How did I do 27 weddings in one month?
Posted by Josh Withers | May 12, 2022 | The Art of Celebrancy | 0 |
A ceremony as a series of ‘riffs’, tha...
Posted by Josh Withers | Mar 29, 2022 | The Art of Ceremony | 3 |
Rounded prices are better than unrounded for weddi...
Posted by Josh Withers | Feb 14, 2022 | The Business of Celebrancy | 1 |
Celebrants can witness NOIMs over the internet!
Posted by Josh Withers | Dec 21, 2021 | Our Guidelines to Australian Marriage Law | 3 |
Why I hate wedding awards: “I am in competition wi...
Posted by Josh Withers | Oct 22, 2021 | The Art of Celebrancy | 1 |
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Portable PA speaker system purchasing ad...
It’s time to change the one month ...

A massive change to how marriage celebra...

You should charge more, and here’s 10 re...

Wedding rehearsals – a video

I’ve gone to court for cancelled c...
When the celebrant gets sick mid-ceremon...

Where I stand during the ceremony. Sarah...

Which iPad and which apps do you recomme...

Marketing: if I was starting today
How and why you should position your spe...

Ceremony script writing skills. Sarah...
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LatestThis is your permission to raise your fees in 2022
by Josh Withers | Jun 9, 2022 | The Business of Celebrancy | 0 |
Sarah and my accounting software of choice – Xero – just emailed us that our Xero plan...
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How did I do 27 weddings in one month?
by Josh Withers | May 12, 2022 | The Art of Celebrancy | 0 |
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The law of social proof and celebrancy
by Josh Withers | Apr 11, 2022 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
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Do I need more than one domain name for my website?
by Josh Withers | Mar 29, 2022 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
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A ceremony as a series of ‘riffs’, that’s how I’m unscripted
by Josh Withers | Mar 29, 2022 | The Art of Ceremony | 3 |
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Computer and internet security for a modern marriage celebrant
by Josh Withers | Mar 11, 2022 | The Business of Celebrancy | 0 |
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There’s Gold In Them Thar Questions
by Josh Withers | Feb 18, 2022 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
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How to spy on other people’s Facebook Ads
by Josh Withers | Feb 18, 2022 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
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Top RatedShould I use a speaker stand, and should I use a PA for 10 guests?
by Josh Withers | Sep 20, 2020 | The Art of Ceremony | 0 |
Tam asks: I have my first wedding coming up next month. My question is in regards to using my PA system. I have Bose S1 with Sennheiser microphone. The wedding is only small (approximately 10 guests). Would you use a PA system? They are having a videographer so I didn't know if this would play into whether or not to use it? If you suggest not using it, at what size wedding would you? Also I have not yet brought a stand. Is this an absolute must/do you recommend any particular brand/price point to aim for to get a decent one? Complete newbie with all this stuff! All good questions, Tamika, and I’ll address them separately.
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014 Social Media Challenge: Be relevant
by Josh Withers | Nov 13, 2020 | Social Media Content Challenge | 0 |
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The secret to having people share your social media posts
by Josh Withers | Sep 8, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
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Approach a wedding ceremony as a work of art
by Josh Withers | Aug 22, 2020 | The Art of Celebrancy | 0 |
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Getting your financials in order
by Josh Withers | Aug 9, 2018 | The Business of Celebrancy | 4 |
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Digital drivers licenses as ID, a guide for celebrants
by Josh Withers | Nov 22, 2019 | Our Guidelines to Australian Marriage Law | 0 |
Latest podcast episodes
Listen NowWe’re not going to charge you more money, it’s ok
We’re tired, and we know you are all tired too. In this episode we catch up on each...
- Marketing and Social Media
- The Art of Celebrancy
- The Art of Funerals
- The Art of Ceremony
- The Business of Celebrancy
- Our Guidelines to Australian Marriage Law
- Community News
How to start taking better photos at your weddings
by Josh Withers | Sep 27, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
An element of my social media content strategy I'm quite proud of is that I've really worked hard at making better photos, photos that I have made - and therefore own - so that I have photos and video for my own social media channels and blog. If you're interested in pursuing that art as well, Josh Rose has written a really good guide that I think would help you. It's aimed at taking better holiday photos, but the advice translates directly to weddings as well.
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Writing prompts for social media and blogging
by Josh Withers | Aug 29, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
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Be vulnerable about your growth intentions to actually grow
by Josh Withers | Aug 24, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
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The thing about all of your social media followers
by Josh Withers | Jul 1, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Questions to ask your couples for your review or testimony
by Josh Withers | Aug 26, 2021 | The Art of Celebrancy | 0 |
