Marriage Celebrants - Peter Hordern
- Business: Pete The Celebrant
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Experience: 9 Years
- Profile: Pete The Celebrant
- Website: www.petethecelebrant.com.au
1. Introduction: What's your story?
8 years ago I was looking to do something new with my life as it was time for change from my previous world of being a Youth Worker/Pastor. I’d married some couples as part of the church community I was once a part of and I knew exactly what I’d be getting myself into when a friend recommended looking into becoming a Celebrant.
I have to be upfront and say I was never big into weddings, especially the ceremonies because they were always long and a bit of a bore. However, being the person up the front, sharing a couples story in a humorous yet sentimental way was exactly the style I felt most ceremonies could benefit from.
So I completed the Celebrant course and set up Pete The Celebrant in 2016 and did 11 weddings in 2017. Thank fully with the support of established Celebrants like Russ Macumber, Matt Finch, Anthony Cribbes and others, I received a lot of helpful recommendations for couples looking for a celebrant on a date they’d previously booked. That, on top of other couples discovering me online and at weddings, by 2018 I did 57 weddings. By this stage I was able to wean myself off other employment and become a full time Wedding Celebrant.
When we weren’t allowed to marry couples during COVID I started The Wedding Guide Podcast so I could keep in touch with fellow vendors and recommend their businesses, listen to the ideas and experiences of couples and released episode 100 a few weeks ago.
2. What's your experience as a marriage celebrant? How many weddings have you done?
Being a Marriage Celebrant is so much fun and there’s honestly times it feels surreal that I get to do something both I and others enjoy.
It allows me to see some of Victoria‘s most incredible wedding venues from picturesque wineries with rolling hills to the highest viewpoint from Eureka tower in the heart of Melbourne’s city.
I’ve done close to 500 weddings and while most are similar, yet still individually significant in their own way, there are a few that stand out.
One wedding in particular that stands out above all the rest is when I was asked to be Batman. For this wedding I wore the Groom’s full rubber/latex Batman suit and impersonated Christian Bales version of Batman. I practiced relentlessly to get his Batman voice and I was honestly pretty happy with how it shaped out (vids on Instagram).
What I wasn’t prepared for was finding out on the day that the gloves weren’t going to allow me to use my iPad because I couldn’t scroll.
Thankfully, part of my style is memorising each couples story when sharing them so it went off seamlessly; I do prefer to have the story accessible if need be.
I’ve also dressed up as Elrond for a Grooms revised LOTR script that led everyone on a journey to get married and recently in Nov 2024 I was a monk for a medieval wedding. I guess the only wedding I haven’t done is one for a nudist community #WeddingGoals.
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3. How far in advance do couples need to secure your services?
The majority of couples begin enquiring around 6 to 12 months before the wedding date; though some choose 12 to 18 months.
There is a minimum amount of time to register a celebrants services too.
You need to submit a legal document called the ‘Notice of Intended Marriage’ (NOIM) to a wedding celebrant one calendar month before the wedding.
This form needs to have been signed by yourself and witnessed by:
• Marriage Celebrant
• Justice of the peace.
• Barrister or solicitor.
• Medical practitioner (not a pharmacist).
The Celebrant will then keep the NOIM in a locked cupboard until the wedding day and will submit all the documents, including the ones signed on the day.
There are some reasons you can get married under the 1 month minimum period (e.g. deathbed sickness), however they’re fairly strict and you have to pay extra.
So it really does pay to be organised.
Another thing to consider when booking a celebrant is the date you intend to marry.
The most popular dates are between Feb-April and Oct/Nov and this carries with it some important reasons for when to book and the price you could pay (I’ll talk about prices below).
For example:
A Saturday Wedding in February, March or April are busy periods and likely to be booked around 12 months in advance. However, a wedding in July which is less popular is likely to still be available 3 to 6 months in advance.
When couples book me for their Reception MC, I’d say 70% book me for both Celebrant and MC straight away and 30% will let me know closer to the date.
4. How would you describe your ceremony style?
My ceremony style is humorous yet sentimental.
As someone who has and does spend a lot of time as a crowd member and participant at other events, whether at a concert, theatre or comedy show, I want to feel both engaged and comfortable. I want to feel confident that the person/persons up the front know what they’re doing.
