Day In The Life Of A Wedding Celebrant

They say every day is different, and this couldn’t be more true for a wedding celebrant. There’s no set ‘office’, it can be anywhere from a garden, to a festival, to a beach, to a hotel. Mixing that with meeting couples, writing scripts and doing admin, being a celebrant is as varied as it gets!

Jennifer, the director of the Academy of Modern Celebrancy and long-time celebrant, is going to cover a typical day in the life of a wedding celebrant so you can get the best idea of how being a celebrant can change your daily life.

Sunrise writing ceremony scripts

I like to write ceremony scripts as the sun is coming up. Sounds romantic, right? Generally, it’s because I have two children and love to do my scriptwriting before they get up and start causing morning chaos. But there is nothing like getting into your couple’s story and getting creative whilst listening to the sound of the world wake up.

I tend to spend around 3 hours writing the first version of a ceremony script for a couple. This is usually done over a few days so each time I come back with new ideas and a creative spark.

Once written, I will usually send to the couple to read through, however lately the trend is to not reveal the ceremony content until the big day.

Zoom discovery sessions with couples

I scheduled all my consultation calls with couples around 10am each morning. This gives me time to fit in the school run and get back to my desk to do my business admin. Usually consisting of replying to emails, doing my banking (I use Starling for my business bank account and Quickbooks to do my accounts). Alongside replying to new enquiries and arranging bookings, I will be speaking to couples about their big days. 

My wedding consultation calls are with couples that are generally ready to book. We sit together – either in person or most of the time now on zoom – and talk through how to get married in the country the reside in, what the process is when working with a wedding celebrant…and all the lovely, juicy, amazing parts of hiring a celebrant for their wedding!

The calls generally end in securing the booking and getting the date marked on the diary.

Meeting venues and suppliers

Marketing is a key part of a wedding celebrant’s role. If you want to become a wedding celebrant you need to consider how the bookings will come in. Every week I make it my job to reach out to some of the local venues or suppliers, whether this is using social media or physically heading out for a coffee (which is much more fun!). Word of mouth and referrals are the best way to get recommended and booked for free!

Shopping for Celebrant Clothes

Ok so I am a MASSIVE fan of shopping and getting new outfits for ceremonies is one of my favourite things to do as a celebrant. In 2022, I made a personal pledge to only buy pre-loved clothing in my effort to stop contributing to the cotton and clothing industry. This means shopping comes in a different shape and format. Either charity shops, vintage markets or sites like vinted.com provide such a great resource for the perfect celebrant attire!

Also I set up a Facebook group for celebrants in the UK and Europe to buy, sell and swap clothes. It’s amazing to see such a resource being used as let’s face it 

Officiating Celebrant Weddings 

You’ve been on such a journey with each and every couple, almost become their friends, sometimes their fans. Then the day comes that they’ve been waiting for and you’ve been preparing for. The big day, the wedding!

Typical wedding prep starts with ensuring you have everything ready, so you have the script printed, vows set out, and anything else you’ve discussed you will take on the day. Then getting dressed, ready, a good hearty breakfast and plenty of time left to get to the venue.

I usually arrive 45-60 minutes before the ceremony is due to start. This gives you enough time to meet and greet and ensure you are on time.

The ceremony typically lasts around 30 minutes so after the ‘I do’s’ and the kiss, it’s time to say your congratulations, mingle with the guests a little and network with the suppliers, whilst then making your move home.

After the wedding must do’s

So to wind down after the high of the wedding, I usually treat myself to anywhere from a doughnut in the local bakery to a nice glass of wine in the hotel bar. Or, which is most of the case, heading out somewhere gorgeous with the family in the local area. Ok, so this isn’t part of the day job, but it is a perk of the role! 

Each and every wedding ceremony is in a special location and there is so much exploring to be had! So make sure you pack a spare change of clothes and some comfy shoes to make every day count.

Being a celebrant really is one of the best jobs on the market. Whether full-time or part-time, fitting it around your life; it’s flexible, it’s happy, and it’s exciting. You get to be part of special moments in life and build your own business doing something you love.

Now can be your time to invest in yourself, your career and your ideal future!