Why Are Celebrants So Expensive in Australia?

A Reddit user asked:

What is the average cost of a celebrant, or if you can’t speak for everyone, why is it SO expensive?! In the US anyone can officiate a wedding.

We literally considered paying a friend to do the course before we realised it’s $2.5K AUD.

Also: Is it normal to sign paperwork before, during, or after the wedding? My fiance and I feel that’s kind of the legal and ‘real’ part of the wedding and don’t want to do it before.

Great question!

US law is totally different to Australian law, and under Australian law there are only certain people who can legally marry you. Here, celebrants are given full legal authority to marry people, which is different to the USA where the officiant is mostly just signing off on the ceremony. In Australia, there are things a celebrant can do (or forget to do) that can actually land us in jail.

To become a celebrant here takes 12–18 months of study, usually full-time or squeezed in around other work and family commitments. The course costs around $3000, and the application fee is about $600.

After that, we have to run a business with:

• Insurances
• Cars, fuel, maintenance
• Equipment (PA systems alone can be $2000+)
• Accountants and lawyers
• Marketing and advertising to be found by couples like you

Then we need to earn a living and put food in our kids’ mouths.

All while accepting that most of our work is at the same time our friends and family are having time off (weekends and public holidays), and there are only so many weekends in a year.

Add that all up, and you get why the average cost for a celebrant in Australia is around $2000 (with many charging between $800–$1500 depending on experience, location, and ceremony type).

Because yes, avocado on toast is bloody expensive these days.

And the paperwork?

Totally get it. The paperwork feels like the “real” part of the marriage.

In Australia, the signing typically happens during/after the ceremony (or as practicably possible after the ceremony) in front of your two witnesses and the celebrant.

You don’t have to do it before if you don’t want to and in fact you shouldn’t. The actual “legal part” is when you exchange vows, and the paperwork is a response to your exchanging legals vows so it happens after.

Hope this clears up why celebrants cost what they do, and why it’s a worthwhile investment in having your wedding done properly, legally, and memorably.