How much does a Celebrant cost?
Let me preface this by stating that this is an opinion piece from the perspective of my knowledge of and experience within the Melbourne market.
And in my completely unbiased opinion, we are grossly underpaid! If you compared our overheads, responsibilities, and hourly rates to almost any other independent operator or trade, you’d be shocked at the difference.
Even within our own industry, we are often paid less than vendors who do less hours work per wedding, and carry a lot less responsibility. And yet, couples planning their weddings are blissfully unaware of the value of a great Celebrant. Let’s start changing that, shall we?!
BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Obviously there are costs to running a business, because we want to be found by couples, and we want to create a professional and smooth client experience.
But the biggest cost is our time. This is the part that will likely blow your mind…
Many people still think that a Celebrant has a few template ceremonies for you to choose from, and other than a little bit of paperwork, we do a couple of hours of work on the wedding day and then drive home laughing at the easy money we just made!
Nope! I spend approx 20-25 hrs on each of my couples, and I do around 50-60 weddings per year. Modern ceremonies are unique and personal, and that takes time!
CELEBRANT QUALIFICATIONS
Whilst there are a LOT of Celebrants, it’s not like in the movies where anyone can get ordained online in as little as a few minutes!
In Australia, we need a Certificate IV in Celebrancy (which takes 6-12 months to complete), and we need our registration application to be approved by the Attorney-General’s Department.
Before we even start hitchin’, this has set us back approx $3000, and going forward we have to pay an annual fee to maintain our registration.
And then there’s the enormous responsibility to ensure that every marriage is legally solemnised, as well as the yearly required professional development to maintain our expert knowledge of marriage law.
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Now this is the part that most people struggle with, because it’s not a tangible product like photos or flowers. It’s a vibe. A Celebrant is a creative profession, predominantly centered around writing and performing.
There’s a talent to storytelling, to being entertaining, to making an audience feel something, and to creating an atmosphere that impacts the entire event.
Tell me, could YOU write an engaging story? Could YOU grab a mic and confidently captivate 100+ people for 30mins? To most people, public speaking is the most terrifying thing they could think of doing!
Our skills aren’t common, and should therefore be appropriately paid for.
SO LET’S TALK DOLLARS…
Celebrants range from as low as $1000 to over $2500, depending on how personalised the service is, how much experience they have, and how in demand or sought after they are.
Please make sure that you’re comparing apples with apples - a difference in price can usually be easily explained. We don’t all offer the same thing or work in the same way!
I’d also recommend that you get clear on exactly what you value, not just for your day but also for your experience. Do you want to have minimal contact, or work with someone who’s regularly in touch and gets to know you really well?
Every vendor will say that they’re the most important element, but I just don’t understand why you would put less than 5% of the total wedding value on the only item you actually NEED to get married, and that sets the tone for the entire day!