How Much Does a Wedding Celebrant Cost? The 2025 Average Revealed
Two common choices for couples are getting married in a civil ceremony or a traditional religious ceremony. They’re both fantastic choices but come with certain limitations if you’re hoping for a more bespoke ceremony. That’s why the third option, a wedding celebrant, is becoming an increasingly popular choice for couples tying the knot.
By hiring a celebrant, you’re free to have your wedding be as personal and customised as you like. But how much does a wedding celebrant cost and what’s included?
In this post, we’re going to explore how much a wedding celebrant costs, what factors can influence that cost and why they ask for as much as they do.
What is a wedding celebrant and what do they do?
A wedding celebrant is someone who will officiate your wedding. A celebrant doesn’t only officiate weddings, but many of life’s other important events, such as funerals, naming ceremonies and renewals. You may find yourself hiring the same celebrant for various events throughout your life.
When a celebrant officiates your wedding it will be highly personalised so it’s specific to you and your partner. They can be as religious as you like, or have no references to religion at all, which is why they’re a popular choice for couples with no beliefs or mixed religious beliefs.
What type of wedding celebrants are there?
In South Africa, you’ll find several types of celebrants who can officiate your wedding — each offering something a little different:
- Interfaith ministers — A great choice for couples from different faiths or for those who aren’t religious. They’re experienced in blending beliefs and can create a ceremony that honours both backgrounds.
- Humanist celebrants — They specialise in personal, non-religious ceremonies and are a popular choice for couples wanting something modern, meaningful, and unique.
- Independent marriage officers — Registered under South African law, they’re authorised to legally solemnise your marriage and can tailor the ceremony to suit your style and story.
Whichever route you choose, a celebrant can help you craft a ceremony that feels true to you.
Is a wedding celebrant the same as a marriage officer?
In South Africa, a wedding celebrant isn’t the same as a marriage officer — and it’s important to know the difference when planning your big day.
A registered marriage officer (whether religious or civil) is legally authorised to officiate your marriage and sign your marriage register, making your union legally binding. They’re responsible for submitting your marriage to Home Affairs for official registration.
A celebrant, on the other hand, focuses on creating and delivering a personalised wedding ceremony — but unless they’re also a registered marriage officer, they can’t legally marry you. If you choose a celebrant who isn’t registered, you’ll still need a marriage officer for the legal part of your marriage, either before or after your ceremony.
So when budgeting, remember to factor in both: your celebrant’s fee and any legal costs with your marriage officer (which can vary, but often starts around R2,000–R4,000).
What’s the average cost of a wedding celebrant?
The average cost of hiring a wedding celebrant starts from around R5,000, but prices can vary widely depending on their experience, location, and the type of ceremony you want. Some celebrants charge significantly more for highly personalised or destination weddings.
If you’re looking for a ceremony with a personal touch — something beyond the standard legal formalities — a wedding celebrant is the perfect choice. Just remember to budget for both your celebrant and your registered marriage officer if needed.
Why does a wedding celebrant cost so much?
To the average guest at your wedding, a celebrant appears to play a small part in your celebrations. But, they don’t simply pop in for half an hour to officiate at the ceremony then head off to the next wedding — there’s a lot of work involved.
As we’ve already highlighted, a celebrant will help make your wedding ceremony hugely personal. It’s unlike any other wedding that came before it nor any other wedding that will come after it — and that doesn’t happen by accident. Once you’ve hired your celebrant they’ll sit down with you and your partner to discuss how you met, what interests you share, where you’ve travelled, times you’ve laughed, times you’ve cried, and you’ll share many, many other stories as they really get to know you. After all, how could they make your ceremony personal if they don’t know the real you?
Many celebrants will send out questionnaires that encourage detailed answers, which they’ll study carefully to create a beautifully crafted script for the big day. They may even talk to your family and friends to get some of the juicy information from them that you may have conveniently not mentioned. They’ll also arrive at your wedding and meet with you and your partner individually to help calm any nerves you might have before you walk down the aisle.
There’s also years of training and experience behind a skilled wedding celebrant that got them to where they are today, so you can be confident they’re going to officiate your wedding with style, confidence and professionalism.
So, while your guests might only see your celebrant for less than an hour, there’s a lot of work involved beforehand that helps to justify the cost.
Natalie Beer, experienced celebrant and proud founder of Velvet Moon Ceremonies, shares her top tips on how to save money on your wedding:
“The best way I found to save money as a 2023 bride myself was forgoing anything I didn’t want but others perhaps thought ‘should’ be part of a wedding. That way you’re not spending money on things you don’t care about and you get a wedding that’s more ‘you’ and only includes things you really want.
Having the big wedding day not be legally binding was part of that for us, so saving money on the fee of a registrar visiting our venue could go towards the celebrant cost we booked for the big wedding day and then had a simple legal ceremony a couple of days before. It was night and day difference throughout the whole process — the celebrant-led process was so much more personalised, we felt so much more cared for, and the ceremony itself, despite having perhaps triple if not quadruple the audience compared to the legal ceremony, was so much more relaxed as we were really put at ease and the atmosphere was so much more us!
As celebrants we can bring such personalisation, fun and creativity to your ceremony so that it’s exactly what you want, and you almost have a friend standing up there taking your ceremony more so than a stranger. That’s a cost that for us was absolutely worth it, and for all of my couples it is too. If it’s something that couples feel is important to them, to have a ceremony that really reflects them and is so much more meaningful than a generic script, then it’s definitely worth considering booking a celebrant.”
What factors affect the cost of a wedding celebrant?
While the average cost of a wedding celebrant may be R5,000, this figure can be higher or lower depending on a number of factors.
- Experience — A more experienced celebrant will often have higher rates.
- Reputation — A skilled and reputable celebrant will be able to ask for more due to the demand for their services.
- Location — Where the celebrant is based will affect their rates, for example, if they’re based in Cape Town, Johannesburg or Pretoria, they’ll usually be higher. They may also ask for more if they have to travel a long way to meet with you and on the day of your wedding.
- Style of your wedding — If your wedding is complex or takes more preparation it could affect the cost.
- Rehearsals — If you choose to have rehearsals then this will increase the cost of your celebrant.
- Additional services — Additional services, such as asking your celebrant with help writing your vows, will affect the overall cost.
How long before your wedding should you book a celebrant?
It’s recommended that you book a celebrant as early as possible, as many affordable, skilled and in-demand celebrants are fully booked for many months. If you find the perfect celebrant who is excited about the stories you and your partner share, the last thing you want is for them to book another wedding on the same day as yours — so get in there quick!
Natalie from Velvet Moon Ceremonies shares her professional advice:
“I’d recommend that couples book their celebrant as soon as they are able to! Mainly because, like other suppliers, the earlier you book the more likely the celebrant is to be free. Booking far in advance also means there’s plenty of time to get to know each other and for the ceremony script to be written, and perhaps even visit the ceremony space together to discuss ideas and make the couple comfortable with how everything will run. I’ve had some couples book me two years in advance and others book with just a couple of months to go until their date, so it’s all doable as long as the celebrant is free on their wedding day!”
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