After fifteen years in this game and helping countless celebrants through the Celebrant Institute, I’ve seen brilliant celebrants struggle to get enquiries whilst mediocre ones with well-structured websites book out months in advance. It’s not about being the best celebrant—excellence certainly helps—it’s about understanding how couples actually behave when they’re hunting for someone to marry them.
Most of us think about our websites the wrong way. We organise them like we’d want to read them, not like a stressed-out couple scrolling through their fifteenth celebrant website at 11pm on a Tuesday night, trying to find someone who doesn’t make them want to elope to Vegas instead.
Here’s what I’ve learned about website structure that actually converts browsers into bookings, and why the order of your content matters more than you probably realise.
The Brutal Truth About First Impressions
Your homepage has about the same amount of time to make an impression as you do when you walk up to start a ceremony—maybe thirty seconds before people make a judgement. The difference is, at a wedding, they’re stuck with you. On your website, they can click away to someone else faster than you can say “dearly beloved.”
I’ve watched couples browse celebrant websites over their shoulders, and here’s what actually happens: they scan your main headline, glance at your photo, scroll down quickly to see what else is there, then either close the tab or slow down to actually read something. That entire process takes less time than it would take you to introduce yourself at a wedding fair.
This is why your headline can’t be about you—it has to be about them. “Experienced celebrant serving the Gold Coast” tells them nothing about whether you understand what they want. “Ceremonies that feel like you, not like everyone else’s wedding” immediately signals that you get it. You understand they don’t want cookie-cutter.
The Psychology of the Scroll
Here’s something most celebrants don’t realise: couples don’t read websites, they scan them whilst making snap judgements about whether you’re “their kind of person.” This means the order of your content creates a narrative about who you are before they’ve read a single paragraph.
Think about it like setting up for a ceremony. You wouldn’t put the signing table in the middle of the aisle and ask guests to walk around it to get to their seats. Every element needs to flow naturally into the next. Your website works the same way—each section should naturally lead to the next whilst building trust and connection.
Start with that killer headline and photo, then immediately show them what success looks like. This might be a gorgeous image from a recent ceremony with a quote from the couple about how you made them feel. You’re not telling them you’re good—you’re showing them what good looks like.
The Trust-Building Sequence That Works
Once you’ve got their attention, you need to build trust fast. But here’s where most of us get it wrong—we think trust comes from listing our qualifications and experience. Couples don’t care that you’ve done 500 weddings unless they understand what makes your 500 weddings different from another celebrant’s 500 weddings.
Instead, tell them why you do this work. Share the moment you knew celebrancy was your calling, or describe what lights you up about creating ceremonies. When couples understand your motivation, they start to trust your intention. And when they trust your intention, they’re much more likely to believe you’ll care about their ceremony as much as they do.
Follow this immediately with social proof, but make it strategic. Don’t just dump five-star reviews—choose testimonials that tell stories about the experience of working with you. The review that says “Josh made our ceremony feel so natural and personal that our guests kept asking if we wrote everything ourselves” is worth ten reviews that just say you were “professional and friendly.”
Services: Stop Listing, Start Painting Pictures
This is where I see so many celebrants lose potential bookings. They list their services like items on a restaurant menu instead of helping couples imagine what their wedding day will actually feel like.
Instead of “I offer traditional and contemporary ceremonies,” try something like “Whether you want your guests laughing through heartfelt stories about your relationship or sitting in reverent silence as you exchange deeply personal vows, we’ll create a ceremony that feels authentically you.”
See the difference? One tells them what you do, the other helps them imagine how they’ll feel. Couples hire celebrants based on emotion, then justify the decision with logic later.
For each type of ceremony you offer, paint a specific picture. Describe the moment when the couple realises their ceremony is unfolding exactly as they’d dreamed. Help them imagine their grandmother wiping away tears or their best mate struggling not to laugh at the perfect inside joke you’ve woven into their story.
The Process Section: Removing Fear of the Unknown
One of the biggest barriers to enquiry is couples not understanding what working with a celebrant actually involves. They’ve never done this before, and the unknown feels risky when you’re planning the most important day of your life.
Walk them through your process step by step, but make it feel exciting rather than overwhelming. “Our first meeting is where the magic starts—we’ll sit down over coffee (my shout) and I’ll ask you questions that might surprise you. Not just how you met, but what you love about each other that others might not see. What moments in your relationship still make you smile. What you want your guests to understand about your love story.”
When you describe your process with warmth and specificity, couples start imagining themselves going through it. They begin to see working with you not as a transaction, but as an experience they’re actually looking forward to.
