Two common choices for couples are getting married in a civil ceremony or a traditional religious ceremony. They’re both fantastic choices but come with certain limitations if you’re hoping for a more bespoke ceremony. That’s why the third option, a wedding celebrant, is becoming an increasingly popular choice for couples tying the knot.
By hiring a celebrant, you’re free to have your wedding be as personal and customised as you like. But how much does a wedding celebrant cost and what’s included?
In this post, we’re going to explore how much a wedding celebrant costs, what factors can influence that cost and why they ask for as much as they do.
What is a wedding celebrant and what do they do?
A wedding celebrant is someone who will officiate your wedding. A celebrant doesn’t only officiate weddings, but many of life’s other important events, such as funerals, naming ceremonies and renewals. You may find yourself hiring the same celebrant for various events throughout your life.
When a celebrant officiates your wedding it will be highly personalised so it’s specific to you and your partner. They can be as religious as you like, or have no references to religion at all, which is why they’re a popular choice for couples with no beliefs or mixed religious beliefs.
What type of wedding celebrants are there?
Believe it or not, there are several types of celebrants that can officiate your wedding:
Civil celebrants – By far the most popular choice, civil celebrants are authorised to legally solemnise marriages in Australia. They specialise in creating personalised, non-religious ceremonies that reflect your unique story and style.
Interfaith ministers – A great option for couples from different faiths or with no faith at all. They have a broad understanding of various beliefs and can craft a ceremony that honours your preferences while being inclusive.
Humanist celebrants – Perfect for couples seeking a meaningful, highly personalised ceremony without any religious elements. Humanist celebrants are experienced in officiating alternative and contemporary weddings.
Independent celebrants – These celebrants may not always be legally authorised to solemnise marriages, but they can still provide incredible support in designing a bespoke ceremony. If they are not authorised, you’ll need to separately register your marriage with a civil celebrant or registrar.
Is a wedding celebrant the same as a registrar?
No, a wedding celebrant isn’t the same as a registrar and it’s important to be aware of the differences when planning your wedding.
A registrar can legally officiate a wedding via a civil ceremony. They oversee the approval of your marriage license and it’s legally binding.
In Australia, authorised marriage celebrants can legally solemnise marriages, integrating both the ceremonial and legal components into a single service. This means that when you engage a registered celebrant — such as a civil celebrant, interfaith minister, or humanist celebrant — they can conduct a personalised ceremony that is also legally binding.
Consequently, there’s no need to separately hire a registrar to legalise your marriage, as the celebrant fulfils this role. This integration simplifies your planning process and can reduce costs, eliminating additional fees for separate legal procedures.
However, it’s crucial to ensure that your chosen celebrant is authorised by the Australian Government to perform legal marriages. All authorised celebrants are listed on the Attorney-General’s Department’s register, allowing you to verify their credentials online.
Regarding costs, while you won’t need to budget for a separate registrar, you should consider the fee for obtaining a marriage certificate, which varies by state or territory. For instance, in New South Wales, the standard service fee for an official marriage certificate is $67, with a priority service available for $99
What’s the average cost of a wedding celebrant?
On average, couples spend between $500 and 1,500 for a celebrant, as per our Ultimate Wedding Budget Breakdown. However, some celebrants can cost much more than this, while others cost less. If you’re looking for your ceremony to have a personal touch, then a wedding celebrant is the best way to do that.
Why does a wedding celebrant cost so much?
To the average guest at your wedding, a celebrant appears to play a small part in your celebrations. But, they don’t simply pop in for half an hour to officiate at the ceremony then head off to the next wedding – there’s a lot of work involved.
As we’ve already highlighted, a celebrant will help make your wedding ceremony hugely personal. It’s unlike any other wedding that came before it nor any other wedding that will come after it – and that doesn’t happen by accident. Once you’ve hired your celebrant they’ll sit down with you and your partner to discuss how you met, what interests you share, where you’ve travelled, times you’ve laughed, times you’ve cried, and you’ll share many, many other stories as they really get to know you. After all, how could they make your ceremony personal if they don’t know the real you?
Many celebrants will send out questionnaires that encourage detailed answers, which they’ll study carefully to create a beautifully crafted script for the big day. They may even talk to your family and friends to get some of the juicy information from them that you may have conveniently not mentioned. They’ll also arrive at your wedding and meet with you and your partner individually to help calm any nerves you might have before you walk down the aisle.
There’s also years of training and experience behind a skilled wedding celebrant that got them to where they are today, so you can be confident they’re going to officiate your wedding with style, confidence and professionalism.
So, while your guests might only see your celebrant for less than an hour, there’s a lot of work involved beforehand that helps to justify the cost.
Natalie Beer, experienced celebrant and proud founder of Velvet Moon Ceremonies in the UK, shares her top tips on how to save money on your wedding:
“The best way I found to save money as a 2023 bride myself was forgoing anything I didn’t want but others perhaps thought ‘should’ be part of a wedding. That way you’re not spending money on things you don’t care about and you get a wedding that’s more ‘you’ and only includes things you really want.
As celebrants we can bring such personalisation, fun and creativity to your ceremony so that it’s exactly what you want, and you almost have a friend standing up there taking your ceremony more so than a stranger. That’s a cost that for us was absolutely worth it, and for all of my couples it is too. If it’s something that couples feel is important to them, to have a ceremony that really reflects them and is so much more meaningful than a generic script, then it’s definitely worth considering booking a celebrant.”
What factors affect the cost of a wedding celebrant?
While the average cost of a wedding celebrant may be between $500 and $1,500, this figure can be higher or lower depending on a number of factors.
- Experience – A more experienced celebrant will often have higher rates.
- Reputation – A skilled and reputable celebrant will be able to ask for more due to the demand for their services.
- Location – Where the celebrant is based will affect their rates, for example, if they’re based in Melbourne or Sydney they’ll usually be higher. They may also ask for more if they have to travel a long way to meet with you and on the day of your wedding.
- Style of your wedding – If your wedding is complex or takes more preparation it could affect the cost.
- Rehearsals – If you choose to have rehearsals then this will increase the cost of your celebrant.
- Additional services – Additional services, such as asking your celebrant with help writing your vows, will affect the overall cost.
How long before your wedding should you book a celebrant?
It’s recommended that you book a celebrant as early as possible, as many affordable, skilled and in-demand celebrants are fully booked for many months. If you find the perfect celebrant who is excited about the stories you and your partner share, the last thing you want is for them to book another wedding on the same day as yours – so get in there quick!
Natalie, from Velvet Moon Ceremonies in the UK, shares her professional advice:
“I’d recommend that couples book their celebrant as soon as they are able to! Mainly because, like other suppliers, the earlier you book the more likely the celebrant is to be free. Booking far in advance also means there’s plenty of time to get to know each other and for the ceremony script to be written, and perhaps even visit the ceremony space together to discuss ideas and make the couple comfortable with how everything will run. I’ve had some couples book me two years in advance and others book with just a couple of months to go until their date, so it’s all doable as long as the celebrant is free on their wedding day!”
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