Choosing your celebrant is about more than finding someone who is available on your wedding date.

Your celebrant will be one of the people standing beside you during one of the most personal parts of the day. They’ll help shape your ceremony, guide you through the legal requirements and, ideally, make the whole process feel a little easier.

So when you’re meeting with celebrants, it’s worth asking more than just, “How much do you charge?”

Here are 20 questions to ask a wedding celebrant before you book, along with what I’d pay attention to when you’re deciding whether they’re the right fit for you.

---

It’s an obvious place to start, but there’s no point falling in love with a celebrant’s style if they’re already booked.

It’s also worth asking how they manage their bookings on the day. Some celebrants take on multiple ceremonies, while others leave more time around each wedding.

What I’d pay attention to: Do they seem genuinely interested in your wedding, or are they simply checking whether they can fit you into the diary?

---

This can be more revealing than asking whether they are “fun”, “romantic” or “personal”. Almost every celebrant will say yes to those things.

Instead, ask them to describe how they approach a ceremony.

Do they prefer something relaxed and conversational? Traditional? Funny? Sentimental? A mixture of all of those?

There isn’t a right answer. You’re looking for an approach that feels comfortable for the two of you.

---

A genuinely personal ceremony starts with getting to know the people who are actually getting married. Ask how the celebrant gets to know you, what sort of conversations you’ll have and how they’ll turn those conversations into your ceremony.

---

“Personalised” can mean very different things to different celebrants.

Ask what that actually looks like in practice.

Will your celebrant write a personalised wedding ceremony from scratch? Will you have input into the structure? Can you include stories, readings, cultural traditions, music or other elements that are important to you?

You don’t need a ceremony that sounds like a template with your names inserted into it.

---

It’s completely reasonable to ask about price early in the conversation.

Wedding budgets have limits, and knowing the celebrant’s fee early means you can work out whether they’re within your budget before spending too much time planning together.

If you’re comparing celebrants, though, don’t compare the headline number alone. Look at what you’re actually getting for that fee.

You can also see my current celebrant fees here.

---

This is the natural follow-up to the price question.

Ask what’s included from the moment you book through to the ceremony itself.

• How many meetings are included?
• How is the ceremony developed?
• How much support do you receive with your vows?
• Is a rehearsal included?
• Is travel included?
• Is sound equipment provided?

Every celebrant structures their service differently, so don’t assume that something included with one celebrant is automatically included with another. It’s worth checking exactly what’s included in the celebrant’s fee before you book.

---

This is worth asking directly.

Depending on the celebrant and the circumstances of your wedding, there may be additional charges for things such as travel outside their usual area, extra services or changes to the original arrangements.

A good conversation about fees should leave you with a clear understanding of what you’re paying for.

---

If you’re getting legally married in Australia, there are specific legal requirements that need to be followed.

Your authorised marriage celebrant should guide you through the process, explain what needs to happen and make sure the required legal steps are completed. You can also read about my wedding ceremony process to see how I guide couples through the planning process.

Ask your celebrant to explain the process in plain English rather than assuming you need to know all the terminology yourself.

---

Ask what information, documents and decisions you’ll need to provide, and when you’ll need to provide them.

This is particularly useful because it gives you a sense of how organised the planning process will be.

You should leave the conversation knowing what happens next rather than wondering what you’re supposed to do.

---

If the thought of writing your vows makes you nervous, you’re certainly not alone.

Ask your celebrant what sort of help they provide and how vows fit into the overall ceremony process.

Some couples want lots of guidance. Others want to write everything themselves and simply have someone help them shape it.

There’s no right way to do it. The important thing is knowing what support is available if you need it.

---

If there are traditions that matter to you or your families, talk about them early.

A good celebrant should be willing to listen to what those traditions mean to you and discuss how they could be incorporated into the ceremony.

This is also a good opportunity to explain anything that is particularly important — or anything you’d prefer not to include.

---

Your celebrant won’t be responsible for managing every other supplier at your wedding, but there are usually plenty of moving parts around a ceremony.

Ask how they communicate with your venue, photographer, planner or coordinator when necessary.

Good communication between the people involved can make a real difference, particularly when the ceremony involves specific music cues, entrances, readings or timing.

---

Don’t assume your celebrant provides a microphone or sound system — ask.

