How to choose your Celebrant – 3 Top Tips
How to choose your celebrant – three top tips for finding that other ‘special person’ you need at your wedding
Below are three simple tips to help you select the celebrant right for you:
1. Consider how your celebrant will fit in with the rest of your wedding party. Your wedding or special ceremony will be full of your nearest and dearest. Chatting about old times, reigniting those close connections and relaxing with your favourite people on the planet – if your celebrant can’t be a social chameleon it could make for a jarring day all round.
When you meet a prospective celebrant imagine how they might fit in with your family and whanau. Will they be able to deliver your ceremony without stealing the limelight? Will they engage well with your parents, grandparents or other important people? And do you instantly warm to them in a way that makes you feel confident and supported?
2. What experience does your celebrant have of delivering ceremonies and are they registered? – (see https://celebrants.dia.govt.nz). Can they provide references from couples or families who asked for a similar ceremony as you are wanting? No two ceremonies will be exactly the same but if you are looking to host a small, intimate or perhaps a large, relaxed event you need to know whether the celebrant has held something similar before and how it went, what worked well, what went not so well – if anything.
If your celebrant hasn’t held something along the lines of your planned ceremony, ask how they would go about it so you can check through their thinking and whether you and they share the same ideas.
3. What support can your celebrant provide in helping craft your vows or special readings? The words used are so precious and unique to you and your ceremony as they set the tone of the day and reflect the emotions that you are sharing with your nearest and dearest. Your celebrant should be able to help you craft something that captures the essence of your celebration. They should be open to speeches and vows containing whatever blend of humour, sensitivity and personal reflection best conveys the emotion of the day.
If they are uncomfortable with any suggestions that are important to you then ask them to explain why – there could be a genuine reason as to why you might later regret that style or wording that seems fun at the moment.
Your job is to find a celebrant who you feel comfortable with, who understands you, and who can deliver what you want. If you don’t know exactly what you want they should be skilled in asking the important questions and helping you explore options.
Your celebrant wants you to have not only a perfect day on the day but also a perfect memory which will last you a lifetime.