7 SKILLS OF A GREAT MARRIAGE CELEBRANT
Are you considering becoming a qualified marriage celebrant? Do you see the joy in a celebrant’s face as they ask the question, “Do you…?” Do you love celebrations? Would you like to try a new career in an exciting industry? One with a great history and an even better future? Would you like a fresh career change or even a part-time income doing something fun?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions the next thing to ask is, “Do I have what it takes to be a good, or even better ‘great’ marriage celebrant?”
If you were to become a marriage celebrant you’d have to know your role first. Forgive me – that’s an obvious statement. The thing about a celebrant’s role in a wedding is that it is vital to not only ensuring that a wedding ceremony runs smoothly but that it is legally binding. There are no two ways about it; a marriage celebrant is, next to the couple themselves, the most important person at a wedding! Yip! Even more important than the mother-in-law!
Here are 7 skills of a great marriage celebrant. How many do you tick off and which ones are you willing to work on?
Communication
Without good communication the whole day could become a disaster. The celebrant must have good listening skills so that they are able to understand the couple’s desires. The celebrant has to then be able to relay these desires to relevant parties. The celebrant should be able to articulate procedures and essential legalities to the couple. The celebrant has to be able to connect with the guests, communicate everything from housekeeping to agenda, and create a welcoming atmosphere.
Ability to Personalise
There is no template that fits all wedding days. There are general guidelines that can work across the board however every couple is unique. A good celebrant will take the time to get to know the couple and their relationship. By doing that they will be able to create a tailored ceremony. Some of the things that a celebrant should be aware of and sensitive to include:
-Personalities
-Values
-Culture
-Religion
-Family traditions
They could also want to “nerd out” with a theme based around a shared pop culture love. That could be anything from Star Wars to zombies!
Professionalism
A good marriage celebrant should be professional in their approach to their work. They should be reliable, punctual, and well-organised. They should also have a good understanding of the legal requirements for a marriage ceremony and be able to handle any necessary paperwork efficiently.
Resourcefulness
Resourcefulness is the ability and the means to meet situations effectively. This includes having ingenuity, innovativeness, the ability to see assets and resources around them that could be utilised if needed, and also good prep.
Bearing in mind the various desires of a marrying couple, a good marriage celebrant should have resources at the ready to be able to offer to the couple that fit into the personalities, cultures etc. They should be able to suggest rituals, music, poetry, readings and other ideas that will help create a pleasantly memorable experience for all involved. They should be able to “pull a rabbit out of a hat” when needed knowing that it’s not magic, but preparation.
Adaptability
This goes hand in hand with resourcefulness as resources plus a quick thinking mind assist with adaptability. Weddings may come with months of planning but as the saying goes, “Best laid plans yada yada…” As a chameleon adapts to changes in their environment, a good celebrant needs to be able to adapt to any changes that come up suddenly.
Confidence
It’s one of those days that can frazzle the coolest of wedding parties and a good celebrant will have the ability to remain calm, collected and confident even when everything around them seems to be spinning out of control. The right celebrant understands that they are an authority figure and will be looked to by the guests and wedding parties to show leadership.
Compassion
There are plenty of emotions involved in a wedding. A good celebrant will show empathy and compassion with an offering of support and guidance throughout the planning process and on the big day.
So what do you think? Would you make a great celebrant? How many of those skills do you tick off? Which ones can you work to improve upon?
If you would like to become a qualified marriage celebrant but feel that you are not up to scratch with some of these qualities, speak to us about some of our extra training that we have from time to time and/or recommendations that will help you to acquire these necessary skills.
To get started or even just to enquire further with no strings, and no pushy sales, contact us now!
Contact Form: Contact Us – Rose Training Australia
Phone: 07 3038 3048
Email: [email protected]