Jason Fried has posted a list of questions he asks referees he calls for new employees. I read through the list and thought that it would be equally impressive to see our clients answer some or all of these questions in their reviews. Shape the questions so they serve you, but instead of asking for a plain old review, try asking your couples a question and ask them to share it as a Google, Facebook, or other form of review.
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The best tablet computer for celebrants, is it the reMarkable?
by Josh Withers | Dec 12, 2020 | The Art of Celebrancy | 4 |
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Are you a workaholic?
by Josh Withers | Oct 20, 2020 | The Art of Celebrancy | 0 |
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Sarah’s gear – a video
by Sarah Aird | Aug 4, 2020 | The Art of Celebrancy | 3 |
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Words to an aspirational celebrant
by Josh Withers | May 22, 2020 | The Art of Celebrancy | 6 |
Getting your start in funerals
by Sarah Aird | Aug 10, 2018 | The Art of Funerals | 7 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read articles about building and running a sustainable celebrancy business, the nuances around the Australian marriage laws, advertising...
Acknowledgement of Country in our weddings
by Josh Withers | Jan 26, 2021 | The Art of Ceremony | 4 |
First Australians have been marrying for thousands of years on the land we now call Australia. Terra Australis, the southern land, was home to people well before the Dutch or the British "discovered" it, so as much as Australian law requires us to identify that we the celebrants are authorised to marry people according to Australian law, common decency would see us acknowledge the truth of the land we stand on to create ceremony.
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You don’t have to do everything
by Josh Withers | Aug 7, 2020 | COVID-19, The Art of Ceremony | 0 |
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Live streaming a wedding, and what about the music copyright?
by Josh Withers | Aug 7, 2020 | The Art of Ceremony | 0 |
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We’ll do it live!
by Josh Withers | Jun 23, 2020 | The Art of Ceremony | 3 |
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Creating an intimate ceremony, and including kids
by Josh Withers | Jun 22, 2020 | The Art of Ceremony | 0 |
A story for celebrants finding their tribe like Yeti coolers did
by Josh Withers | Feb 11, 2022 | The Business of Celebrancy | 0 |
Before Yeti created a $5 million cooler and adventure brand, the icebox/cooler market (aka the "esky" market, despite Esky being a brand) was a a low-cost and cheap product market. Chris Hladczuk documents their story in a recent release of his email newsletter which I recommend subscribing to.
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Other avenues for networking and referrals
by Josh Withers | Feb 10, 2022 | The Business of Celebrancy | 0 |
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Marriage statistics 2020
by Sarah Aird | Nov 24, 2021 | COVID-19, The Business of Celebrancy | 1 |
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My secret to business success: email
by Josh Withers | Oct 21, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 4 |
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How to get your couples to reply to your emails
by Josh Withers | Sep 2, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 0 |
How to record the location of a marriage ceremony on the water or in the air
by Josh Withers | Sep 19, 2021 | Our Guidelines to Australian Marriage Law | 1 |
Lizzie asks: "My couple is getting married on a boat in The Pittwater located on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Please advise how I best record the "at" on the docs for a wedding adrift." The Guidelines to the Marriage Act, in relation to the place a wedding would occur, gives this poor advice: "The marriage must be registered in the state or territory where the marriage was solemnised. To meet this requirement, and possible requirements of other countries for recognition of the marriage, marriages in aircraft and ships at sea should be avoided." I'm not going to say they're wrong, but they're not right. Australian authorised marriage celebrants have the authority and the ability to marry couples anywhere and at any time on any day within Australia and its territories.
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Legalities for parties who are vision impaired
by Sarah Aird | Jul 12, 2021 | Our Guidelines to Australian Marriage Law | 2 |
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Moving a wedding from Queensland to New South Wales
by Josh Withers | Sep 29, 2020 | Our Guidelines to Australian Marriage Law | 0 |
Not-as-ongoing professional development
by Josh Withers | Dec 21, 2021 | Community News | 0 |
As 2021 draws to a close, so does an era of celebrant-industry-driven professional development....
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Facebook’s a bit salty at us
by Josh Withers | Feb 20, 2021 | Community News | 0 |
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We have changed membership systems
by Josh Withers | Jul 25, 2020 | Community News, COVID-19 | 0 |
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Look out for a zero dollar invoice for the annual celebrant charge
by Josh Withers | Jul 13, 2020 | Community News | 0 |
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Annual fee waived!
by Sarah Aird | May 15, 2020 | Community News | 0 |
Preparing for the inevitable re COVID
by Sarah Aird | Dec 23, 2021 | COVID-19 | 2 |
How Sarah is preparing for the inevitable COVID exposure and isolation…
Read MoreVaccine mandates and weddings
by Sarah Aird | Sep 22, 2021 | COVID-19 | 1 |
Sorry, we don’t have the answers!
Read MoreSay, do you remember? Dancing (with new forms) in September?