If you’re getting married outdoors or in a larger space, sound is particularly important. Your guests need to be able to hear the ceremony, not just the people sitting in the front row.

Ask what equipment is provided, who operates it and whether there are any additional costs.

---

This might be one of the most useful questions you can ask.

Because at some point, something probably won’t go exactly according to plan.

Someone might be late. A microphone might stop working. A page might be in the wrong place. It might start raining. A toddler might decide that the ceremony is the perfect time to make themselves heard.

That’s wedding life.

---

If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, this is particularly important.

Ask about your wet-weather plan before the wedding day. Where would the ceremony move? How much notice would you need to make the decision? Who would be involved in communicating the change?

It’s much easier to make these decisions when you’re sitting calmly at home than when rain is already falling.

---

It’s not a particularly romantic question, but it’s an important one.

Ask your celebrant what their arrangements are if illness or another serious unforeseen circumstance prevents them from conducting your ceremony.

The answer will vary between celebrants, but knowing there is a plan can give you peace of mind.

---

Your celebrant will be visible in your ceremony photos, so it’s perfectly reasonable to ask.

There’s no particular outfit they need to wear. What matters is that their clothing suits the formality and style of your wedding without competing with the people who are actually getting married.

---

Reviews can tell you useful things that a celebrant’s website can’t.

Look beyond the star rating and read what previous couples say.

Do they mention how the celebrant made them feel? Did they feel listened to? Did the ceremony sound like them? Did the celebrant make the process easier?

Those details are often much more useful than simply knowing that someone gave five stars.

---

Ask what communication looks like once you’ve booked.

Will you mainly communicate by email? Will there be scheduled meetings? When should you expect to hear from your celebrant? How far in advance do they usually finalise the ceremony?

There’s no single perfect system. You just want to know what to expect.

---

This is a great final question because it moves the conversation from choosing a celebrant to actually planning your ceremony.

Ask what happens next.

When will you meet again? When will you start talking about the ceremony? What will the celebrant need from you? When do the legal steps happen?

If you want to see what that journey looks like, you can read about my wedding ceremony process.

A good answer should leave you feeling clear about the road ahead.

---

After you’ve asked about fees, paperwork, vows, equipment and everything else, there’s one more thing I’d encourage you to pay attention to.

How do you feel when you’re talking to this person?

You don’t need to become best friends with your celebrant. But you should feel comfortable with them.

You should feel listened to. You should feel that they understand what matters to you. And you should be able to imagine standing in front of them on your wedding day without feeling awkward or uncomfortable.

The right celebrant isn’t necessarily the person with the longest list of inclusions or the most impressive website.

Sometimes it’s simply the person who makes you think, “Yep. We’d be happy to have this person standing beside us.”

Frequently asked questions

How many celebrants should we meet before choosing one?

There’s no magic number of celebrants you need to meet before choosing one. Some couples know very quickly when they’ve found the right person, while others prefer to meet a few celebrants and compare. I’d focus less on the number of meetings and more on whether you feel confident about your choice.

What should we look for when choosing a wedding celebrant?

Look for someone whose personality and ceremony style suit you, who communicates clearly, understands what you want, explains their fees and process openly, and makes you feel comfortable. Experience matters, but so does the connection you have with the person.

Should we ask a wedding celebrant about their fees before meeting them?

Yes. It’s sensible to check a celebrant’s fee before arranging a meeting, so you know whether they’re within your budget. You can then use the meeting to understand what’s included and whether their approach is right for you.

What legal questions should we ask an Australian marriage celebrant?

Ask how the legal process works, what documents and information you’ll need to provide, what your celebrant needs from you and when the required steps need to be completed. Your authorised marriage celebrant should guide you through the legal requirements that apply to your circumstances.

What should we ask about the ceremony itself?

Ask how the celebrant creates the ceremony, how they get to know you, how much input you’ll have, whether they’ll help with vows, and how they handle readings, music, cultural traditions and other personal elements.

What should we bring to our first meeting with a wedding celebrant?

You don’t need to have everything worked out before your first meeting. It can help to know your wedding date, venue if you’ve chosen one, approximate guest numbers and the kind of ceremony you’re imagining. Most importantly, come with any questions you have. A good celebrant should be able to help you work out what’s important and what can wait.