Amid the excitement of picking outfits, venues, food, colour schemes, transport and music, it’s easy to overlook the one part of your wedding that has the potential to set the tone for the whole day – your ceremony.

If you’re opting for a religious ceremony in a religious building of some kind, your decision is much easier. Most often, couples are married by the religious leader at the venue or another minister legally allowed to conduct religious ceremonies.

However, if you’re going down the civil ceremony route, you’ll need to pick a registered marriage celebrant to conduct your marriage and steer you through the process.

So, while focusing on all the fun stuff means that the actual marriage itself might seem like mere paperwork, getting the right wedding celebrant can make your ceremony the most memorable part of your day.

Which maybe isn’t a bad thing given you’re not actually married without the ceremony and the person holding it!

What exactly is a wedding celebrant?

There are more than 9,000 celebrants in Australia. All of them are appointed and registered by the Attorney-General’s Department and must have the relevant training and qualifications. It’s not a role celebrants take lightly, with many legal responsibilities coming with the job, including ensuring each couple correctly registers their intent to marry, the ceremony is conducted correctly and, most importantly, that the marriage itself is properly registered. Check out the Attorney General’s website for more information on marriage celebrants. 

When should you get in touch with a wedding celebrant?

This should really be one of your first jobs. As a guide, you need to give your completed "Notice of Intended Marriage" form to your celebrant a maximum of 18 months before you tie the knot and a minimum of one month before. Much like everything to do with your wedding, it’s worth shopping around to find a celebrant you trust to do a good job and who understands your beliefs and what you want. Draw up a shortlist and meet a few to understand their style before settling on the celebrant for you.

What kind of celebrant should you choose?

When considering your choice of celebrant, you should ask them not only about how they’ll conduct the proceedings, but if they specialise in any particular kind of ceremony. You’ll find celebrants vary greatly from one to another. Some are big personalities who like to inject warmth and humour into your day; others may specialise in themed weddings and have a range of outfits that’ll mean your ceremony won’t be forgotten in a hurry. (Being married by Darth Vader, Elvis Presley and even the Grim Reaper aren’t as uncommon as you might think!) 

If you have specific type of ceremony in mind, such as a hand-fasting, Celtic or humanist ceremony, you’ll be able to find a celebrant who specialises in it. There are also growing numbers of celebrants who specialise in bilingual ceremonies, multi-faith ceremonies, Buddhist, Jewish and same sex couples. Need help putting a shortlist together? Start here. 

If you’re looking for something truly personal, get your celebrant involved early on as they’ll be able to help you shape everything from your vows to the music you walk down the aisle to. Getting to know them in advance will also help put you at ease when those nerves set in.