When I enquire with a celebrant, what should I be asking them>?

This is a great question because celebrants love to answer what you want to know.

I am presuming that you have had a bit of time to chat and feel comfortable with everyone and feel that you could make a connection and work together with your celebrant.

Apart from the obvious first question about being available on your chosen day ( otherwise a lot of the questions to follow this one might seem a bit of a waste of time..lol), you might like to ask your celebrant about what might happen in the very rare chance that they are unable to be your celebrant on the day ( ie What is your Plan B ?) Celebrants will always have a  Plan B, and C up their sleeves - it is in their nature to be this organised and also to ensure that you, as their client, receive the most professional service possible at all times.

The next topic for questions would centre around the financials, and please do not be shy in asking - is to enquire about the celebrant's fees and what is included ( ie a rehearsal, travel, etc) deposit, final payments, cancellations etc.

Most celebrants will have prepared a set of frequently asked questions that they can provide for you to assist with the answers to questions that you may not even have thought of yet..lol

I always like to remind my clients...there is no such thing as a dumb question ( only dumb answers...usually from me !)

Lisa and John have answered this well, but these things are usually covered by the celebrant when you meet. When you first email or call, don't simply ask "How much do you charge?"

Perhaps ask "Are you available on xxx day and could you please give us some more information about what you offer", or "We're planning a beach wedding so would like to know if you have a portable sound system", or "We'd like to have our dogs at our wedding. Are you ok with that?" and so forth.

If you provide a little more detail about your needs it's easier for the celebrant to respond, and you can then get a sense of whether that person is helpful and receptive.

It is important to find a celebrant who can create exactly the mood you want at your wedding.  Once you establish that they are available on your special day, you should meet with them to see if they have the personality that 'clicks' with you.  Your gut will tell you if the celebrant is the right one for you!

Great question!  All good celebrants will be experienced in asking you all the right questions and giving you the correct information when it comes to the formalities such as dates, times, legalities, paperwork, cost, etc.  But because your wedding day is a really important event for you as a couple, I think it's nice to know what sort of fit the celebrant is for your needs, your style, your personality, etc.  So specifically, if it was me, I would be asking "How will I know if you are the right celebrant for us?", "How would you describe your style?", "What sets you apart from others?", "What would your previous clients say about you if I spoke to them?", "Describe yourself in three words", etc. Maybe it's my HR background ... but I think it's about personality and fit with you.  All the other questions are about process not person!  And yes they are important but go above and beyond to find your perfect match!

Hi

You need to ask them their availabliity and their schedule of fees and discuss it with them. Often a phone call is good. When you decide to go with the celebrant, be guided by what they say to do and when, eg. the completion of the legal documentation, ( the Notice of Intended Marriage is to be com pleted and with the celebrant 1 calendar month before), discussion of the ceremony and the details, assistance with the tye of ceremony. Often a good open discussion with the celebrant will set you in the right direction. Continued communication between the celebrant and bride and groom is essential.

The first thing that you should ask is "Are they available for your Special Wedding Day?"

If they are, it is important to meet with them to see if you are a fit with them and you feel comfortable.

If you feel comfortable, then chat about what you would like in your Ceremony.

-the things that you like and don't like.

A good Celebrant should be very organised and be able to make some suggestions for you and make you feel at ease.

They should be able to give you some ideas for Readings and Vows and also incorporate your ideas as well.

Love and Best Wishes 

Marg Kish

first of all just meet and chat and see if there is a connection or synergy so that you are comfortable with the person that day and on the special day of your ceremony.

Is the celebrant organised or all over the place

does the celebrant meet your profile of what you were thinking of ?

then check availability

ensure you are the only ceremony for that day

ensure the celebrant does more than one or two weddings a year

and then ensure the cost is within your price range

Hello, the first thing you need to know is are they available on your date, then you can ask if they do more than one wedding a day. There are so many thing to find out but if you get a good Celebrant they will go through all the little details with you when you meet. I always give every couple I meet with a Welcome Pack which covers nearly all the questions you may have. How do I know this? Well I always ask afterwards if they have any questions and they nearly always say "No you have covered everything". I then tell them that if they think of anything they are welcome to call me and NO question is a silly question. Hope you have a wonderful Wedding :)

When you are planning a wedding, you want to be reassured that the Celebrant that you chose is reliable, trustworthy and knowledgeable.

These questions will help you gauge the professionalism, reliability, and honesty of any Celebrant you are considering. 

You may not need to ask all of them, just find the questions that are important to you!

1. How many weddings do they book in one day?

2.How many will they be performing on your wedding day?

3. How many other types of events do you do per year?

4. How do they manage the music for the ceremony?

5. How many times will we meet before the wedding for planning?

6. Do they require or include a rehearsal?     

 7. What ideas can your share for making our ceremony more personalised?

8. How long before the ceremony will they arrive?

9. Do you have a written contract?

10. Do you have public liability insurance?

11. Do you belong to any professional Celebrant Associations?

12. What else do you do for a living?

Hope that helps, feel free to call me for a quick chat If you have any questions about anything.

It's great that you are thinking along these lines as Celebrants love imparting this information to you.  However, here are some good questions that are helpful to ask before you meet with a Celebrant,  so that you are meeting with someone who is thinking along the same lines as you.
What is your fee and what is included?  
Do you include a rehearsal?
Are there any additional costs?
Do you have any other ceremonies booked on our wedding day?  If so, what time?
What deposit is required and when is the full amount due?
What documents will you need to provide? (they should ask you a number of questions to determine this prior to your meeting).
How do you personalise our ceremony?
What is your procedure on the day? i.e. what time do you arrive etc?
What is your ceremony style?  (romantic, light-hearted, humorous, combination?)
What is your cancellation policy?
What is their back-up plan if they are unwell and unable to attend?
I hope these questions are helpful.
Lisa :)