10 Questions with Celebrant Hailey from 'Celebrate With Hailey'
She might be a relatively new Celebrant to the scene, but in such a short time, Hailey has already established herself as a popular choice amongst newly engaged couples. As a soon wife-to-be herself, Hailey personally understands what it is like to be in the midst of wedding planning, and smoothly guides couples to their "I do's".
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We asked Hailey 10 questions so that you can get a feel for all things 'Celebrate With Hailey'.
Tell us a little about yourself...
I am a professional juggler. Marriage Celebrant, International flight attendant, fur baby mamma, café hopping, people watching, yoga addicted wife-to-be! I absolutely love my life and wouldn't change a thing about it.
My work in the aviation industry over the past 12 years has involved roles in Training and Assessment, People management and more recently a move back into a flying position because I wanted to become a Marriage Celebrant.
I essentially have two full time 'jobs'! In one, I work as an international flight attendant, and in the other, I have the incredibly rewarding role of getting people married!
Why did you become a Celebrant?
I genuinely love weddings; I love seeing people in love. I know that sounds cliché, but seriously, there's something so special about getting to know two people and what their relationship means to them.
I'm all about the details. I get a tiny window into the most sacred part of people's lives and then have the privilege of sharing that view with their nearest and dearest on their wedding day.
I became a Celebrant because I want to celebrate love, I want to share people's stories, and I want to be part of creating lasting memories for my couples.
How long have you been a Celebrant for?
I've been in the game of marrying loved up couples for nearly 18 months. I had just started the study for my certificate when the laws changed to allow same-sex couples to marry in Australia.
The day the vote came through, good friends of mine posted on Facebook that they would be getting married ASAP.
I suggested a little cheekily they wait a year as I'd love to marry them, because the process of becoming a Celebrant can take a long time... they immediately replied saying I had 6 months!
Suffice to say that kicked my butt into gear, I finished the studies in record time and then waited anxiously for the approval to come from the Attorney Generals office.
As it happened, my approval came through 2 days after their wedding, I was still able to conduct the ceremony for them with the assistance of another awesome celebrant, Beth from I heart Ceremonies stepping in to complete the legalities on the day.
Each Celebrant is known for their unique take on a ceremony, what kind of wedding are you known to deliver?
I love creating a ceremony that has all the looks and feels people have come to expect from a ceremony but, in a fun, engaging and heartfelt way (aka not dull). I work with my couples to create the vibe throughout their ceremony that best represents who they are and the way they want their connection to be shared with their fans.
Every couple I work with is so different, each individual has a very unique sense of what love, marriage and their wedding day will look like. It's incredibly important to ensure each party feels they are being heard and represented throughout the planning stages; I absolutely love the 'getting to know you' part of our relationship.
I do this with phone calls, facetime, real-life meetings and questionnaires. Communicating with my couples in a variety of ways really helps me to learn more about each of them because everyone opens up and shares information in different ways.
I love a ceremony that involves the guests. The more they feel engaged and a part of the celebrations, the less likely they are to forget what was said halfway through their first prosecco. Lol.
What's your favourite piece of advice for newly engaged couples just starting on their wedding planning journey?
Take some time alone to think about what you imagine the day to be. I'm all about each person creating a vision board of what they like and what they think could work – go crazy with ideas, nothing is too big or over the top for the first edit.
Once you've both completed your boards, book in date night ensuring there's wine and cheese available then share your boards with your loved one.
If there is anything that you've both included, then it clearly stays, and then being brutally honest (while still being kind – the wine helps here!) cull the things from each other's lists you hate. Anything that you like from each other's board also stays.
By the end of this process, you should have a pretty clear idea of what you both want and if you are on the same page with planning.
In your opinion, is there such a thing as a perfect wedding?
Yes, of course, there is!
The perfect wedding looks entirely different from couple to couple and provided you make the day about the two of you, the love you share and your loved ones you can't go wrong.
That being said, it's important to roll with the punches and know that on the day, things may not go exactly as planned. As with all things in life, it's often the imperfectly perfect moments that bring the laughter and memories we look back on so fondly.
Find the right people to help you make the day yours. Spend the time talking to your Celebrant, Photographer, Caterer, Event styling company etc to ensure they have a clear understanding of your vision.
Most importantly make it the day you want, not the day your Mother-in-law, Aunt Thelma or Uncle Barry wants – you do you!
Do you have any favourite weddings?
That would be like admitting you had a favourite child! I can't say I have a favourite wedding overall, there have definitely been some standout moments.
As I said earlier, my first wedding was for close friends. They made it a whole glamping weekend event with their nearest and dearest. My partner was their MC, so working alongside her while she did her thing was a lot of fun!
Greeting the ladies at the end of the aisle with their 3 children and being able to pronounce them partners for life is a moment that will stay with me forever.
The girls were the first of the group to make it legal, after fighting so hard to have their family legally recognised, so there was definitely a lot of love and emotion in the room.
What is the most unique element you've seen added to a wedding ceremony?
I had a very shy and modest couple recently that didn't feel comfortable sharing their vows in front of their guests. Where the exchange of vows would have taken place during the ceremony, I had the couple seal a bottle of their favourite red wine, along with their vows, in a beautiful box. I then explained to their guests that this box would be opened and enjoyed by the couple on their first wedding anniversary.
This was perfect inclusion as a wine box ceremony is a Dutch tradition (the groom was Dutch), and the first anniversary gift is traditionally paper!
You're a popular Celebrant, how long in advance should couples get in touch with you so that they don't miss out?
The sooner, the better! I would suggest you get in touch as soon as you've set the date, booking your wedding suppliers can be a real case of the quick and the dead, especially if you're getting married in 'peak' season.
I have a pretty straightforward booking process; you reach out to me via email or socials, and from there we arrange a coffee or cheeky wine date to see if we're the right fit for each other.
Once you've decided you love me (and let's face it, after our meeting you will) you have a window of time to pay a deposit securing your preferred date. It really is that easy and straightforward.
And finally, what does marriage mean to you personally?
For me, it's showing up each and every day for your partner. In the words of Ronan, life is a rollercoaster!
Seriously it really is. We all grow and change over the years, and I believe that a big part of any marriage means allowing each other the space to do just that, while offering support and encouragement along the way.
Sometimes we may not like or agree with what the other has said or done, it's about always loving your person, even when they're driving you up the wall!
Getting married is your opportunity to share with your community that you're willing to love, respect and support your person for the rest of your days. It's making a commitment to one another in front of those that matter and inviting them to share your love story with you.
Images: Luke Going Photography
We suggest reaching out to ‘Celebrate With Hailey’ to secure your desired wedding date.
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