I am going to ask you to stop and think about fees, for a moment.

Think how much you are spending on your wedding. On your wedding dress, on your suit, on your bridesmaid's and groomsmen's outfits, on the limousines, on the photographer, on the video, on the reception, and so on, and compare it to what you are spending on your ceremony.

Now think carefully.

Is your ceremony, should your ceremony, be important to you?

Is it worth spending the extra bit of money to make sure it goes, not just OK, but really well?

You only (hopefully) get one go at this one! A truly professional celebrant, and there are not many, does not cost that much more in context - but the difference can be striking.

There are a hundred details in a good ceremony. These are some of the most vital ones:

1. You need to have a full rehearsal on site.
2. You need readers who are rehearsed and practised, so they don't race and spoil the words.
3. You need a personally prepared introduction that tells your story in a most special way.
4. You need a celebrant who brings a trained assistant with him, someone who can help and trouble shoot during the ceremony itself.
5. And you need a celebrant who will arrive really early so that he can:
   • check the PA system,
   • the placement of chairs, furniture, flowers
   • practise the words of the ceremony
   • liaise with personnel
   • liase with musicians
   • liaise with photographer
   • who can diplomatically organise the guests for you
   • who will make sure he and the readers will be heard clearly

In short, you need a celebrant who is really interested in making sure your wedding goes just as you dreamed it would go. I can guarantee you all of this so that you will have peace of mind.

Why settle for a 4th rate, 3rd rate, or even 2nd rate celebrant?

Fees in Australia vary from $300 to $1000.
Not much in the scheme of things?

I charge in the $400-$600 (incl. GST) range,depending on requirements. There you get a celebrant who spends, from my observation, 4 or 5 times the amount of time more than the others, making sure he gets it right, The celebrant on the very low fee often goes from wedding to wedding to wedding often arriving late and then racing off to the "next one".

Fee for funerals as recommended by the AFCC range up to $1000.
My price is $350 - $440 including GST. Usually the time I spend in preparation and delivery is 10-15 hours.

For Naming Ceremonies the principles are the same. $300 - $600.

Everybody loves a bargain. At the same time we understand value. The cheapest price is the deciding factor when there is a simple product involved -- with no difference in value between one and another. However, each celebrant and the services he offers is different. Some celebrants offer the highest quality services. Some are really above the ordinary. They learn about you, your love story and your vision for the future. They are conscious that your ceremony encompasses moments you will recall long after you have been pronounced "husband and wife. These celebrants help you express the great expectations and intense emotions of the love that has changed your life. At the same time all the decisions regarding your ceremony stay completely up to you.

Many couples wait a significant amount of time to have a ceremony which celebrates the love that has changed their lives. There are many celebrants who may offer cheaper ceremonies and no one can beat the price at the Australian Registry. The underlying question you need to ask is, "What is the value of the ceremony to us- on the day and into the future?"

I am always happy to negotiate the fee structure to ensure your ceremony is special. The value of a good celebrant is to help you create a ceremony that authentically reflects the truth of your commitment to each other.