Nerves & Crosses: Meeting My First Client

If I haven’t already told you (which is impossible as I’ve told everybody, including the neighbour’s cat), I have finally caught my first couple. For obvious reasons until they consent, I will not give too much of their details but for the sake of storytelling, I will name them Bianca and Bernard. Bianca found me on Bark and I was all types of skeptical, having received at least three spam/fake enquiries before. However, after speaking with her, it was clear that she was a real life genuine person and, more importantly, the first person who wanted to book little ol’ me.

Bianca has been really easy to work with so far. My first phone call with her was actually an hour before my doctor’s appointment after being concussed (which I discussed in a previous post). Enjoying the conversation and a little flustered, I checked the time to note that I only had 20 minutes before my doctor’s appointment which was 15 minutes away. Needing to get changed, I kindly wrapped up the conversation but she left me with some questions. 

She is in a similar situation as me, a young mum of 2 young kids and, something that sounds like something I would do, misplaced her birth certificate. At any given time, I can promise you that I am only a moment away from misplacing my anything. I lose my prescription glasses at least every quarter of the year for up to one month and need to get by wearing my old glasses with my old prescription. Surprisingly, my eyesight is getting better every 2 years or so and my optometrist thinks that I will regain my 20/20 vision. 

So I scurried away and found out that the only solution to a misplaced birth certificate is to get a new one. But, like my boomerang glasses, she found her birth certificate within the week. What a relief! Big thanks to Dr Google and my fellow Celebrant Society members. Somebody suggested a stat dec but apparently this is only the very last resort and only acceptable in very few situations.

I thought that my practice would be to meet my client within the first week in order to ensure we are a good fit and so that I can complete the NOIM, in the event that there are any errors in their paperwork. However, understanding Bianca and Bernard’s situation, I made an exception. Furthermore, although they are planning on getting married within my service area, they live quite far. I even posed doing the NOIM digitally (with gritted teeth) but they are my people and they want to also meet face-to-face. So… we are meeting tomorrow at her mother-in-law’s house just a stone throw away. 

Jitters? Nerves? The giant sloth within my periphery? You bet!

I asked hubby if he can take the babies somewhere for an evening so that I could sit and figure out what I need to bring to our first meeting. Thankfully he complied (thanks boo) and I scoured my celebrant Facebook groups, typing “first ceremony” to read historical posts. It was then that I figured out what I am to bring the first time I meet Bianca and Bernard. 

But first, logistics. Of course, of course the day I decide that I am meeting with my first client, hubby also has a side job to do. Although we have full-time work, we both have niche interests. Me, writing and love. Hubby? Lawns. So my 10:30am appointment clashes with a lawn he has to do at 9am. Shoutout to my mum for agreeing to help me with the little ones, which she agreed to with gritted teeth. My littlest, cutest little face, is also more than a handful. 

So, back to the list which I have been to finalise whilst hubby baths little terror:

Invoice

I will choose not to disclose what I have charged this couple but gave them the quote when I first spoke to Bianca on the phone. It is a special price and definitely significantly less than what other celebrants would charge however, with it being my first wedding, I thought I would charge less and work my way up. 

I recently read somewhere that the cost of marriage certificates in NSW went up. However with it being my first wedding, I am none the wiser. I just did a quick Google search and in NSW, the cost is:

• Standard Service: $68 + $11 postage & handling

• Priority Service: $101 + $11 postage & handling

  
  

Next time, I will choose to consider this cost when providing quotes to couples

Client Service Agreement

Although Bianca and I had a great yarn over the phone, I want to go through with her and Bernard exactly what my services entail and my exclusions. For example, I currently do not own a PA system or microphone which I made very clear to her in our initial phone call. My logic to give this after the invoice is so they know exactly what they are paying for.

I won’t have it handy but I will also offer to send them my insurance details which is included in my Celebrant Society membership. 

Happily Ever… Before and After Brochure

This is a document that celebrants must give their clients. It is to remind their clients of the solemnity of marriage. The monitum very clearly states that:

Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of 2 people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

When giving this to the client, I think I will also suggest pre-marriage education. I remember this being a big part of my study with Rose Training Australia. Suggesting pre-marriage support made a lasting impact on me through my studies so I will try my best to remember to bring this up tomorrow (wish me luck!)

Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants

Another thing that made an impression on me from my studies is letting the couple know how to couple about you. If they are unhappy with your services and have discussed this with you, they have the right to take it further and lodge a complaint with the Attorney-General’s Department. Although I emailed a copy of the Code of Practice to Bianca, I think that I want to give them a hard copy to really assure them that I am invested in doing it right for them. I don’t expect them to read it, although it isn’t a lengthy document. But at least I want to give them the option to do so.

I feel like at this point, they are able to back out if they do not want to proceed with me as a celebrant. But if we’ve gone this far, this is when I will proceed to do the big girl thangs… the NOIM!

2 x Copies of the NOIM

Why 2 copies? The inner teacher in me wants to be able to read along as they read and fill it out. Although I plan to lead the couple in completing the NOIM, I want to be able to not have to do the guess work. Although one of my many talents is that I can read upside down, I do not want to have to do it when completing legal documentations with my couple. 

It is also in case we make a boo boo on the first form.

I know this can be done online but I just want to be able to physically view their documentation to make sure there is no error. When completing my Cert IV, I remember this being a big thing. There was an assessment where there were spelling mistakes on the bride’s documents so I want to be able to look over the documents very clearly. I also plan on taking photos of the documents, placing them in a separate and password protected folder on my phone and deleting it and lodging all the documentations via LifeLink. 

It will be my practice to complete physical NOIMs with the couple before uploading the information to LifeLink. 

Black Pen

On a celebrant Facebook Group Page, I remember reading a fellow newbie lament about filling out the paperwork in a blue pen. Alison Pickel (a rockstar in the celebrant community) assured that technically, you could fill it out in a glitter pen. But I think it is a risk I do not want to take so I will bring my black pen.

Unfortunately, my grubby hubby and children go through and use my things and tonight, I can only find ONE black pen. It is my business pen with my face on it so I think it is only right to use it tomorrow. If all else fails… (I pray it doesn’t), I guess I will have my daughter’s fluffy unicorn pen handy and I think the ink in it may be black… or pink. I’ll test it out. 

Notebook

I have a personal notebook that I write random notes and thoughts in. I usually use it for poetry and reflection. But I think it just looks super official to bring a notebook. I left my diary at work (of course) so this notebook will have to do!

My Client Meeting Checklist that I have created in preparation to meet my first client!

Because it is only a suburb away, I am confident that I am prepared. I will just have to wake up early, get dressed and hope that between dropping off my son to my mother’s house (my daughter slept over her Lola’s tonight), there will be no baby snot on whatever I will wear. I am planning on wearing a printed thrifted dress. The only things I can’t plan for is how I sleep tonight and how we all wake up. 

Our agreed time is 10:30 so I will be up by 7am. Baby will dropped off at 9am and I will sit and chill with them all for half an hour before heading to meet Bianca and Bernard. 

I guess I am writing this process out as to remember and feel prepared but I hope this will be handy for a fellow newbie celebrant!