travel costs, and sometimes extra towards their travel time as well.
I have done a number of destination weddings, both in Australia, Egypt, Europe and beyond, and I determine my charges according to where the ceremony is located. I charge my usual price for the ceremony (see www.roxyrocks.com/fees ) and if a flight and hotel are required, I usually charge this cost directly to my clients or, if they prefer, they can arrange on my behalf.
If within a couple of hours drive to Brisbane, I charge for travel costs only (not my time) and everything beyond is negotiable. I love (love!) travelling, and am fortunate that this job takes me to many countries and places I otherwise wouldn’t visit. So, where possible I try to keep my costs reasonable to the couple, and in most cases, have been able to come up with a mutually satisfying deal for both of us.
Don’t forget, always seek advice on the marriage laws in the country you are marrying if choosing a destination wedding.
OPTION TWO: Choose a celebrant close to your wedding location
Of course, choosing a celebrant close to the wedding location has the downside that you might not get to meet them face to face until the rehearsal or the wedding day itself. However, I’ve worked with many couples based overseas or elsewhere in Australia, and thanks to modern technology, feel I’ve still built a rapport with them using Skype, email and/or phone conversations.
The pros of this is that your celebrant may have great insight in to the wedding location than you have, plus there will not be the travel costs incurred from Option One.
“Roxy, thanks again for planning a perfect moment for Dee and I. Even though we were over 3000 mile apart, I had faith you would make our ceremony special. Your prompt responses and flexibility with the logistics put me at ease. You sincerely cared about making our moment magical, which is what makes you great. Sincerity can’t be faked, and you are genuinely sincere. I am very glad I picked you.” Robert, Buffalo, New York State
Let me know if you’d like to have a no-obligation chat about either of the above options. Happy to talk you through the pros and cons further to help you make the best decision for you and your partner.
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