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Frequently Asked Questions

Can our friend do our marriage ceremony for us?

Subject: Canadian Engineer as celebrant in Australia

Question: My Fiance is Australian, I am Canadian and we live in Canada. However, we are planning on getting married in Australia.  I have a friend who is a professional engineer who we would like to perform the ceremony. Is this a legal possibility in Australia, if so, what are the steps involved for this person to be qualified to perform the wedding ceremony in Australia?

Thank-you for your time,
Nikki

Information on becoming a marriage celebrant

The latest information on becoming a marriage celebrant can be found on the Attorney-General's website.

Attorney-General's website - Becoming a marriage celebrant.

 

What are the wedding work opportunities for celebrants?
To become a successful celebrant, you need to be prepared to commit to a substantial set up cost, and further ongoing costs.

Statistics* show that the average number of marriage ceremonies a marriage celebrant can expect to conduct is about 10 per year, and as more celebrants are authorised, this figure is less.
Why become a celebrant?
Many people are attracted to the role of  Marriage Celebrant for many different reasons.
Qualities of a celebrant

What are the Qualities of a Top Celebrant:

  • Knowledge – Know-how – what works & what doesn’t
  • Self confidence and likeability
  • Public speaking skills and a good voice
  • Outgoing personalityCreativity and creative writing skills
  • Imagination and ingenuity
  • Helpful advice and guidance
  • Practical experience
  • A good track record and testimonials to support it
  • Reliability, professionalism
  • A sense of humour and a sense of occasion
  • Approachability
  • Ideas and choices
  • Ceremony resources
  • Wide knowledge of wedding customs and traditions including religious and cultural practices
  • Good standards of dress, grooming and presentation
  • High standards of client service
  • Legal knowledge and guidance
  • Ability to provide peace of mind
  • Training and qualifications
How to decide?
We provide the following to assist your decision making. Here are some questions to consider before commencing any training.

Are you
How to choose your celebrant

To make the best choice for you and your guests, there are many things to consider in choosing your celebrant.

Some people go on first impressions or “gut feelings”. Others choose on price – the least or most expensive.

However remember your celebration can never be repeated!

There are more factors, than price or your first impressions, to help you decide the best celebrant for you.