Making Contact Irresistible
Here’s where most celebrant websites completely fall over. The contact section feels like an afterthought, usually just a form asking for basic details and maybe a generic “tell us about your wedding” text box.
Instead, make initial contact feel like the natural next step in getting to know each other. Create multiple ways to connect—email, phone, even a calendar booking system if that suits your style. But whatever you do, make the call-to-action about them, not you.
“Ready to start creating something amazing together?” works infinitely better than “Contact us for availability and pricing.” One feels like the beginning of an exciting collaboration, the other feels like checking items off a shopping list.
Consider offering something valuable upfront. This might be a PDF guide to writing personal vows, a checklist for planning an intimate ceremony, or just a personal email about your approach to weddings. When you give first, couples immediately understand the kind of service they can expect from you.
The Mobile Reality Check
I hate to break it to you, but most couples are browsing your website on their phones whilst hiding from their future mother-in-law’s opinions about centrepieces. If your website doesn’t work brilliantly on mobile, you’re losing bookings to celebrants whose websites do.
Test your website on your own phone regularly. Better yet, ask friends to navigate it whilst you watch over their shoulder. What seems obvious on your laptop might be completely confusing on a small screen. Make sure every important element—your headline, contact information, key testimonials—is easily visible and clickable on mobile.
The FAQ Strategy That Closes Deals
A good FAQ section doesn’t just answer questions—it addresses every concern that might prevent someone from enquiring. Think about the questions couples ask during your initial meetings, and answer them proactively on your website.
But go deeper than the obvious stuff about pricing and availability. Address the emotional concerns: “What if we’re too nervous to speak in front of people?” “What if our families have different expectations about the ceremony?” “What if it rains?”
When you answer unspoken concerns, couples start to trust that you’ve thought through everything they’re worried about. They begin to see you as someone who anticipates problems and has solutions ready.
Creating Momentum Without Pressure
The best websites create a natural momentum towards booking without feeling pushy. This might be as simple as mentioning that you only take a limited number of bookings each year to ensure quality, or showing your availability calendar so couples can see which dates are still free.
Avoid artificial urgency or high-pressure tactics. Couples can smell desperation from a kilometre away, and it damages trust faster than you can say “limited time offer.” Instead, focus on genuine reasons why acting promptly makes sense—popular dates fill up quickly, you get booked well in advance, or you’re planning a sabbatical next year.
The Long Game: Building Relationships Beyond Bookings
Your website shouldn’t just generate immediate bookings—it should build ongoing relationships with couples who might not be ready to hire you today but could become clients or referral sources tomorrow.
Consider adding a blog where you share ceremony ideas, wedding planning tips, or stories from past weddings. This gives couples reasons to return to your website and positions you as a helpful expert rather than just another service provider trying to sell them something.
Measuring What Matters
Here’s something most celebrants never do: they don’t track how their website actually performs. Install Google Analytics and start understanding which pages people visit, how long they stay, and where they leave your site.
More importantly, ask every couple who enquires how they found you and what prompted them to get in touch. This feedback is invaluable for understanding what’s working and what could be improved.
The Bottom Line
Your website is having conversations with potential clients whilst you’re sleeping, travelling, or conducting other ceremonies. Make sure those conversations are as warm, engaging, and persuasive as you would be in person.
When couples land on your website, they should immediately understand who you are, what you offer, and why you’re exactly what they’ve been looking for. More importantly, they should feel excited about the possibility of working with you before they even pick up the phone.
Remember, the couples who become your clients aren’t just hiring someone to tick the legal boxes—they’re choosing someone to help them start their marriage in exactly the right way. Your website should make that choice feel obvious, exciting, and absolutely right.
The best part? When your website does its job properly, the couples who enquire are already sold on working with you. They’re not shopping around for quotes—they’re ready to book the celebrant who clearly gets exactly what they want.
To-Do List
Here’s your step-by-step roadmap for arranging your celebrant website to maximise enquiries. Think of this as your ceremony running sheet, but for converting website visitors into excited couples ready to book you.
Homepage Header Section (What They See First)
Step One: Craft Your Hero Headline Write a headline that speaks directly to your ideal couple’s desires, not your achievements. Focus on the feeling they want, not the service you provide. Test it by asking yourself: does this make my perfect couple think “yes, that’s exactly what I want” within three seconds of reading it?
Step Two: Add Your Supporting Subheadline Expand on your main promise with specific benefits that help the right couples self-select. This should paint a picture of what working with you feels like, using language that resonates with your ideal clients.
