The Questions I'd Ask Before Hiring Any Celebrant (Even If It Wasn't Me)

Let's start with something potentially controversial:

I don't think the most important question is "How much does a celebrant cost?"

I think the most important question is:

How do I want to feel when I'm getting married?

Because if your ceremony is simply a box to tick before the drinks start flowing, then yes - compare prices, get the paperwork done, and move on.

But if the experience of actually getting married matters to you, then you're not shopping for a celebrant.

You're choosing the person responsible for one of the most meaningful experiences of your life.

And that's worth thinking about.

1. Do I Actually Like This Person?

It sounds obvious.

But you'd be surprised how many couples spend more time researching table settings than they do the person standing beside them during one of the most important moments they'll ever experience.

Your celebrant should feel like someone you'd happily have a drink with.

Someone who puts you at ease.

Someone who gets you.

And here's the thing nobody talks about enough: chemistry is a two-way street.

If you're speed dating celebrants, rushing from one meeting to the next, or giving absolutely nothing back in the conversation, it's going to be difficult to work out who's right for you.

Take your time.

Invest in the chats.

Find someone you genuinely connect with.

Because connection is hard to fake.

2. What Does "Personalised" Actually Mean?

Every celebrant says they're personalised.

Not every celebrant means the same thing.

Ask what their process looks like.

How do they get to know you?

How much input do you have?

How flexible are they?

Can they show you examples?

For me, every ceremony starts with getting to know the people at the centre of it. Not just the milestones and dates, but who they are, what matters to them, and what makes their relationship uniquely theirs.

Because whilst your guests probably don't need a minute-by-minute recap of your life story, they do deserve a ceremony that feels engaging, meaningful, and unmistakably you.

The goal isn't to work through your relationship chronologically like a Wikipedia page.

It's to find the moments, stories, quirks and connections that reveal who you are as a couple, and tell them in a way that keeps your guests invested, laughing, feeling something, and wanting to hear what comes next.

The goal isn't to tell my favourite story.

It's to tell yours.

3. Will They Make The Ceremony Feel Like You?

A ceremony should never be something you endure before the party starts.

It should be part of the celebration.

The best ceremonies are the ones where guests are completely present.

They're laughing.

They're emotional.

They're invested.

And when it's over, they're talking about it for the rest of the night.

Because they've learned something about you.

Because they felt something.

Because it mattered.

4. How Do They Handle Real Life?

Weddings are beautiful.

They're also full of nerves, emotions, family dynamics, timelines, weather, and the occasional unexpected challenge.

A celebrant's job isn't just standing there with a microphone.

It's helping people feel calm.

It's adapting when things change.

It's reading the room.

It's managing the moving parts.

It's making everything feel effortless, even when a lot is happening behind the scenes.

I call it ruthless chaos management.

5. Can They Navigate Family Dynamics With Care?

Families are rarely simple.

Blended families exist.

Estrangement exists.

Grief exists.

Second marriages exist.

Complicated relationships exist.

Life is nuanced.

Your celebrant should understand that.

As someone building a blended family myself, I know there isn't always a perfect script for these moments.

What matters is having someone who approaches them with empathy, sensitivity, and flexibility.

Someone who understands that every family looks different.

And that's okay.

6. Are They Interested In You?

One of my biggest red flags is a celebrant who seems more interested in delivering their process than understanding the people in front of them.

You deserve curiosity.

You deserve patience.

You deserve someone who remembers that whilst they've answered these questions hundreds of times before, this is your first time doing this.

A great celebrant doesn't make you feel like another booking.

They make you feel like the only booking.

7. Would I Trust Them With The Most Important 30 Minutes Of My Wedding Day?

Forget the speaker specifications.

Forget the microphone brand.

Forget the fancy buzzwords.

The real question is:

When you're standing at the front, looking at the person you're about to marry, do you trust this person to hold that moment?

To guide it?

To protect it?

To make it feel like you?

Because that's the job.

Everything else is secondary.

You don't have to choose me.

But you do deserve a celebrant who feels right for you.

One who makes you feel seen.

One who makes you feel supported.

One who helps create a wedding experience that feels authentically yours.

Because the person you're marrying matters.

And the person marrying you matters too.

“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”