Celebrations By Candice: 10 Questions with Candice Bydder

Marriage Celebrants - Candice Bydder

Business: Celebrations By Candice
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Experience: 9 Years
Profile: Celebrations By Candice
Website: www.celebrationsbycandice.com.au

1. Introduction: What's your story?

Relaxed, conversational and fun. They're the words that best describe the ceremonies I do. Beyond that, I pride myself on giving my clients the best customer service. I really mean that too. Email replies so fast you might wonder if I have a robot or clone working for me (I don't... for now). Little bells and whistles included to solve problems you didn't even know existed. Assistance and recommendations for anything wedding-related you can think of.

Even in the busiest periods of the wedding season, I am never too busy for you.

Anyway, about me! I'm a full-time marriage celebrant and happily married mum-of-two based near Fremantle. I perform ceremonies all over Australia, but mostly within Western Australia. Some of the places I've been for weddings include the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Broome, right through the south west, Albany, Southern Cross, atop Bluff Knoll, on boats, and even up in a helicopter!

I specialise in smaller weddings and elopements... for a few reasons. For a start, I eloped myself so (kinda selfishly) I get to relive bits of my wedding day while working with couples. Plus, I remember the little things that made me feel special as part of my elopement, as well as the things which could have been better, and I try to apply all of that experience to deliver a service which exceeds even the highest expectations.

All enquiries are welcomed with the utmost warmth and respect. LGBTQI+ friendly, all abilities, all backgrounds, all legal consenting relationships (including poly relationships) are happily celebrated!

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

As at late 2024, I've officiated more than 900 legal ceremonies. In addition to that, I regularly do non-legal commitment ceremonies, vow renewals and naming days (for babies, adults... and sometimes even for boats!).

When crafting a ceremony, I lean toward authenticity and simplicity. I'm not there to tell you a story about yourself, as though you are characters in a storybook. I'd rather focus on your values and get to the bottom of why you're celebrating your special event, so I can enhance that and set the bar for the rest of your happy day.

And for folks who want to just sign the paperwork and get it done, that's OK too! My legals-only service is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get married in Perth, and can be done from the comfort of your own home.

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

Honestly, this depends on a few things. If you're looking for a Saturday in prime wedding season for the Perth region (March/April/early May and September/October/November), I'd recommend reaching out around 18 months in advance. But don't worry if you're on a tighter time frame than that, postponements and cancellations happen from time-to-time, so try your luck and enquire anyway!

If you're open to other months, or other days of the week, my availability is usually pretty good. There's a legal requirement that the Notice of Intended Marriage be lodged with a celebrant at least one month before the ceremony day, so that's the absolute deadline to secure your celebrant.

For really urgent weddings, it may be possible to have that one-month notice period waived. If that's relevant to you, send me a message and I can tell you more about it.

4. How would you describe your ceremony style?

Fun... but not too over-the-top.
Fastidious... without creating any extra work for you.
Flexible... willing to think outside-the-box to make sure you get what you want.

If you're open to having a laugh at your ceremony, I'm totally up for that. I'm more inclined to laugh together WITH you, and not AT you. Light-hearted, without being a stand-up comedy show.

That said, there are some great stand-up comic celebrants here in Perth, and I'm more than happy to name drop them if that's more your vibe!

5. What are your fees for a wedding?

As at 2025, my fees range between $500 for a legal-only service, and $1400 for a Full Service wedding with all the bells and whistles. I have options in between that too, such as my Registry Style service for $750, which has been really popular with budget-conscious couples.

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

That's one of the questions I ask you! I like to blend in with your colour scheme, or the environment, without being too matchy-matchy.

On my Instagram, I've dedicated one of my Highlights to show the outfits I wear, so you can hand pick something from there. Or, make a request! You won't have to twist my arm too hard to make me buy a new outfit!

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

As many or as few as you like. Some couples are really hands-on and want to meet or check in regularly. Others, I meet for the first time on the wedding day.

Typically, I'll do a first meeting with a couple so they can see if I'm a good fit for their ceremony. Then, we'll meet to lodge the Notice of Intended Marriage together and talk through a few ideas. Closer to the ceremony day, some couples choose to have me lead a rehearsal. Then, of course, the wedding day itself.

The rest of the planning can be done at your own pace via email and online forms. Or, you can just leave it all to me, if that suits you best!

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

My Full Service Weddings are entirely personalised, starting with a blank page and working creatively from there. For legal weddings, there's a paragraph or two which needs to be consistent (in order for the actual marriage to be performed and registered correctly), but the rest is open to creativity.

Rituals are always possible, and when including them, I look to adapt them to find a deeper meaning. In my repertoire are rituals involving handfasting cords, sand, water, rocks, fire, candles, food and drink. We're not limited to those things, though! The past few years, I've seen rituals becoming less popular in favour of simple, meaningful and authentic ceremonies, with less of the performance aspect.

9. Are you available to travel if needed?

Yep! My travel fees are minimal. I regularly travel throughout Western Australia, and occasionally to other states and territories (including the Indian Ocean Territories).

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

My cancellation, postponement and refund policy is very generous, and I'm always happy to be fully transparent at any stage of the process.

My initial booking fee is deliberately very low, only $220.

When first setting up my small business in 2016, I thought long and hard about my values and decided that I didn't ever want to make money out of misfortune. During the height of the COVID pandemic, it was financially very tricky, but I was able to stay true to that policy without any regrets.

Postponements can usually be accommodated without any extra charge (unless you need me to travel for your new ceremony date, for example). Most of the time, cancellations are eligible for a 100% refund. It depends on the circumstances, timeframes and how much work I've done for you so far. It's all spelled out in writing within the contract for peace of mind - yours and mine.