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August 18, 2019

Rethinking the celebrant registration process

Sunday 30 September 2018 was a memorable wedding. It was a perfect afternoon on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour at Vaucluse. The ceremony was beautiful – an honest reflection and celebration of the couple, their family and friends. The newlyweds sparkled as bright as the sun glistened on the harbour. Everyone was high on happiness.

I packed my paperwork into my bag, collapsed the tripod, hoisted the PA bag over my shoulder and farewelled the couple. As I walked to my car, a wave of sadness descended. This was my final wedding after six wonderful years working as a civil marriage celebrant.

Three days later, I was no longer deemed ‘a fit and proper person’ suitable to solemnise marriages. I was deregistered as a Commonwealth-marriage celebrant. My crime? I forgot to pay the annual marriage celebrant registration charge by the final payment date required.

Now, before you shout “surely, a celebrant can be organised enough to pay the annual celebrant registration charge invoice within 60 days?” I certainly had been since the introduction of the charge in 2014.

But inconceivable as it might seem, I forgot in 2018. An immediate family member had died, and another was in the hospital. I did not check my secondary email account where the notice was sent until ten days past the due payment date. The SMS text reminder never arrived. I was too late.

If the marriage celebrant registration invoice remains unpaid after 60 days from the date of issue (the legislated ‘charge payment day’), under section 39FB of the Marriage Act 1961, the celebrant must be deregistered. There is no discretion even when circumstances like a sudden illness, a death in the family or even a domestic violence situation affects the timing of the payment.

Quite naturally, we all tend to sit by passively and accept laws without much thought or consideration given to their implications unless personally affected. But seemingly well-intentioned laws can backfire, expose absurd processes, and unjust outcomes.

One day I met all the requirements to practise as a Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant, and the next I did not.

To re-register, I had to wait several months (after I completed the red tape, obtained three referee reports and paid the $600 application fee plus $40 for a police history check) to satisfy the requirements, and ‘once again’ practise as a Commonwealth registered marriage celebrant.

The re-registration process is even more absurd and costly for marriage celebrants with over 10 years’ experience. They are required to retrain if they don’t have the current training requirements of a Cert IV in Celebrancy or an equivalent tertiary qualification. It’s not surprising therefore when a celebrant with 20 years’ experience and well over a thousand marriage ceremonies under her belt, decided that to register ‘again’ was a complete waste of time, effort and money.

The current processes and law illustrate the defects in the legislation and the serious implications of mandatory deregistration.

2018 – the same year I was deregistered – saw the highest number of celebrants deregistered since the introduction of the cost-recovery charge. It’s highly likely the massive jump from 170 celebrants deregistered in 2017 to 370 in 2018 can be attributed to the omission of an SMS text reminder to celebrants from the Marriage Law and Celebrants Section (MLCS), as in previous years.

The reason the text message was not sent in 2018 was that the part of the department that had that capacity was moved in a Machinery of Government change.

Thankfully, this year, the MLCS is using a provider for the text reminders to help prevent celebrants from missing the payment date and deregistration. But that doesn’t help me. It is also disappointing that the MLCS does not obtain data from deregistered celebrants to determine their reason for non-payment, as this type of information would be useful to improve processes.

Losing my job and informing the couples who booked me to officiate their marriage that it was no longer possible, was gut-wrenching. The couples were forced to find a new celebrant – some within a very short time frame – which caused distress and inconvenience.

The couples chose me because of my personality, service, and reputation to create and deliver a marriage ceremony for one of the most important days in their life. My business reputation was now damaged. Plus, I lost $4,200 income from cancelled weddings which was a significant cost to me and my family.

Being deregistered is one of the worst things that can happen to a marriage celebrant, so I kept my status close. I only told a few couples and celebrants who I felt would understand and not judge. To the others, I simply provided vague responses when asked why I had to cancel the weddings.

From what I’ve gathered, when the annual registration charge and the penalty of deregistration for non-payment were proposed, there was some support from some Celebrant Associations, but strong opposition from most associations.

The charge is a cost recovery levy, rather than a fee. It is imposed on 28% of marriage celebrants in Australia – which is another reason why deregistration for the non-payment of the charge is grossly unfair.

But, before we expend energy and precious time pointing blame and citing obstacles, let’s instead focus on what needs to be done.

The Commonwealth government has the potential to collect 2.2 million dollars from the payment of the 2019 – 2020 annual celebrant registration charge imposed on 9,125 Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants for the cost of running the Marriage Celebrants Program.

Given this situation, what possibilities can you suggest to improve the efficiency of the marriage celebrant registration charge process? And – while you are at it – improve the celebrant training course and how to effectively disseminate information to celebrants. I have a few ideas, but for now…

Here’s a proposal for the marriage registration charge process

The period to renew a marriage celebrant registration is from 1 July to 31 August every two years. After August 31, there is a grace period of 60 days in which celebrants can renew their registration by paying the registration charge plus a late fee. During this period, the celebrants registration remains active.

After October 31, the celebrant’s registration status changes to inactive. In the two years following this, the celebrant can apply to reactive their registration. They must complete a ‘re-activation’ application and show proof that they have caught up with continuing education requirements and legislative knowledge. An application fee applies, as well as the renewal charge.

