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What does a Wedding Celebrant do?A wedding celebrant is qualified and registered with the Attorney General / BDM / Births deaths and marriages, to officiate civil marriage ceremonies. Sort of like what a minister or priest does without the religion, just the lurve. It’s our job to meet with you and assist in creating and performing a wedding ceremony that reflects you as a couple.
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Why are Celebrants so Expensive?Great Question! What people don't often think about is the time and expenses of a Celebrant prior to and post wedding ceremony day. Each wedding entails: Email conversations, administration, Zoom meetings, in person meetings, filling and submitting paperwork, writing the ceremony, rehearsing the ceremony, arranging music, equipment - music subscriptions, PA sound system / Mic / iPad / lap top, other equipment costs, performing the ceremony, purchasing and printing stationary, registering the wedding, purchasing the official wedding certificate from BDM, Celebrants compulsory annual registration fees and professional development. THEN : 10% GST + ATO, 20% (or more) goes to the ATO and 9.5% on Super, so take about 50% off your fee and that's what a Celebrant is actually getting paid. I have a range of packages to suit all dreams and budgets, check them out here. More experienced Celebrants charge more too. I try to keep my rates reasonable, so I don't price myself out of working with my community.
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What is a NOIM?The acronym stands for Notice of Intended Marriage. The celebrant and couple must fill this out together at least 1 month before the ceremony. You will need hard copies of birth certificate, passport and any proof of divorce from previous marriages. The NOIM goes out of date after 18 months.
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How soon can we get married?The soonest you can marry in Australia is in one month, once the NOIM is complete. That's why REAL drive through weddings can't be done in Australia.
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Is the registry office the only way to have a legals only wedding?Hell no, and TBH the registry office is cheap because you get what you pay for. All Celebrants can facilitate and officiate legals only, registry style weddings, but we can offer you the option to do it anywhere you want. E.g. A park, cafe, bar, backyard, boat, balcony, roof top, hot air balloon... You get my drift? Just because it's a legals only wedding, doesn't mean you can't have a little fun with it ;-)
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Can I have religious/cultural elements to my ceremony with a celebrant?Absolutely, but I'd prefer you choose a practicing family member or friend of your culture/religion to perform that element of the ceremony out of respect.
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We’ve already booked at the registry office, can you be my celebrant?"No, the registry office supplies their own celebrant. I would always recommend using an independant celebrant who can recommend free or competitively priced venues that suit your vibe and make for better photos. We can also help you write a personalised, kickass ceremony, you won't get that at a registry wedding.
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Can we change celebrants?Yes you can, they just need to transfer the NOIM via email to the new celebrant. This may incur a fee and depending on the previous celebrants booking T&C's a booking fee is usually non-refundable. Check all this when you book.
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Can we change our wedding date or venue once we’ve completed the NOIM?Yes but only if we can agree on a date and location that suits the celebrant, there’s also a fee incurred for the extra administration with any changes.
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Will you travel for weddings?If I have time, yes, but travel costs $100 extra for every 50km beyond Seaford VIC (my hood). I’m also up to negotiating staying in accommodation close by the ceremony. If the wedding is interstate the couple must cover flights, accommodation and expenses.
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Can you help us with event management and planning.If you choose the right package, yes!
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Can we Invite more than 20 guests to a 'legalise us' package wedding?Yes, but for every 10 extra guests it's a further $100. This package was created to be competitively priced for smaller 'elopement' style weddings.
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What is an elopement?Usually an elopement means grabbing your besties and getting married without inviting or telling anyone else. It’s seen as a low-key way to lock it down without breaking the bank. Elopements are becoming the rock 'n' roll way to seal the deal. Check out my 'legalise us' package!
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Can we get married anywhere we want?Within reason, but pretty much, yes. I can marry you anywhere on Australian land or airspace. Lots of my couples do pub, park and backyard weddings. Have some fun with it!
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Can we get married on a plane, boat or hot air balloon?"Yes, with my permission and as long as you’re on Australian water, land or airspace.
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Can you dress in theme for our wedding?Potentially, let’s have a chat about what you’re thinking and go from there.
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Will you marry us dressed as Dolly Parton?YES, for an extra $500 on any package! I can marry you dressed in many different costumes, let’s chat!
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Do you only marry LGBTIQ+ people?Hell no, love is love after all *wink* I don't discriminate lol.
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Are there other types of ceremonies you perform?Absolutely, take a look at my packages and if you don’t see anything that suits, we can chat more about your needs. Commitment ceremonies, renewal of vows, dead-name fun-erals, divorce partys, pet fun-erals to name a few!
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If we meet you, do we have to book you?There are no obligations after we meet, finding a celebrant is like dating, there' someone for everyone out there and I believe it's important for both parties to feel chemistry. But please don't expect weeks and weeks of free advice before booking a Celebrant.
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Is it ok to be fashionably late to our ceremony?We don't do tradition here, so please show up on time. Often Celebrants have more than one ceremony in a day and time keeping is really important. Fees will be incured for lateness.
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How much does a celebrant cost?All celebrants charge different fees based on the time spent meeting, writing, planning, administration and performing a ceremony and their experience. If a ceremony is cheaper, it usually means there’s less input from the celebrant.
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What is BDMBDM stands for Births Deaths and Marriages. It's a department of the Attorney Generals Office that registers marriages. They also run the registry office at Parliament.
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What happens if we need to cancel our wedding due to COVID19?Weddings that cannot take place due to COVID19 can be rescheduled to another date that suits Renee the Celebrant and you, free of charge within 6 months of the original booking. If you can't find a suitable reschedule date then you'll need to find another Celebrant.
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Why do Celebrants cost different amounts?Every Celebrant creates their own pricing structure based on the amount of work put into each wedding. Time in the industry and experience also play a role in how much they charge. I like to keep my prices on the middle of the spectrum, as I'm aware that weddings are bloody spenny and I don't want to work with people who have a lot of money and not a lot of kindness.
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Can we have a non-traditional wedding?Heck yes, in fact I encourage it! Did you know we do cute, affordable micro weddings with Tattoos, venue and photo's included in Brunswick / Melbourne? Check out www.flashromantics.com
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