Terms and conditions.

OPERATION PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES

Professional Conduct

The marriage celebrant will adhere to Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants and comply with the Marriage Act and other relevant laws. 

The celebrant will maintain a high standard of service, including: 

  • Presenting professionally for all meetings, rehearsals and ceremonies

  • Being punctual to all meetings, rehearsals and ceremonies

  • Preparing accurate documentation and delivering correct and legitimate ceremonies

The celebrant will be transparent in all business dealings and provide information for the couple to lodge a complaint about the celebrant. 

Ceremony Preparation

The celebrant will provide couples with all information to enable them to choose or compose ceremony components that best suit them, and ensure they comply with all legal requirements as well as meeting their needs and expectations.

Ceremony preparation meetings will be held in a suitable space with both privacy and comfort taken into consideration.

The celebrant will discuss with the couple the suitability of a ceremony rehearsal and facilitate their preferences. The celebrant will provide guidance to ensure the couple’s vision is achieved, and the comfort and experience of their guests is considered.

Relationship Education

The celebrant will maintain up to date knowledge about appropriate family relationship services in the community and inform parties about the services and information available to them. The celebrant will provide the Happily Ever…Before and After brochure and talk this through with the couple. 

Insurances & Licencing

The celebrant holds professional indemnity and public liability insurances.

The celebrant also holds the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) Licence for Celebrants. 

The celebrant will also arrange a back-up celebrant in the case of emergency or incapacitation on the day of the ceremony. 

Travel 

Local travel will be charged at a per KM rate. Any air travel or accommodation costs are the responsibility of the couple and will be discussed and quoted prior to booking. All travel will be booked at the most reasonable rate and include refundable options where possible. 

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

Personal information may differ from person to person. Personal information is any information about the client and may range from “very sensitive” to “routine”. 

  • Name 

  • Address

  • Email address

  • Occupation

  • Identification details including birth certificate or drivers licence numbers

Please note, identification documents will not be kept by the celebrant. 

Sensitive information is a special category of personal information. It is information about a person’s:

  • Family information

  • Health or disability

  • Race or ethnic origin

  • Political opinion

  • Religious beliefs or associations

  • Sexuality

  • Criminal record

In relation to the collection, storage and use of personal and sensitive information, only information that is reasonably necessary for the proper performance of professional activities or functions as a celebrant is collected.

All personal and sensitive information collected will be treated as “Confidential” and no unauthorised person will be permitted to have access to it.

Information pertaining the individual’s or couple’s circumstances, ceremony or any of the above information will not be shared except by the explicit request of the couple. In some cases, it may be shared upon request by the courts, the Office of Births, Deaths and Marriages, police and law enforcement agencies. 

Please see ‘Document Recording and Storage’ for more information. 


PRICING, INVOICING AND REFUNDS

Below are indicative prices as of January 2025. 

  • Booking Fee: $200

  • Marriage Ceremonies - cost varies by package selected: $400 - $2000

  • Minimum Legal Marriage Ceremony: $400

  • Funeral Ceremony: $700

  • Other Ceremonies (eg. commitment ceremony, naming ceremony): Price on request

  • Cancellation fee: $200

Travel costs will be quoted once location is confirmed, and includes car, air or accommodation costs
All invoices and outstanding balances must be paid no later than 30 days prior to the ceremony date. 
Payments can be made via direct deposit or cash. Bank details will be provided on the invoice.

All prices quoted are in Australian Dollars (AUD) and are inclusive of GST. Prices are regularly reviewed to best reflect market value. 

Pricing is set to reflect celebrant involvement, ceremony length, ceremony components, preparation time, travel and expenses. All pricing for marriage ceremonies includes completion and lodgement of all required paperwork to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the appropriate state.

Prices are subject to change without notice. A schedule of fees will be provided for approval and signature of the couple to secure prices. In the event of a cancellation or postponement of the ceremony, agreed fees may become null and void. 

Invoices

Invoices are due to be paid by an accepted payment method within 30 days of date issued. 

All invoices and outstanding balances must be paid no later than 30 days prior to the ceremony date. 

If the outstanding balance of fees is not paid by the due date, the celebrant is not obliged to perform the ceremony. 

Payments

Payments can be made via direct deposit or cash. Bank details will be provided on the invoice.

A receipt will be issued for all payments. 

A payment plan can be agreed upon at the discretion of the Celebrant. 