Step Three: Choose Your Hero Image Carefully Select a photo that shows you in action during a ceremony, preferably capturing genuine emotion and joy. Avoid posed headshots or generic wedding imagery. Couples want to see you doing what you do, not looking like you’re applying for a corporate position.
Step Four: Position Your Primary Call-to-Action Place a clear, compelling call-to-action button that uses emotion-driven language. Make it impossible to miss and ensure it speaks to collaboration rather than transaction.
Trust-Building Section (Immediate Follow-Up)
Step Five: Lead With Your Why Story Position your “about” section prominently, but structure it as a story about why you became a celebrant and what drives your approach. Share something personal that helps couples understand your values and connect with you as a person.
Step Six: Showcase Strategic Social Proof Follow immediately with testimonials that tell stories and highlight specific benefits. Choose reviews that describe the experience of working with you rather than generic praise. Focus on emotional outcomes and specific moments that demonstrate your skill.
Step Seven: Add Trust Indicators Include any relevant certifications, awards, or professional associations, but don’t lead with these. Position them as supporting evidence after you’ve already begun building an emotional connection.
Services Section (Painting Pictures, Not Lists)
Step Eight: Describe Experiences, Not Services For each type of ceremony you offer, paint a specific picture of what that experience feels like. Help couples imagine their guests’ reactions, the emotions they’ll feel, and the memories they’ll create. Focus on outcomes rather than features.
Step Nine: Include Process Details For each service, explain exactly what working with you involves. How many meetings will you have? What happens at each stage? How much input will they have? Specificity builds trust and reduces uncertainty.
Step Ten: Show Rather Than Tell Include images or brief video clips from real ceremonies that demonstrate different styles and approaches. Always obtain permission from couples before featuring their wedding content.
Enquiry Optimisation (Removing Barriers)
Step Eleven: Create Multiple Contact Pathways Offer various ways for couples to connect with you–email, phone, booking calendar, or contact form. Make sure each method feels welcoming and personal rather than purely transactional.
Step Twelve: Offer Value Before Asking Consider providing something useful in exchange for contact details, such as a vow-writing guide, ceremony planning checklist, or personal note about your approach. This demonstrates your expertise whilst building goodwill.
Step Thirteen: Use Action-Oriented Language Frame your call-to-action around collaboration and excitement rather than information gathering. “Let’s create something amazing together” engages emotion better than “Contact for availability.”
Support Content (Addressing Unspoken Concerns)
Step Fourteen: Build Comprehensive FAQ Section Address both practical questions (pricing, availability, inclusions) and emotional concerns (nervousness, family expectations, weather contingencies). Anticipate and answer questions before couples need to ask them.
Step Fifteen: Include Location and Logistics Clearly explain your service areas with maps where helpful. Don’t be overly restrictive–many couples will pay travel costs for the right celebrant. Consider location-specific pages if you serve multiple areas.
Step Sixteen: Add Process Transparency Walk visitors through exactly what working with you involves, from initial enquiry through to ceremony day. Remove mystery and uncertainty by being completely transparent about your approach.
Technical Foundation (Behind-the-Scenes Essentials)
Step Seventeen: Optimise for Mobile Experience Test your website thoroughly on various mobile devices and internet speeds. Ensure all key information is easily accessible without excessive scrolling or zooming. Most couples will visit your site on their phones first.
Step Eighteen: Implement Analytics Tracking Install Google Analytics to understand visitor behaviour–which pages they visit, how long they stay, and where they exit your site. This data will guide future improvements and content decisions.
Step Nineteen: Create Loading Speed Optimisation Ensure your website loads quickly across all devices. Compress images, minimise plugins, and choose reliable hosting. Slow websites lose potential clients before they even see your content.
Ongoing Relationship Building (The Long Game)
Step Twenty: Add Regular Content Updates Consider including a blog or news section where you share ceremony ideas, planning tips, or stories from past weddings. This gives couples reasons to return and positions you as an ongoing resource.
Step Twenty-One: Build Email Capture Strategy Create opportunities to stay connected with couples who aren’t ready to book immediately. This might involve newsletter signup, planning guides, or seasonal ceremony inspiration.
Step Twenty-Two: Monitor and Improve Continuously Ask every enquiring couple how they found you and what prompted them to get in touch. Use this feedback to refine your website structure and content regularly.
Remember, each element should flow naturally into the next, building trust and excitement until contacting you feels like the obvious next step. Your website should feel like the beginning of a relationship, not just a transaction, guiding couples smoothly from curious browser to excited client ready to book their perfect celebrant.
Inspired by this post from the Local SEO Hustlers on Threads
