My daughter is getting married next February. We are starting plans now and need this information for our budget.

thanks

The cost of a marriage ceremony will vary according to the needs and wants of the couple.

While all appointed celebrants have been trained to plan organise and conduct a marriage ceremony - there are many variables which will determine "how much". Your celebrant will be happy to provide a quote, based most likely on a basic fee, plus any other additional costs.

Additional or variable costs include travel expenses, equipment, personal presentation (dress) expectations, extra consultations required.

While couples spend enormous amounts on weddings, there is no wedding without a marriage ceremony. This is a legally-binding process, and you will be buying a professional service.

I would suggest the couple budget for no less than $500 for a basic service, but expect it to cost more if the celebrant is asked to do more.

Hi,

While this reply is later by far than the question, it is still a current issue. I have found that fees vary considerably depending on celebrant and couple's circumstances. Different states and different areas within states can affect the over costs charged to wedding services, and that includes celebrants

Prior to the mid 1990s, the Government set the fee for civil celebrant's work. This was a very low rate as the Government expected celebrants to be like a specialised Justice of the Peace, and the number of celebrants was strictly controlled.

Now that marriage celebrants appointment system has changed, there is much more variety in the style of celebrants and the services each offers.

The best thing to do is to consider the issues the ACCN outlines on "How to choose a celebrant" - see:
http://www.askacelebrant.com.au/ceremon ... celebrant-

The important thing is to ask for a written quote, detailing what will be provided and what extra costs there may be if you should choose extra options

All the best

Gordon Munday http://www.angelweddings.com.au

I charge $ 600 for a wedding including rehearsals, travel, etc etc. Having looked at all of my costs I regard this as a fair price.

Of course every Celebrant will have their own fees but you need to consider all of the expenses celebrants have in running such a diversified small home-based business

You should not look some much at how much a celebrant costs, you need investigate what your celebrant does for you for the fee they quote.

I write a tailored ceremony with the couple and family, design an order of service based on the theme of the wedding and the ceremony, help couples with music, and choreograph the service during rehearsal, so I charge according to all the aspect of the work I do.

The cost is not so high but the main thing is how much they are involved into the wedding if they are doing complete planning for the wedding like dresses for wedding, place for the wedding and most important food and drink arrangement for the wedding then they have fixed charge for that which includes every thing in that fee and some times they have separate charge for every thing. So its depend on the different different celebrant, their services and their brand name.

Hello Anthony.
In Australia Marriage Celebrants are not Wedding Planners - they are two very separate and distinct functions. The celebrant's role is to marry the couple, and in so doing, provide/write/perform the ceremony in consultation with the couple and provide all of the legal paperwork necessary to make the marriage legal in Australia.

Marriage Celebrants in Australia are actually excluded from being involved in a business which profits from other aspects of the wedding, so from your question, I suspect that things are quite different in India to what they are in Australia.

Hope that helps.

I was confused a bit but now things are more clear, thanks for the post Avalonlc.

My daughter is getting married next February. We are starting plans now and need this information for our budget.

When it comes to planning a wedding I definitely do understand that budgeting - is a priority.
Your budget can quite easily blow right out of proportion if not kept under wraps. Make sure you keep a diary of all expenses and check it daily.

As for celebrants: there are so many now; choosing the right one though ... is very important. If you do your homework properly you will find the right one who will meet all your needs - and more.
If you know of anyone who has been married recently, it might be wise of you to ask them if they were happy with their celebrant. Ask around and you will find what you are after I'm sure.

Congratulations to your daughter, and I hope all goes well. (wayne)
http://www.illawarraceremonies.com