Josh Withers Wedding Celebrant: 10 Questions with Josh Withers

Marriage Celebrants - Josh Withers

Business: Josh Withers Wedding Celebrant
Location: Hobart, Tasmania
Experience: 16 Years
Profile: Josh Withers Wedding Celebrant
Website: marriedbyjosh.com

1. Introduction: What's your story?

I'm Josh Withers and I believe your marriage ceremony can be and should be the best part of your wedding.

I became a celebrant after attending a family wedding where the celebrant was the least excited person there and it really broke my heart. I honestly believed then - for Tanya and Brett - and for every couple I marry, that it is good that you would marry. The simple brave act of the two of you walking down the aisle to get married is the best thing you can do. That it's a life-changing, important, crazy, and beautiful act to become marred so the least I can do as your marriage celebrant is to meet that joy and energy where you are at.

That journey started in Queensland in 2009, since then I've lived in Western Australia, Sydney, the Gold Coast, Mexico, Paris, the USA, and now Hobart and I've been lucky enough to create wedding ceremonies in over 22 different countries - all around Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas - for thousands of couples just like you.

2. What's your experience as a marriage celebrant? How many weddings have you done?

Since I was appointed a Commonwealth Marriage Celebrant in 2009 I have not actually kept count of the couples I've married because I never wanted to obsess about the wider story and how many people I'd married. I've always kept it personal and focused on the couple I'm meeting with or marrying now.

But my wife tells me that the number is more than 2000 people since 2009, which is at least 100,000 wedding guests, over 800 flights to 22 different countries, every state of Australia and five of the United States of America.

3. How far in advance do couples need to secure your services?

Australian law requires one month's notice, my brain requires about the same, but if you want a popular date or if there's travel required, at least nine months in advance is good advice. If you're getting married in more than two years and you enquire with me expect an essay about how you should just get married and not spend the next x years of your life talking about getting married.

4. How would you describe your ceremony style?

My ceremony is about where you are going, not where you've been.

Which is to say, some celebrants want to spend half an hour telling your favourite people a story they already know (how you met and got together) as if we the celebrant know it better than they do. Other celebrants pretty much hold a funeral for your single life. I don't really care for wasting your, or your wedding guests, time with those things.

I want to talk about where you're going, what marriage means to you, and create a space where I and your guests can encourage and celebrate you.

I just think you should walk out of your ceremony feeling better than you could imagine.

I don't read from a script like I'm in a school play. I do the hard work in getting to know you both, I prepare what I'm going to say, and I bring it to you in an awesome ceremony.

5. What are your fees for a wedding?

My fee structure is simple. I have two packages: ceremony, or ceremony and MC. For weddings not requiring travel, aka around Tasmania or if I'm already in the place you're getting married my 2024 fees are $2800 for ceremony and MC, or $1800 for just the ceremony. For destination and travel weddings I include the cost of flights and accomodation into a set fee, and when I do European weddings they are at a set fee as we do a Europe tour each year and set the cost of the travel across a number of weddings and elopements.

6. What do you wear when you officiate a wedding?

Clothes. Nude weddings cost extra. I don't know how much extra but probably a lot!

7. How many pre-wedding sessions will the couple need to have with you?

At least one because we have to meet and get to know each other, plus sign your pre-marriage paperwork. But after that meeting it's about you feeling comfortable that you've both communicated your expectations, and you believe I can meet them. That might take one meeting or ten. It's really about how well we get along and how well you know ow yourself and how people like you get married. But the most common scenario is that we meet 2-3 times before the wedding, mostly over a video call or if we're near each other, over a coffee.

8. Will you be able to create a personalised ceremony?

Honestly, personalised ceremonies are all I create.

If you want to have a boring standard, templated, scripted wedding ceremony I'm not your boy.

9. Are you available to travel if needed?

It's rare I have a wedding that doesn't involve a flight or a long drive because celebrancy is such a personal job. It's uncommon for someone who cares about the ceremony to just book someone local. They're looking for a celebrant who speaks their language, gets their vibe, and has the same worldviews.

If I'm that for you, then we make it work. It's why I've flown 35 hours to be a couple's celebrant in Iceland, driven 12 hours across the Australian outback to create a wedding in the middle of nowhere, or caught a boat across the middle of nowhere in the Pacific Ocean for a marriage ceremony. It's the greatest joy of my life to travel for my couples.

10. What is your cancellation and/or refund policy?

My cancellation or postponement fee is free, and there are no refunds available one month before your wedding. The best advice I've heard for couples getting married is to invest in wedding insurance because insurance companies are far better resourced than your local celebrant or photographer.