As mentioned before, I memorise and share your story so it feels seemingly off the cuff. The reason I do this is because it gives the impression and feel that I am your friend and not simply a vendor.
It’s easier for your friends and family to hear a “friend” share their story rather than a stranger read their story. This might sound like a small difference ‘sharing vs reading’, but I think the delivery makes a huge impact.
A lot of people attending a wedding ceremony are unsure what to expect. Sometimes they’re worried that it might feel really uptight or tense. Others are worried that it’s going to go on and on and on and onnn.
So I keep my ceremonies around 25 to 30 minutes while making sure it feels relaxed and genuine though not losing the formality and the weight of the decision being made.
5. What are your fees for a wedding?
My prices vary depending on what date and days couples are getting married.
As mentioned earlier some months are busier than others (Feb-Apr & Oct/Nov).
To give an example, a Saturday wedding in March will be dearer than a Saturday in June.
A Saturday in June will be dearer than a Monday in March.
In general, the price to be your Celebrant will vary between $1600-$1800 or roughly $2250-$2650 to be your Celebrant and MC.
To compare the Real Estate saying of “Location, location, location” – for Wedding and price it’s “Date, Date, Date”.
6. What do you wear when you officiate a wedding?
I wear something that blends with the theme of your colours and the wedding style without making a show of myself. This usually involves wearing a suit jacket, chinos and a tie.
To give an example, if you’re wearing a black tux, white shirt with black buttons and a black bowtie, I’m probably going to wear black suit with a black tie, or black pants, black tie with a linen jacket; to add just a little bit of contrast in colour but still fit in with their theme.
It could also look like wearing a green tie with a neutral colour jacket and pants when the bridal party are all in green suits and dresses.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, I’ll happily play dress ups or even accept that invitation to the nudist community; I hear they hide nothing from one another.
7. How many pre-wedding sessions will the couple need to have with you?
I have three sessions with my couples.
The first meeting is a meet and greet where we talk about my process and it gives you a chance to check out my vibe. The meeting is free, online and there’s no pressure to book me during or after meeting.
The second meeting happens after you’ve decided on having me as your Celebrant and possibly also Reception MC. This involves signing the contract, filling out 2 questionnaires, one for the wedding day and one for the legalities, and pay a 50% deposit. Though as I mention on my website I’m happy to talk about splitting up payments further if need be; I call it “PetePay”.
In the second meeting that happens 3-4 months before the ceremony we sign your NOIM and go through your story.
It’s more about getting together, having a drink and chatting through what you want your ceremony to look and feel like (the vibe). Then we chat about your story, I just ask questions making it really easy because it’s a conversation. You don’t have to even remember everything because you’ll get a chance to make any changes or additions afterwards.
The third meeting is our online runthrough, I ask everything I need to know about your ceremony and reception (if I’m MCing). After this meeting all you need to do is get yourself to the aisle and I’ll take it from there while you enjoy.
8. Will you be able to create a personalised ceremony?
100%
Each couples story is unique, so it’s not hard to have that part personalised.
I’m always on the lookout to make sure you get the type of Wedding you’re after. Then on the day I’m finding ways to keep the ceremony present and active; like making a joke about the crying baby or furbaby.
9. Are you available to travel if needed?
Yes, I go where you go.
10. What is your cancellation and/or refund policy?
As per my contract:
“CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY:
Services rendered are non-refundable. In the event of serious illness or death, the refund will be provided at the Celebrants discretion.
In the unlikely event that the Celebrant is unable to perform the ceremony, due to serious illness or death, the Celebrant shall make every reasonable attempt to rebook. If due to unforeseen circumstances the Celebrant is not able to complete the service nor find a replacement Celebrant, a refund will be made except for services rendered.
If the Celebrant cancels and:
If a Story/NOIM meeting has been fulfilled with Pete, the couple will receive 75% of their initial Booking Invoice.
If a Story/NOIM meeting and your story has been fulfilled and written and sent to you prior the cancellation, the couple will receive 50% of their initial Booking Invoice.
In the event of a couple cancellation, the refund will not be provided.
However, if the Celebrant can find another couple to fill the original date, the Celebrant will refund the couple who has cancelled their Booking Invoice.”
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