What a Marriage Celebrant Must Do - Susan Artup

To protect you and make sure your celebrant knows what he or she is doing, the Commonwealth Attorney General has devised a code of conduct for its agents, so:

• A marriage celebrant must maintain a high standard of service - basically be professional,
• A marriage celebrant must recognise how important marriage and marriage ceremonies are to the community,
• A marriage celebrant must be aware of the law in regard to marriage and uphold it,
• A marriage celebrant must provide guidance to couples in choosing or creating a personal ceremony and make sure they know what will happen on the day, make sure all legal documents are sighted and returned, keep an organised and secure office, make sure all documents are signed by all parties, arrive at the ceremony 20 minutes before starting time, present the ceremony in an appropriate fashion, accurately complete your records and submit them to the registry, ask for your feedback and tell you how you can make a complaint,
• A celebrant must be able to refer you to family relationship services

I would hope the celebrant can offer you much more than that – elements which can’t be prescribed in a code – it’s the personal je ne sais quoi as well as the above that will make the difference on your wedding day and confirm your happiness as a couple – this is an email comment I just received from a couple I am about to marry – rapport is everything and just happens! I will modestly share:
“You're an absolute gem and I love your energy. I am so happy you will be officiating our marriage.”