Why Celebrants Cost What They Cost and Why it's Worth it.

You’ve probably been picturing your wedding day for months, maybe years.

The beautiful venue.
The photographer who’ll catch every laugh and happy tear.
The food everyone will still be talking about long after dessert.

You budget for these things happily, because you understand their value.

And then you reach the celebrant’s fee…
Suddenly the questions start.

“Isn’t it just an hour of work?”
“Can we negotiate a little?”
“Why does it cost that much?”

Totally fair questions and ones I hear often.
So let’s gently and honestly unpack it.

The ceremony doesn’t begin on the wedding day.

Here’s the biggest misconception: that a celebrant’s job starts when the music plays and ends when the kiss happens.

In reality, your ceremony is built over weeks, sometimes months, long before anyone walks down the aisle.

At Daydream Celebrations, I don’t pull a ceremony from a folder and swap out names. Your ceremony is written from scratch, and that takes time.

A lot of time.

The “invisible hours” no one sees.

Before your wedding day, your celebrant is spending hours on things like:

Crafting your story (often 8–15+ hours):

• Getting to know you: how you met, what matters to you, who your people are

• Listening carefully (and reading between the lines)

• Writing a ceremony that sounds like you, not like a wedding cliché generator

• Editing, refining, rewriting, and polishing

• Adjusting tone, pacing, humour, and emotion

• Creating or guiding rituals like handfasting, sand ceremonies, or other meaningful moments

Good ceremonies aren’t rushed. They’re shaped.

The legal side (the very important bit):

Behind the scenes, I’m also working with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages to make sure your marriage is legally valid.

That includes:

• Witnessing and lodging the Notice of Intended Marriage

• Checking IDs and legal declarations

• Completing and submitting official documents correctly and on time

• Staying up to date with marriage law and regulations

It’s not glamorous, but without it, you’re not actually married.

Rehearsals, coordination & admin:

• Running rehearsals so everyone feels relaxed and confident

• Coordinating with venues, photographers, and other vendors

• Travel time (consultations, rehearsals, the ceremony itself)

• Emails, phone calls, last-minute questions

• Maintaining equipment, insurance, registration, ongoing training

And yes, we understand that photographers and wedding venues are professional services who should be paid accordingly. Celebrants are also professionals who should be paid accordingly.

A gentle question

Here’s something worth pausing on:

If someone asked you to do your job for less money, not because your work isn’t valuable, but because “It’s just one day”

Would you?

Probably not.

Your ceremony happens on one day.
The work behind it doesn’t.

Without a celebrant, there is no wedding, just a very nice gathering.

Your ceremony isn’t filler between arrival and canapés.
It’s not the warm-up act before the party.

It’s the whole point.

At Daydream Celebrations

I don’t rush ceremonies.
I don’t copy and paste love stories.
I don’t treat your wedding like a time slot.

I treat it like something meaningful. Because it is.

When you invest in a celebrant, you’re not paying for “just an hour.”
You’re investing in:

• Care

• Experience

• Legal expertise

• Calm energy

• Thoughtful storytelling

• A ceremony that actually feels like you

And that moment: standing there, choosing each other, surrounded by the people you love deserves to be held properly.

That’s the real value.
And honestly? It’s worth it.

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