by Josh Withers | Aug 18, 2021 | CI | 0 |
September 2021 is bringing us new marriage forms, and to be sure that we don’t confuse things, let me quote from the Attorney-General office email sent today. If you haven’t received it, check your spam folder and then tell your email client it isn’t spam, it’s the boss.
Read MoreShould we charge more or differently for public holidays?
by Josh Withers | Aug 6, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 2 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read...
Read MoreWhat does your profile photo say about you?
by Josh Withers | Jul 30, 2021 | CI, The Business of Celebrancy | 1 |
If you’ve taken our branding advice before, you’re using the same headshot profile photo for your social media accounts and your website, and anywhere else you can upload an identifying photo, avatar, logo. But do you know how it’s performing for your brand and marketing?
Read MoreThree practical ways to increase your price
by Josh Withers | Jul 27, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 2 |
I’m not backwards in coming forwards about celebrants raising their price. I’ve given a number of good reasons in the past, but as lockdowns and travel bans continue to fuel the bonfire that is the state of the wedding industry today I was inspired by the idea that we, the wedding industry need not bare the burden that is wedding postponements, we are not wedding insurers, we are professional creatives. We are not wedding insurance. That’s not to diminish your want and desire to be generous and kind to your clients, be that, and more, but you are not their wedding insurance. Their wedding being postponed should not bankrupt you. So assuming you’re already ready to raise your price, if not read this, here’s three practical ways you can increase your price today.
Read More7 Insurances celebrants should have
by Josh Withers | Jul 9, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 1 |
A member has asked about whether the Celebrant Institute membership includes insurance. It doesn’t, and we’ll be honest with you, that’s because we reached out to a bunch of insurance brokers and insuring you lot in such a general way turned out to be so expensive and hard, that it wouldn’t be worth it for you, or for us, to offer such a broad stroke of insurance, when each of your businesses are so unique and personal.
So here’s the seven insurances I think every wedding celebrant should at least consider, and of course you need to do your own research and consider your own circumstances.
Please note that this is general information only and should not replace financial or professional insurance advice. Talk to a licensed insurance broker, business advisor or insurer for detailed advice.
None of this information has been influenced by an outside business and we have received no payments or discounts for offering this information.
Read MoreWise words about reviews, for Billy Joel and wedding celebrants
by Josh Withers | Jul 2, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 0 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read...
Read MoreA week’s worth of content prompts for your blog or social media
by Josh Withers | Jun 14, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
If you’re feeling a bit stuck on what to post on your blog, or social media, or both, here’s seven content ideas you can easily write right now. Then schedule them up to drop every day, and watch your online personal brand grow!
Read MoreAre you ready if someone tries to hack you and steal your client’s personal data
by Josh Withers | Jun 10, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 0 |
Reading the news today about the meat manufacturer that paid up $11 million in ransom to cybercriminals after having its business shutdown over a hack recently, my mind turned to celebrants.
I hold grave fears that any day now there’s going to be an Australian marriage celebrant breached by a hacker, and all of their clients’ NOIM, Marriage Certificate, Passport, Divorce, Drivers License, details will be leaked, stolen, sold.
Read More“The truth is most of your followers won’t see what you share” on Instagram
by Josh Withers | Jun 9, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Instagram has shared a post today about how and why people see what they see on Instagram. I’m not going to speculate on how much of this is smoke and mirrors, or politics, or conspiracy theories. Instead, lets take them at their word and believe what they say.
You can read the whole report here, and I’ll share some excerpts and thoughts on it below.
Read MoreHow to be “out there” and trust the process
by Josh Withers | Apr 13, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Krystal asks: “I seek perhaps some advice on how I continue to be “out there” without sailing into the boring seas or moving into sharing content on social media that isn’t relevant. Maybe I need to be patient with the process, once my first wedding is over and I’ll feed my future marketing off that.”
Read MoreWhat are the celebrant’s COVID-Safe obligations in NSW?
by Sarah Aird | Mar 9, 2021 | COVID-19 | 2 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read...
Read MoreOur 1st Birthday Competition
by Josh Withers | Mar 6, 2021 | CI | 0 |
One year ago today Sarah Aird took over the reins of Life Skills Training, and this year we relaunched as the Celebrant Institute RTO with the contract to provide ongoing professional development for Australian civil celebrants, alongside the Certificate IV in Celebrancy, the cornerstone qualification required to become a celebrant.
Read More12 months defending wedding industry disputes due to covid
by Kathryn Adams | Feb 20, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 0 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read...
Read MoreIf Facebook shuts your page down, are you prepared?
by Josh Withers | Feb 18, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