After 2 years, if the celebrant has not reactivated their registration, the status is deactivated. If a former marriage celebrant wishes to be authorised to solemnise marriages under Australian law, they can reapply through the normal process. And, they may qualify for recognised prior learning which accounts for the skills, knowledge, and experience that the celebrant possesses.

Here’s how to take action

Contact the Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations – The Hon Christian Porter MP for a review and legislative change of Section 39B of the Marriage Act 1961. If you like the proposal above, include it as a discussion point, or send your ideas. And, ask others to contact Christian Porter to request a change.

If you are not a member of a Celebrant Association, consider researching and joining one. There are Associations with fabulous celebrants as members who have a wealth of knowledge and experience about the ‘essence’ of the celebrant program. Enter the adventure, learn, ask questions and get involved.

Let us create possibilities that support and encourage each other as celebrants to improve and grow. That way, we can be the best, and give the public the best.

By: Angela Finn · Filed Under: Marriage · Tagged: celebrant charge, deregistration, marriage celebrant, marriage law

February 23, 2016

4 Questions to Help You Find a Wedding Celebrant

A Wedding Celebrant is the most visible service-provider on your Wedding Day.

Their ability to impact your happiness on your Wedding day should not be underestimated.

Yet couples tend to overlook the role of a Celebrant when making their choice. Many make their decision based on price alone, which is risky.

There are heaps of  valuable reasons to consider when choosing a Wedding Celebrant. Let me explain…

It comes down to 4 questions to help you clarify the purpose of your Wedding Ceremony and the Celebrant.

Your answers will help you and your partner direct your choice of Wedding Celebrant.

1. How important is your marriage ceremony?

The goal of your wedding ceremony is to end up married. The way you achieve that goal is your decision. The length, type, mood and content of your marriage ceremony is largely determined by the value you place on the marriage ceremony. Is your marriage ceremony…

  • A thing done purely to comply with convention, regulations or customs?
  • A legal necessity to get over as quick as possible before the party starts?
  • A significant life event of great importance?
  • A rite of passage when you exchange vows and life changes forever?

Your opinion greatly influences the style of Wedding Celebrant to use for the purpose.

Using the idea of a significant life event, a Celebrant will be required to create and write a ceremony that is an artful expression of who you are, as a couple and as individuals. You’ll need a Marriage Celebrant with creative skills – written and verbal – who can express  your union and the importance of the event.

If you want a “no-frills” ceremony, the creation and presentation skills of the Wedding Celebrant won’t matter so much.

2. How do you want to feel on your wedding day?

Most people focus on how a wedding looks. But what’ll you’ll remember about your wedding day is how it felt.

Have you ever been to a wedding ceremony that felt like a ‘non-event’? Remember how you felt?

A ‘boring’ wedding ceremony lacks quality, meaning and personalisation. It results from the ceremony content or sometimes the presentation style of the Marriage Celebrant.

If you want bliss not boredom at your wedding ceremony, choose a Wedding Celebrant that

  • Is motivated by a genuine passion for the art of ceremony creation and presentation
  • Matches your personality and style.
  • Demonstrates your best interests to ensure you and your guests feel happy and valued

3. What style of wedding ceremony do you want?

A civil marriage ceremony has ample scope for creativity.  Apart from the legal inclusions, all the rest – content, location, décor, music, participation, apparel –  is open to personal choice. The style and mood of your wedding ceremony reveal

  • who you and your partner are as a couple
  • what marriage means to you both

What is important to both of you? What sort of things do you want to acknowledge at your ceremony?

  • Your love and  relationship
  • Family and friends
  • Culture, traditions, beliefs
  • Passions and interests

What kind of “vibe” do you want your wedding ceremony to have?

  • Relaxed or formal
  • Traditional or modern
  • Surprising or predictable

Your answers will greatly influence your choice of Celebrant.

For example, if you want a traditional wedding ceremony that conveys a formal mood, look for a Marriage Celebrant that suits that style.

If you want an alternative wedding, or a themed wedding – Country and Western, Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Disco, the 50s – look for a Wedding Celebrant with a propensity for fun and creativity, open and engaging.

If you need help to define, create and convey a mood for your ceremony, seek a Wedding Celebrant that provides information, samples, and ceremony ideas.

4. How much does a wedding celebrant cost?

Whatever we spend our money on tells us something about who we are, what we know and what matters to us.

Early on in your wedding planning, it is essential to pick the few things that matter to you, so you can identify where to allocate your budget.

If your Marriage Ceremony is really important to you and you understand the considerable contribution, a Celebrant can make to your happiness on your wedding day and beyond, set aside a realistic fee for your Celebrant.  The fee for a skilled Marriage Celebrant in Sydney can cost up to $1800.

There are many factors that determine the expertise of a Wedding Celebrant, which I will write more about later.

Making Your Decision

Choosing a Marriage Celebrant is an incredibly personal choice.   There are thousands of Celebrants  to choose from, all with varying skills and personalities to suit your needs.

Whoever you choose and for whatever reason, it will be much easier to choose a Wedding Celebrant if your take into consideration what matters to you on your Wedding Day.

For a list of registered Marriage Celebrants in Australia who conduct civil ceremonies see the Attorney General’s Department 

By: Angela Finn · Filed Under: Celebrant · Tagged: celebrant cost, marriage celebrant, planning tips, wedding celebrant sydney, wedding vibe

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