How much does a wedding celebrant cost?

In this blog post, I delve into what a wedding celebrant cost. When I remember back to my own wedding in Spain and how important to me it was for wedding suppliers to be transparent. Wedding planning is stressful and the last thing you need is the feeling you are being ripped off! Why are celebrants so expensive you may ask? Celebrants in Spain can charge up to €1500! At first this may seem crazy for what can be just a 30-minute ceremony, but let me break down my celebrant service for you so that you can see what goes on behind the scenes and why every penny of my fee is worth it!

Meeting my couples

Firstly, I always offer my couples a free consultation where we discuss their wedding day and ceremony in Spain for sometimes over an hour. Here is where I answer questions, so we can get to know each other and I listen to the couple’s ideas and explain how I work. By the end of the meeting we know if we are compatible.

Paperwork

Secondly I organise all the necessary paperwork, for instance, I put together a legally binding contract and send the couple detailed questionnaires. I also create files which will hold all the information about the couples’ wedding day and the details for the ceremony.

Questionnaires

I then send a get to know you questionnaire to all my couples which they answer separately, this is so that I can learn how the couple met, what their values are, who is important to them, what style of wedding they want and pick up the essential information I need to create the perfect, bespoke ceremony. Once the couple have completed them, I go through the questionnaires and gather what I need to write their ceremony and make suggestions. This results in a unique ceremony for each couple.

Expert advice

The cost of a wedding celebrant can also depend on their experience and how long they have been performing ceremonies. An experienced celebrant, can offer each couple advice on all the important elements for instance music, readings, vows and much more.

Communication

My fee includes all the communication with my couples that they need, vía email, whatsapp and video call, up until the big day. Depending on the wedding and couple this can add up to several hours. I also talk to the guests who participate in the ceremony with readings or symbolic rituals. I communicate with the other wedding suppliers such as planners, photographers and musicians and am readily available for my couples when they need to talk about any aspect of the ceremony.

Bilingual celebrants

If you are a bilingual couple, invest in a bilingual celebrant like myself who can communicate with both of you and ensure all your guests feel included and enjoy your ceremony. How much money you spend on a celebrant may depend on their language skills. Read more on bilingual weddings here.

The cost of materials

Many celebrants, like myself, specialise in symbolic rituals such as handfastings, sand ceremonies, union candle ceremonies and much more, I help my couples find the materials needed (ribbons, sand, containers, candles…) and prepare everything on the big day. The cost of a wedding celebrant can vary depending if the materials are included in their fee.

Script writing

My ceremonies are BESPOKE, this means that I write each ceremony from scratch which takes hours of my time, I use the information from my conversations with the couple and the questionnaires to craft a beautiful, personalised and creative ceremony. As a bilingual celebrant in Spain, I often spend time translating readings or vows for my bilingual wedding ceremonies. If you find a celebrant who is really cheap and is performing lot’s of ceremonies, then it’s unlikely this person is writing new scripts for each couple.

The ceremony

The cost of your wedding celebrant includes them arriving at least an hour before the ceremony on the wedding day to ensure the ceremony set up, to check the microphone is working, to welcome guests and work together with the other wedding suppliers. I perform the ceremony sometimes in English, sometimes in Spanish and sometimes in both languages! I’m there to calm any last minute nerves and to support my couples.

The cost of travel and accomodation

Where you marry and your celebrant has to travel to can increase the cost of a celebrant. My fee includes 3 hours travel time and my accomodation.

Presentation

You get what you pay for, yes there are some wedding celebrants in Spain who charge small amounts but they do not provide bespoke ceremonies, they just read out the same old scripts over and over again. If you are a bilingual couple invest in a bilingual celebrant like myself, I can’t stress how important it is that your ceremony sounds good! I always ensure that I’m dressed to suit the style of the wedding I’m taking part in and discuss the décor and wedding party’s attire beforehand. Invest in your ceremony because it really should be the heart of your wedding day.

The celebrant

Having taught English for many years I’m a confident public speaker, I have a degree in Modern languages and am also completely bilingual in English and Spanish. I’ve had training and have invested time and effort into perfecting my craft. I’m passionate about my job and assure you I’m worth every penny! Your ceremony will provide you and your guests a lifetime of memories. When you are budgeting don’t cut back when it comes to the wedding celebrant cost.

Featured image: Manolo Canto Fotografía