Melbournes best wedding celebrants

Aug 19, 2021

Melbourne wedding celebrants: finding a great one is challenging, and it’s hard to get an idea of whether their vibe is gonna fit your proverbial tribe ahead of time. The Celebrant A List is an initiative put together to help solve that, and here you can see a whole host of the very best wedding celebrants Melbourne has to offer.

I’ve been super lucky to work with these wedding celebrants, so read on and enjoy these community marvels and a little insight into the Celebrant A List, and then hire one for your elopement or wedding (check out these awesome small wedding venues too, or these amazing unique wedding dresses).

From quiet and stylish, to outlandish rockstars and everything in between, this unique list of the top wedding celebrants in Melbourne also has photos of every one of these legends taken at the Celebrant A List Baller, so you can get a great idea of how their vibe might align with your own day.

If you want to skip the gab and get to the point, here’s a run-sheet of some of the best Melbourne wedding celebrants that are featured here (in no order):

Best Marriage Celebrant Melbourne (in no order)

  1. Anthony Cribbes
  2. Nat Sproal
  3. Charis White
  4. Celebrant Ladylove
  5. The Wedding Anarchist
  6. Matt Finch
  7. Sean Whelan
  8. Zena Lythgow
  9. Jac the Hitcher
  10. Jessie Belle
  11. Megan Thompson
  12. Damon Hughes
  13. Shannon Jeans
  14. Megan Watson
  15. Pete the Celebrant
  16. Rachael Calvert
  17. Sweet Wonderful You

Left: Wedding celebrant Blue Mountains: Jac the Hitcher

Lord of the dark-funk, Jac the Hitcher, has retired.

Right: Wedding Celebrant Melbourne: Matt Finch

Grandmaster suave, Matt Finch lives here and also at this beautiful Melbourne gay wedding of Sam and Paul.

Left: Marriage Celebrant – Celebrant Ladylove

Lord of all things neon and dark in the wedding celebrant world, find Annie here.

Right: Wedding Celebrant in Melbourne – Marry Me Sean

As well as being found under an excellent hat, known as one of the Best Marriage Celebrants Melbourne has on offer, you can find Sean here.

Left: Wedding Celebrant in Melbourne – Megan Thompson

As well as being found wrapped in curtains, Megan can be found here.

Right: Wedding Celebrant in Melbourne – Megan Watson

Megan is pointing over there, and to find her we’re pointing here.

Left: Wedding Celebrant – Rachael Calvert

This legendary Tasmanian wedding celebrant can be found here, and while there check out this Bruny Island wedding and this Cradle Mountain elopement.

Right: Wedding Celebrant – Pete the Celebrant

This totally debonair devil can be found here.

Left: Wedding Celebrant in Melbourne – The Wedding Anarchist

Formerly known as Marry Me Dee, and if you want colour and jazz, maybe the best marriage celebrant Melbourne has going. Find her here and here.

Right: Melbourne wedding celebrant – Damon Hughes

Not just a good looking rack for short-shorts, also maybe the best marriage celebrant Melbourne has on offer, find him here. If you’re looking to also pop a bloom in ya’ gob, head here to find an awesome Melbourne wedding florist.

Left: Wedding Celebrant – Sweet Wonderful You

With her name an homage to Fleetwood Mac, find the brilliant, empathetic and effervescent Erin here.

Right: Wedding celebrant in Melbourne – Anthony Cribbes

You’ve seen young ‘Tony a lot around these parts, and if a modern James Bond is your vibe, maybe the best marriage celebrant in Melbourne. Find him here and here.

Left: Wedding Celebrant – Shannon Jeans

This rainbow pocket rocket can be found here. Also see her in action at this Two Ton Max wedding we both worked on.

Right: Unique wedding celebrant – Nat Sproal

Lord mistress of all things hilarious, Nat lives here and here. I also worked with this brilliant mofo at this Fortyfive Downstairs wedding.

Left: Wedding Celebrant in Melbourne – Charis White

I’ve worked with this gem many a time, possibly the best marriage celebrant Melbourne has around, you can find Charis here, and we’re featured together on Suzanne Harward. Head here to find out her opinion on how to write a wedding ceremony.

