5 DIAMOND CELEBRANT

“There are no published standards of performance criteria for a Celebrant”

A recent post in a celebrant forum sparked a somewhat feisty debate as to what signifies a ‘5 Diamond Celebrant’.  This terminology was created by the well-respected celebrant, Dally Messenger 111, who is not only the founder of the International College of Celebrants but has been a celebrant for over 35 years and has a long list of credits to his name.

The ‘5 Diamond Celebrant’ covers what you should expect from a No Diamond Celebrant and going through numbers 1-5, each time increasing what level of commitment and experience they offer (link above).  I was pleased to note that I am (without a doubt) a 5 Diamond Celebrant.   So why would celebrants who read this document have their feathers ruffled by this analogy?  The main point of contention was over how many weddings a celebrant can fit into a weekend.   I personally have a ‘one wedding per day’ policy as I like to be 100% focused on one couple, however, I have occasionally married another couple on the same day, if location and time will not conflict in any way with the wedding booked first.  This really is up to the celebrant to make that call.

But I’d like to focus on the DIAMONDS – 5 of them to be precise!  They sparkle, they bring happiness and they are rare.  Sometimes you have to spend a little more to get the quality of diamond that you want.   As my years of experience have increased, I’ve also come to know what my standard level of energy, commitment and enthusiasm goes in to each and every wedding.   Being a natural born romantic makes me want the very best ceremony for all of my couples, no matter how big or small their wedding is.

With every profession, there are levels of professionalism and we pay accordingly.  The same is true for Celebrants but as the quote goes “There are no published standards of performance criteria for a Celebrant”.  So for me, I’ve always gone by this rule of thumb.  I pay the most I can afford for the service I require.  That doesn’t mean I need to buy the most expensive – just because something has a hefty price tag doesn’t mean it is that much better.  I never go for the cheapest – it’s cheap for a reason i.e. corners have had to be cut with quality/training/level of service.  So I do my research, ask questions and see what my overall gut feeling is.  If it feels right, then it usually is.  And if I have to pay a little more to get the best overall service, then so be it.

So if you really do want a 5 diamond service, you just have to look for those gems, because there are only a few of us around!  I’m very proud to stand up and say I’m a 5 Diamond Celebrant!