Being a celebrant for such an important occasion is a huge responsibility, so the power of a team of two celebrants is just the ticket. Nandy and Summa of 2celebrants so obviously love what they do, and have so much fun doing it together, sharing ideas yet each bringing something quite different to a ceremony. Your new beginning celebrated with love, humour and care is the perfect way to start your wedding day.
How did you get into celebrancy as a profession?
Nandy was always interested and had a desire to be a celebrant. She was out running one day and her running partner told her that she was looking for a celebrant. That spurred Nandy into action! Summa is a teacher, but after having babies loved being at home with them. After seeing a fabulous young celebrant in action in Red Hill at a friend’s wedding, she then decided it was something she too could do!
Why did you decide to form a team?
When Summa became a celebrant we thought it would be fun to join forces and work together. Essentially, we share ideas and our marketing together. So in effect, our couples get the intellectual property of two different celebrants…. Yet we still work individually with couples to create ceremonies. We are so similar and have so much fun that we knew that working together was just another good reason to spend more time with each other!
Image by The White Tree
What are the unique qualities you bring to wedding celebrancy – because you are a team?
We have the unique situation where we share our ceremonies with each other. We share new ideas, we proof each others’ writing and we network together.
Are couples able to choose one or other of you to conduct their ceremony?
Absolutely. If we are both available on their date then they can most certainly choose from one of us. We encourage that! Although, if that seems overwhelming to our couples we just delegate one of us to their wedding.
Image by T-One Image
How would you describe your individual styles?
Summa loves to think outside the box and create a ceremony that has a little bit of spunk and encourages her couples to include laughs. She loves to make her ceremonies personal and relatable. Nandy brings so much experience and has a very personal style. She’s amazing at getting to the core of her couples. Both of us are great at adapting the ceremony to ensure it matches the client’s vision perfectly.
What do you enjoy most about being a celebrant?
Both of us love to meet people! We are both huge sticky beaks and love to know juicy details about people’s relationships! Getting to know our couples is so much fun and we both love the ‘high’ of the wedding day.
What are your beliefs about how a wedding ceremony should be conducted?
We believe that while a wedding ceremony is a legal ceremony it can (and should) also be reflective of the couple.. regardless of our own personal views. If our clients want a formal and solemn ceremony then we will cater for that. If our clients want something that is fun, different, relaxed and will make their guests laugh and cry… then we will cater for that. It should be conducted with warmth and be made as easy as possible by the celebrant.
How do you ensure that the ceremony reflects the individual’s personalities and then the couple (as a whole)?
We get to know our couples! We like to meet our couples at least twice. On our second meeting we have questions that we ask both the bride and groom that they are able to answer individually as well as together. This usually gives us a good vibe for the traits that each person brings to the relationship and how they work as a couple.
Image courtesy of 2celebrants
Do you encourage and guide couples to personalize their ceremony – and what do you suggest in this regard?
YES! Absolutely! We like to create a ceremony that will keep the audience captive and that is to make the ceremony as personalized as possible. People don’t want to hear a celebrant talk about themselves… they want to be able to hear about the bride and groom, the people that they are there celebrating. We suggest writing their own vows and provide resources for doing this. We also have a booklet of readings that we give to our clients amongst other resources. We encourage getting their loved ones involved in the ceremony and help them with ideas on how to do so! We have lots of great ideas (but we’ll keep them up our sleeve for now!).
Image by Julianne Perara Photography
What are the steps you take from when a couple first meets you to the actual ceremony?
Once a couple books one of us in we send them our resource packs (full of readings, vow inspiration etc) and we book in our initial meeting. At this meeting we begin to plan their ceremony and what it will look like. We also take the couple through a ‘questionnaire’ interview where they can tell their story, talk about what marriage means etc. Within 10 days of this meeting they will have their draft ceremony sent to them. From there, we can either meet and refine or email and refine. We strongly suggest a rehearsal (rehearsals are so much fun!) and ensure that we are there at least an hour before their ceremony on their wedding day. After the ceremony we usually mourn our couples!! But we will be in touch to make sure that they have a copy of their final ceremony and let them know when their marriage is registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages.
How many wedding ceremonies do you conduct each year?
Between 15 – 20 each.
How much time does it take to prepare each wedding ceremony?
We usually allow 5 hours to prepare all the legal documents, write the ceremony and refine the draft. This doesn’t include meeting the couple, the rehearsal or the wedding day.
What tips do you give to the bride and the groom prior to the wedding ceremony?
Ensure that they are surrounded by people that will make the lead up to their big day as relaxed and fun as possible. Try to be organized and listen to your celebrant J Smile during the ceremony and remember to pinch yourself. You only get married once (three times max….)!
Image courtesy of 2celebrants
What are some unusual, or particularly lovely ideas you’ve seen at your ceremonies?
We love when kids are involved, it makes for such a lovely ceremony. We also loved when grandparents are used as witnesses… grandparents are so proud and honoured to be involved. We’ve seen couples who have arrived together and greeted their guests as they arrived. Nandy also married a gorgeous couple in the caves at Mole Creek in Tasmania where the fire flies lit up the cave. It was extraordinary.
How do you celebrate the end of the working week?
G&T with our loved ones!
Thank you Nandy and Summa for sharing your story. Your wedding ceremony crafted your way by two people who love what they do. To find out more about 2celebrants visit the website.
Headshot by Emily Archbald Photography.
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