Right: Unique Marriage Celebrant – Jessie Belle

This cartwheeling legend can be found here

This is a little chat with the Celebrant A-List founder, Anthony Cribbes, about why it exists and how it benefits the Melbourne wedding community.

Finding the best wedding celebrant Melbourne has: What is the Celebrant A list?

On paper it’s a directory with some hand picked celebrants. Maybe it’s also an antidote to the ‘come one come all’ sites that I find just end up causing us much confusion and anxiety for couples who are by and large going through this process for the first time.

BUT what it actually is a chance to be a little different in the market. All of the directory members are people from my own and some other close confidant’s personal networks.

These were people we already were swapping leads with. So whilst it’s not the definitive and finite list of who’s a quality melbourne wedding celebrant, I can definitely say that all members are quality people and celebrants.

How can couples getting engaged best benefit from the A list in finding a Melbourne wedding celebrant?

So the Celebrant A List is also a little community group. We all know which other members are better suited for which kind of couple just based on the initial enquiry.

So my advice would be to get on the directory, to find the kind of wedding celebrant you think fits the bill and send them an enquiry.

If they’re not available, we work as a group to find you someone that is not only free but will also fit what you are looking for.

It seems to be something of an army. Any favourite cult leaders that were referenced?

Is Brian Jones or David Koresh a funny or poor tasting joke?! Nah but in all honesty, the crew on the Wedding Celebrant A List is from the network of wedding celebrants who were already naturally jelling together.

Everyone on the list is vouched for – we avoid cult like activities, thinking and environments, we feel the market for that is already catered for!

The wedding industry is getting more and more flooded across all vendors, as barriers to entry are removed. This makes it not only more challenging for a couple in sifting through available options, but also challenging as a vendor trying to create a sustainable business. How do you see the creation of this network as fundamentally addressing both of those challenges?

Haha, what a question! If I was to say what was the mission of the Wedding Celebrant A List, it would be to address exactly this challenge.

We have moved from a world where once upon a time we had to wait until every Thursday night at 7:30PM before our favourite show would be on…now I can binge watch whatever I want, whenever I want.

This is how society works now, so the Wedding Celebrant A List is the kind of place where people can come and not only can we help them feel less overwhelmed we also support each other’s businesses.

It’s for this reason alone why we don’t have hundreds and hundreds of members as we genuinely feel like in the end that helps no one – the couples or the celebrants.

As I already mentioned, just by enquiring with one us, we’re kind of all there to help you find not only the right celebrant but also many other vendors.

We all buy based on people giving us recommendations, it’s kind of the same approach over at the Wedding Celebrant A List.

You held the Celebrant Melbourne A List ball over Christmas, which was an epic event with the best Melbourne Wedding Celebrants in town: whats next on the cards?

Well before good ol’ Rona hit the plan was to try and host an event in each major city where we have representation. But now we’re focussed on our big event next year, Hitchmas.

We plan on making this the best business workshop/networking/party kind of event ever hosted in the wedding world.

Where to find the best marriage celebrant Melbourne has on offer?

Head back up through this post and click through to any of the brilliant Melbourne wedding celebrants websites.

How much is a wedding celebrant in Melbourne?

A Melbourne wedding celebrant costs anywhere from $600 to $2000, to deliver a customised wedding ceremony. You should expect a good wedding celebrant to cost around $1500, as there is so much more work involved by the wedding celebrant than just taking care of the wedding ceremony itself.

How much does a celebrant cost in Australia?

A wedding celebrant in Australia will cost you from $600 up to $2000, and there is a lot of work involved in creating an incredible custom wedding ceremony for you. You can expect a good wedding celebrant to cost around $1500, and it is one of the better places to spend money on the day, as a good wedding celebrant puts in the time and love to honour you both and your community.

What is a marriage celebrant?

A wedding celebrant is a person who performs and officiates your wedding, funeral, or other similar ceremonies.

Who can be a wedding celebrant?

If you love people, and love running a show, you can be a wedding celebrant. Reach out to Annie, on this page, who runs a celebrant training school.

Questions to ask wedding celebrant?

You should ask your wedding celebrant the following questions:
1: What is your style?
2: What is your level of experience?
3: What happens if things go wrong?
4: How will you tell our story?
5: Do you share audio with the videographers?

What if I need to get married in a short timeframe?