REFUND POLICY

In the event of a postponement, any deposit or fees paid will be held for the duration of the validity of the Notice of Intention to Marry – 18 months from lodgement. If a new suitable date cannot be found, the below cancellation policies apply.

In the event of cancellation by the couple greater than 30 days before the ceremony, the couple will receive a refund of 100% of their fees paid minus the booking fee. 

In the event of cancellation by the couple less than 30 days before the ceremony, the couple will receive a refund of 100% of their fees paid minus the cancellation fee and booking fee.

Travel costs will only be refunded where refundable travel options were selected during the booking process in consultation with the couple. 

In the event of cancellation by the celebrant, the couple will receive a refund of 100% of fees paid, including the booking fee. 

DOCUMENT RECORDING AND STORAGE

Documentation will be stored in a safe and private place with controlled access. This is applicable to both hard copy storage and digital storage. 

If collected, all personal documentation will be returned to the couple as soon as practicable. 

Personal and sensitive information is protected through methods such as: 

  • Password-protected tools that protect against unauthorised access to personal and sensitive data

  • A secure work environment that prevents unauthorised access to and copy of personal and sensitive information

  • Up to date virus protection programs

  • Management of access privileges on work devices

  • Disposal of personal information through secure processes at regular intervals

Data collected through the course of business will be treated in the following way: 

  • Checked that it is current, complete and accurate

  • Recorded and held digitally and in hard copy where applicable

  • Retrieved when necessary for functions of celebrancy business

  • Able to be accessed by the individual about whom the information relates

  • Destroyed or de-identified when it is no longer needed for any purpose, provided that it is lawful to do so.

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING

PA equipment including a microphone, speaker, batteries, cables, iPad and travel bag is provided and serviced regularly.

Required software such as music streaming services and word processing software is included and any other required software may be purchased and charged to the couple as agreed. 

Any special equipment required should be provided and maintained by the couple and made available for the rehearsal and ceremony.

STATIONERY

The celebrant will provide all required forms for marriage as supplied by the Attorney-General’s website including: 

  • Notice of Intended Marriage form

  • Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage form

  • Official Certificate of Marriage form

  • Happily Ever… Before and After brochure

  • Certificate of Faithful Performance by Interpreter form

  • Record of Use for Form 15 Marriage Certificates

  • Forms relating to marriage of a minor

  • Forms relating to registration and removal of marriage celebrants

The Form 15 Certificate of Marriage is obtained from CanPrint, the approved contracted supplier of this form.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Contact

  1. Every client should provide their phone number and the phone number of a dedicated contact who can support them on the day, eg. a godparent, wedding party member, family member. 

  2. Prior to the ceremony, clients and celebrant will decide on the preferred mode of contact eg. phone calls for emergencies, emails to confirm agreed details. 

  3. The celebrant will provide clients with their mobile number and their emergency contact details. 

Check-in Procedures

  1. The client will receive an SMS or phone call from the celebrant the day before the ceremony to confirm details and check-in, unless they have already seen each other that day.

  2. The client or their dedicated contact will receive an SMS from the celebrant on the day letting them know their estimated arrival time, and another when the celebrant arrives for the ceremony. 

In case of an emergency

  1. If the client needs to get in touch with the celebrant on the day of the ceremony and prior to the ceremony start time, please call the celebrant on the provided number. 

  2. If the celebrant cannot be reached, does not return the call within 10 minutes or does not check in at either of those times, clients are instructed to please call the provided emergency contact number. 

  3. The celebrant has emergency instructions on their person while travelling to the ceremony, detailing the next steps for contacting the emergency celebrant and client. 

Back-up celebrant

The celebrant has arranged for a back-up celebrant to be available in case of illness or injury, as discussed in ceremony planning meetings. 

If the scheduled celebrant is unable to attend, the following steps will be taken. 

  1. The clients will be contacted and informed that the scheduled celebrant cannot attend and that the emergency celebrant will be in contact. 

  2. The emergency celebrant will contact the client directly and confirm the ceremony details. 

  3. The emergency celebrant will have access to the ceremony scripts, music and any documentation prior to the ceremony day, via a secure digital file share. The scheduled celebrant will endeavour to ensure that all legal documentation is transferred to the emergency celebrant before the ceremony where they are able to do so. 

  4. In the case where the legal documentation is not able to be transferred to the emergency celebrant, the client will be given the choice of continuing with the ceremony without the legal aspects (eg. commitment ceremony instead of a marriage) with a following legal ceremony to be performed later, or a cancellation of the ceremony as per the cancellation policy.