Your Facebook page, Instagram page, Google My Business account, your LinkedIn, and god forbid any of you have a Parler account, but they’re all not your property. Running your business on the back of those properties is like going to your local cafe and setting up shop at a table. Putting up a little sign with Married By John Citizen on it, and accepting meetings and enquiries there. It might be ok for the longest period of time (thanks for hosting me, Sisterhood Coffee), but at any time that business owner can ask you to leave and not come back.
Read MoreHow is OPD different in 2021?
by Josh Withers | Feb 16, 2021 | Training | 1 |
If you’ve read your emails from the AGD recently, or heard rumours around the ol’ celebrancy water cooler, you might be a little confused about what is happening with ongoing professional development in 2021.
Read MoreSurvey on the future of OPD
by Sarah Aird | Feb 16, 2021 | Training | 1 |
New OPD consultation survey out now: please respond!
Read MoreQuick way to complete the Certificate IV in Celebrancy
by Josh Withers | Feb 16, 2021 | Training | 1 |
A friend asks me today what the quickest way is to complete the Cert IV in Celebrancy, the qualification needed to become a celebrant in Australia. Friends of my friend reckon she’d be a great celebrant and they’d like her to marry them.
Read MoreWhere to focus on your celebrancy in 2021
by Josh Withers | Feb 6, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 2 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read...
Read MoreHow to accept crypto currencies for your work
by Josh Withers | Jan 31, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 1 |
A celebrant has written in to the Celebrant Institute asking the question: “How can I, and should I, accept crypto currency for celebrancy?”
Read MoreUltimate Guide to Creating Automation For Your Customer Journey
by Josh Withers | Jan 31, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 0 |
I recently spoke via video at the Wedding Business CEO Summit and spoke on the process of creating a customer journey. My talk was called There’s A Fraction Too Much Friction: Automation For Your Customer Journey. I believe this is an important and valuable topic for all wedding business people to get in their life, and I’m so glad I get to share it with Celebrant Institute members.
Read MoreHow to get couples to book you as their celebrant
by Josh Withers | Jan 25, 2021 | The Business of Celebrancy | 2 |
“I’ve a question about that first meeting – I’ve met a few couples, tried coming from different angles ie. Asking what they have in mind for their ceremony, how they met, build rapport, let them talk or I do most of the talking – introducing myself and how I help them with my process and system. Have not sealed the deal. What do you recommend as discussion points for the first meeting, for high chances of booking soon after?”
Read MoreWhat if Google didn’t exist?
by Josh Withers | Jan 22, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
Google, in light of legislation being introduced in Australia, has threatened to pull out of the Australian market. I’m sure they won’t, if only because they won’t walk away and leave $59 billion of income on the table and destroy the trust in their brand over a couple of dollars being paid to news organisations.
Read More026 Social Media Challenge: It’s not about you today
by Josh Withers | Dec 31, 2020 | Social Media Content Challenge | 0 |
Social media, and humanity in general, can become a little bit self-indulgent at times. It’s our tribal, animalistic nature, to look after one’s self first. But something beautiful happens when you turn the camera away from yourself, when you shift the spotlight onto someone else.
Read More025 Social Media Challenge: Meme me baby
by Josh Withers | Dec 27, 2020 | Social Media Content Challenge | 0 |
Your challenge today is to create an entertaining meme. Not an educational meme, or an instructional meme, or a demonstratable meme. Today we meme for fun.
Read More024 Social Media Challenge: Can I answer you a question?
by Josh Withers | Dec 23, 2020 | Social Media Content Challenge | 0 |
Today’s challenge is a little more casual after some intense training days, and it’s about Quora.
Read More023 Social Media Challenge: The writing game
by Josh Withers | Dec 19, 2020 | Social Media Content Challenge | 0 |
Today your challenge is to write non-stop for five minutes.
Read More022 Social Media Challenge: You can ASCII me anything
by Josh Withers | Dec 15, 2020 | Social Media Content Challenge | 0 |
In the beginning there was the text, and the text was good. It was all we knew. We called it ASCII, ASCII codes represent text in computers. When I first used a personal computer in 1991 “computer graphics” were mostly just text in the shape of graphics, like this was a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. And despite us inventing all of the great technologies that allow us to view videos, blogs, photos, and the rest online, in today’s challenge, we’re sticking with the original: text.
Read More021 Social Media Challenge: Charting the course
by Josh Withers | Dec 11, 2020 | Social Media Content Challenge | 0 |
Here’s a chart that tells a story about my business. Before you read on or scroll, what story do you think it’s telling?
Read More
Celebrant Talk Show
- We're not going to charge you more money, it's ok
- Advanced OPD topic on how to skin a rabbit
- Be the CEO your wedding celebrant business needs you to be
- Was the tinsel an acknowlegement?
- Tasmania (BDM) gets the internet
- The one in a hotel room with a lawyer
- Preparing for the aftertime
- I think I've already mentioned this on the podcast
- Luna's debut on the podcast
- A terrible time to buy a business
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How did I do 27 weddings in one month?May 12, 2022 | The Art of Celebrancy
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