The Power of Inclusive Wedding Celebrants
This past decade has seen a delightful transformation from uninspired and tedious ceremonies, to celebrations brimming with personality, warmth and a sense of belonging. And thank goodness for that!
But have you ever stopped to think about the profound impact that an inclusive celebrant can have on elevating your ceremony?
One of my guiding values in life and how I lead as a business owner, is my commitment to inclusion. To me, it’s a fundamental principle that should be at the heart of every wedding celebration. Inclusivity means honouring people of all races, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural background. It means creating ceremonies that not only celebrate your unique connection, but also make your guests feel seen and heard too.
Cultural Richness
Inclusive celebrants support a couple’s desire to recognise and honour their cultural heritage in their ceremony. At the same time, they understand the importance of not making assumptions and respect that a couple may not necessarily want to incorporate cultural traditions.
If you’re considering cultural rituals, blessings or music that resonate with your backgrounds, I would be thrilled to collaborate with you during the planning process. My priority is to be guided by your preferences and understanding of your own cultural traditions, and I’m committed to avoiding any imposition of assumptions or speaking on your behalf.
Mithila & Tom’s incredible wedding day. Photo credit Long Way Home Photography.
Let’s take inspiration from Mithila and Tom’s heartwarming ceremony. As guests arrive to the venue, they were treated to a taste of Tom's Croatian heritage with welcoming shots of rakija and gifts of rosemary buttonholes to wear. In a nod to Mithila's cultural background, their ceremony touched on Hindi traditions. As the wedding party made their entrance, the air was filled with the rhythmic beat of drums and the couple exchanged Malas, Hindi flower garlands, during the ceremony. Mithila was resplendent in a traditional pink sari, and Tom exuded charm in a velvet suit jacket and bow tie.
Inclusive Language
Inclusive is a practical way to create spaces that are safe and welcoming. For starters, inclusive celebrants can use markers such as “your name" and ‘your partner’s name', instead of heteronormative terms like 'bride and groom' on questionnaire forms. They will have a bank of vocab that allows them to warmly address wedding guests beyond outdated language like “ladies and gentlemen” and “bridal party”.
Inclusive celebrants ask their couples how they prefer to be identified when they pronounce them married. For Chris and Chris, the moment I pronounced them ‘husband and husband’ held immense significance. This choice of language became especially poignant (meaningful?) as their wedding took place shortly after marriage equality became a reality in Australia. For far too long, the possibility of being referred to as ‘husband and husband’ had been denied to Chris and Chris, making this moment profoundly moving.
Chris & Chris’s emotional ceremony. Photo credit Run Wild Photography
I took the initiative to learn phrases and sentences in Auslan, the Australian Sign Language, for Emma and Ravi’s ceremony. This effort went beyond the ordinary, allowing me to personally greet and welcome their guests and also enabling Emma and Ravi to share their vows in their language.
Moments before Emma & Ravi’s heartfelt ceremony. Photo credit Pat Casten.
“Kim brings genuine care and love to this work. We were lucky to meet up on multiple occasions, each time was really insightful, helpful and we genuinely got to know each other in a way that made working together really special. The entire journey of working with Kim was special and she worked hard to ensure we could achieve the moments that were important to us. For example, she learnt key phrases in Auslan to allow us to share our vows in our language and to allow her to directly greet and welcome our guests. On top of this, she just brought incredible energy, creativity and attention to our day. Many of our guests reflected that she set the entire tone for our wedding.”
Respecting Pronouns
Sensitivity to pronouns is so important. Inclusive celebrants make sure that pronoun use is respectful of each individual's gender identity. As part of my planning process, I always ask my couples about their preferred pronouns, extending this to any guests who will play a significant role in the ceremony.
Pronunciations
While it's a legal requirement for the couple's full names to be included in the ceremony, there are thoughtful ways to achieve this. Inclusive celebrants avoid the common practice of having the couple recite their own full legal names as part of their vows, unless, of course, the couple explicitly prefers this approach. Instead, a dedicated inclusive celebrant will take the time to learn and correctly pronounce the couple’s names themselves and seamlessly weave this into the ceremony, either within the opening section or incorporated into the Monitum. This way, the exchange of vows remains a moment of genuine connection, free from unnecessary formalities, where each partner feels truly seen and heard.
“Kim’s attention to detail was impeccable... several of the names in the ceremony were Vietnamese, and a little difficult to pronounce, but she got them just right.”
Embracing Love and Diversity
Weddings gather people from diverse backgrounds to celebrate love. And an inclusive wedding celebrant gets this - they know the importance of belonging and actively seek ways to make this happen.
Inclusive wedding celebrants, like myself, are masters of ceremonies and creators of experiences. We’re here to tailor a celebration that wholeheartedly helps you and your guests to feel acknowledged, respected, and deeply connected with.