Find a celebrant on this page, and then head over to our post on how to get married quickly in Australia.

Find the Wedding Celebrant A-List online

Finding a Melbourne wedding celebrant can be a bit of a massive task – fortunately, the Wedding Celebrant A List has been assembled to take some of the legwork out of it. Verified legends, take a look and find your Melbourne wedding celebrant below, and then get them down for your Melbourne city elopement.

The Celebrant A List website
The Celebrant A List Instagram

Link one of these legends up with a brilliant Melbourne wedding planner, and with the brilliant minds of Firecracker Event an incredible grazing table.

All photographs on this page are by Briars Atlas, and any usage must first gain permission.

Vanity fair photo booth

Want to get photos like these? Then you should check out our new little collaborative side business, BLANC, that channels the spirit of a Vanity Fair photo booth… we think there’s nothing like it out there.

Book me to photograph your wedding alongside your favourite wedding celebrant (if you want)

Briars Atlas Wedding Photography Melbourne – Make an Enquiry

How to write wedding vows

Jul 9, 2020

How to write a wedding ceremony: Charis White is a Melbourne wedding celebrant with an enormous amount of experience in weddings large and small all over greater Melbourne and Victoria, for every type of couple you can imagine. With all her experience in running brilliant ceremonies, Charis shares her thoughts on how to write a wedding ceremony, how to write your vows, and how to ensure that it’s a smooth experience – especially for the shy and introverted.

How to write a wedding ceremony: tips from Charis White

When you consider how to write a wedding ceremony, what are the perfect elements a great one, and how do you personally service them?  

How to write wedding vows


Getting to know the couple well means they will have a great ceremony. At a wedding I did recently, a guest asked if I was a friend of the couples. This is the best compliment ever as it shows I really know them and reflected their story in an awesome way. 

How to write wedding vows

Do you recommend a process for couples to think about their vows content? 


I ask them if they have an idea about what they want to talk about. If not, then I give them some vow inspiration to look over and guide them along. I also read over the vows and offer advice and guidance. 

What are your best tips for couples that are shy at the idea of being vulnerable in front of their community? 

how to write wedding vows


I tell them to face each other, that way they are only seeing the face of their bestie.  If you are nervous, a reassured look can calm you down. I am also up there with them to reassure them and guide them through the process. 

How do you take the inner vibes of your couples and translate that into an overall wedding ceremony that’s meaningful to them and congruent to their vows? 

Laura in the incredible Suzanne Harward songbird gown also featured here.


When I meet my couples, we have a chat about their day, their expectations and the overall vibe they want their ceremony to take. Once we have chatted through their story, I send them a questionnaire with more comprehensive questions. I also give my clients the draft to look over, it reassures them.

In terms of their vows (see Jake writing his wedding vows), I cast my eyes over them to make sure they are both semi aligned. EG, if one vow is very funny, then I will go to the other person and tell them to weave in a little humour.

That way they are both balanced. 

How do you ensure that aside from the couple, their family and community is entertained or spoken to by the ceremony?

Suzanne Harward Songbird Gala Gown


I talk about family and friends in the ceremony. I also love engaging with people prior to the ceremony, especially the oldies and kids.

If there is a way to weave a few friends into the ceremony story, I love to do this and love the relatability of it. 

I see a lot of vows written the morning of the wedding. Brave! What is your advice on writing the vows ahead of time or in the moment on the day? 

How to write wedding vows

Laura and Walker looking super cinematic. See why we still use Kodak as a film wedding photographer.


My advice is totally against this. Actually, I bully them into giving them to me prior. JK. If the couple wants me to have their vows, so they do not need to carry anything on the day of their wedding. I ask for the vows prior to the ceremony. I then populate them into the final draft.

My timeline on this is at least two weeks prior to the ceremony. Sometimes I get them the morning of.

However, most couples are pretty good with getting them to me on time. I also look over their vows prior to the ceremony.  

Long story short – don’t leave your vows until the last minute!

Your top three parting tips for couples looking to hire a celebrant? 


Follow your gut, trust the process and believe in your team. 

Find Charis White online (and hire her for your Melbourne elopement):

Charis White Celebrant Website
Charis White Celebrant Instagram

See here for how to plan wedding music.