Foolproof Method for Choosing a Celebrant – Not All Storytellers are Built the Same
After eight years of celebranting (yes it’s a word), I have definitely learned that there are more flavours of celebrants than even Baskin & Robbins can chuck some sprinkles at (PSA – no celebrants were tasted for the purposes of this blog). We certainly come in all shapes and sizes, all kinds of backgrounds, a plethora of idiosyncrasies, and all manner of personalities. You would think then that with this vast array of options right at your fingertips, that picking someone to stand up there and hold space for you at your wedfest would be straightforward? Turns out … the bigger the celebrant pool, the more work YOU might have to do to find the “diamond in the rough” (bonus points for whoever can tell me what film this is from).
I have come across MANY a happily married couple who openly admit that they just embarked on a tick and flick exercise when choosing their celebrant – one based heavily on price and a slightly distorted or ill-informed view of the power of a shit-hot celebrant.
These same lovers have told me without hesitation, that they regret not prioritising this aspect of their day more. They regret having just “anyone” stand up there; having someone who wasn’t on the same wavelength and didn’t really take the time to know them. Hindsight is such a brilliant thing right?
But now … with the endless social media platforms throwing content in front of us, finding the RIGHT celebrant for you became about as easy as taking candy from a baby (I don’t suggest this – it’s mean – unless you really want candy then have at it) and I’m going to give you the formula right NOW.
MONEY – Where in the wedding budget pecking order have you put your celebrant?
I know there are so many WANTS when it comes to wedding days, but I urge you to think about the things you TRULY need and what your wedding priorities are. Based on that, you will know how important a wedding celebrant is to you both and how much of those hard-earned wedding dollars you want to allocate to your storyteller.
WHO ARE YOU?
Figure out what kind of couple YOU TWO are. I mean … this sounds like a no brainer but you would be surprised at the amount of times I am met with a stumped/confused expression when I ask two people what kind of duo they are. Are you serious and appreciate formality, laid-back loose units, formal and conservative, ultimate “woo” peeps? WHO ARE YOU???? TELL ME DAMMIT. If you can go into the search process with a sense of what makes you two tick, then it makes navigating ALL the options out there that much easier because you naturally gravitate towards celebrants who have the same qualities as you.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Talk to your friends and family who’ve blazed the wedding trail before, get their recommendations. Search websites, search social media platforms, read reviews, watch videos. I know this part isn’t quick, but honestly … maybe you take a pass on searching dog memes for your bestie and instead, use your precious down time to check out some wedding vendor goodness for your day. You should be able to see pretty quickly what kind of ceremonies a celebrant is part of, what their wedding philosophy is, what their personality type is. Find the kind of celebrant who has that special somethin’ somethin’ that is gonna gel with you two seamlessly.
SHORTLIST
This one is straight forward – Firm up your top 2 or 3 celebrants and then make an enquiry. Consider organising a virtual chat with them because us celebrants LOVE to have a laugh and by having it via this method means you aren’t having to trawl through that calendar too hard and you can much more easily find a suitable half hour for a virtual date complete with pyjamas. Sometimes though, if you’ve done your homework right. you won’t need to shortlist. You know the celebrant for you, you are ready to throw money at them and you want to be best friends. If that’s the case … HIGH FIVES all round. #nailedit.
GET ON IT
Once you have your celebrant in mind, I would highly suggest locking in that firecracker as SOON as possible. Too often people sit on those decisions and by the time they eventually enquire, it results in that “I’m sorry I’m not available on your wedding day” email response. That shit is SAD and speaking personally, I get mad fomo when I can’t be part of all the moments. So, if you know you know. Trust your gut and make sure that celebrant is part of your wedding crew (and then nobody else can snatch them away).
Of course, EVERYONE is different and everyone finds what they need and want in different ways. I’m not someone to judge at all if you decide that you much prefer the option of opening up the gram, searching “marriage celebrant” and choosing the first person you see. YOU DO YOU as I love saying.
BUT, my plan above, based on no scientific formula whatsoever, actually works. Taking a bit more time and effort into choosing someone who essentially is becoming a part of your relationship for a while can never be a bad thing. This person is going to help you share your kickass story with those closest to you. So, you should trust them, connect with them and at the very least like them.
That’s all folks – go forth and find that celebrant legend YOU DEFINITELY DESERVE.
Xx Dizzle
(Big thanks to Shosh Creative for the pic of me smiling my trademark giant teeth and all grin)
