Marriage Celebrant Fees:
My standard fee as a registered Marriage Celebrant is $650.00. Breakdown as follows:
$250.00 – This amount comprises the "booking fee/deposit" and is payable by bank deposit within 2 weeks of confirming the booking.
$400.00 – This is known as the "In respect of Solemnisation of Marriage by authorised Civil Marriage Celebrant" fee. This remaining amount is payable no later than one week prior to the wedding.
What the fee covers:
- No obligation introductory meeting.
- Ceremony preparation exchanged and confirmed via email.
- Final read-through/rehearsal at celebrant's residence/Skype.
- Wedding ceremony.
- Folder and Pen.
- Unlimited communication to and from the celebrant.
What the fee doesn't cover:
- Visit by celebrant to venue prior to the rehearsal.
- Travel costs to ceremony beyond 50 kilometres of celebrant’s residence.
- Other wedding planning and costs associated, on behalf of the couple.
- The marriage licence which must be applied for at Internal Affairs, Births Deaths and Marriages, or on-line and the licence fee paid directly to them.
Travel Costs:
For weddings that require travel more than 50km from the celebrant's residence in Pakuranga Auckland, a flat fee of $50.00 will be added to cover travel costs for up to 100km.
After 100km's, an agreement is to be entered into by the celebrant and the couple.
If air travel is required, all travel costs including travel to and from the airport from the celebrant’s residence, pick up and drop off at the destination end must be covered by the parties intended for marriage including overnight accommodation.
Wedding Rehearsal:
This is to be conducted at the celebrant's residence or over Skype/FaceTime. This meeting is included in the marriage celebrant fee. This is an opportunity to finalise the order of events as well as do a complete read-through of the ceremony. A rehearsal at the wedding venue will incur a further cost of $150.00 + any applicable travel expenses.
Refund Policy:
The $250.00 booking fee is only refundable in the unlikely event that the celebrant is unable to provide the booked services on the agreed day.
If the couple decide not to proceed with the celebrant's services after the booking fee is paid, this is non-refundable.
The Unlikely Event:
In the unlikely event that the celebrant is unable to solemnise the ceremony, the celebrant will give immediate notice to the Couple and provide a full refund.
As a gesture of goodwill, if within 3 months of the wedding date, the celebrant will assist in arranging a substitute.
Changes To Details:
To ensure everything runs to plan it is important details are checked and double-checked. If any changes are made the couple must forward the details to the celebrant by email (for the record) and follow up with a phone call to discuss with the celebrant if the Celebrant hasn't already replied by phone or email. It is not uncommon to have more than one booking in a day, so the celebrant needs to be informed of any changes to date/time/venue, to ensure that there are no availability issues.
Being Fashionably Late:
To ensure everything runs to plan it is important details are checked and double-checked. If any changes are made the couple must forward the details to the celebrant by email (for the record) and follow up with a phone call to discuss with the celebrant if the Celebrant hasn't already replied by phone or email. It is not uncommon to have more than one booking in a day, so the celebrant needs to be informed of any changes to date/time/venue, to ensure that there are no availability issues.
It is sometimes encouraged by chauffeurs to turn up fashionably late – this can cause difficulties for the smooth running of the day not only for the proceedings of the whole day but also the celebrant. It is the responsibility of the couple to take into consideration travel time through traffic and to ensure the ceremony begins no later
than 15 minutes after the agreed time.
After 15 minutes a penalty of $50.00 will be incurred and then another $50.00 per half hour thereafter.