Josh's 2024 predictions for the celebrant and wedding industry

Happy new year, celebrants!

If I've learned anything from COVID it's that January first can look very different from December thirty-first, however, that won't stop me today from issuing my bold, slightly-bold, light-bold, and normal predictions and trends for the 2024 celebrant year.

I hope you've enjoyed your Christmas and New Year break, but it's enquiry season, people are getting engaged, either over Christmas with family, at New Years as the fireworks explode, or over the summer holidays, so now's the best time to make sure your website is clear about who you are and what you do. I still see so many celebrant websites that don't have a photo of a celebrant on the front page - and if you don't have a good photo, hire a local wedding photographer to make some new photos and build relationship at the same time.

Aside from this being engagement season it's also 2024 prep season, so here's my 2024 predictions, enjoy!

– Josh

Blogging is coming back into fashion

In 2024 your website's blog is going to become more important. Design for skimmers, write for couples getting married soon, optimise it for algorithms ... read more.

Red-team attack your celebrancy business in 2024

Red teaming a business is the act of actually asking someone you trust and respect to "attack" your business. Find its weaknesses and strengths so you know them before someone else does ... read more.

In 2024 AI will allow you to create in ways you aren't good at

I like to write, but as I found in 2023 I'm not good at it, I'm more of a natural radio host/podcaster. But I push through and eventually enjoy the process even if I hate my output. Regardless of my story, I know there are mediums that you are great at and others you don't enjoy. Artificial intelligence programs will allow you to expand into those regions in 2024 so your content creation can expand more easily ... read more.

The end of "your wedding your way" and the reign of the expert celebrant

It's a kind and nice thing to say, but many couples don't know what they want, and they are wanting you to lead. In 2024 as the middle of the marketplace is pushed out to the lower and higher ends of the market more couples are going to want you to provide leadership and expertise in creating their wedding ceremony ... read more.

Social networking is getting smaller while social media is getting bigger

The digital era is witnessing a significant transformation in how we connect, communicate, and consume content. In the realm of social networking and media, a paradigm shift is underway. Traditional social networking is increasingly migrating to more intimate spaces like group chats, private forums, email groups, and platforms such as Discord.

Meanwhile, social media is evolving into a broadcast medium akin to television and radio. For Australian wedding celebrants, understanding and adapting to these changes is crucial for building community and effectively marketing our services ... read more.

In 2024 your prices need to increase

For research I asked my dad for three different wages he's made over his lifetime and compare that to house prices of the time.

It sounded like dad was earning more in 2015 than he was in 1988, but adjusted for inflation he was earning 36% less while house prices went from about one years wage to about six years wages.

And eight years on its even worse.

It's time to increase your price ... read more.

Weddings are getting smaller and becoming more intentional in 2024

I am excited to forecast that 2024 will be hailed as the year of the intentional wedding. This is a shift that has been brewing for a while but is now taking center stage. It’s a trend that aligns perfectly with our ethos at the Celebrant Institute – the belief in creating meaningful, memorable experiences that resonate deeply with our couples and their guests ... read more.

Marriage law and reform in 2024, change is on the horizon

There are a raft of changes on the horizon for the little ol' Australian marriage legislation we call the Marriage Act of 1961. First of all, as of January 1 2024 there is no more, I repeat none, zero, zilch, remote witnessing of NOIMs over a video call until the marriage law changes going to parliament later this year are passed. Plus, there's some more changes in the pipeline, hopefully, maybe, the wheels of justice move slowly ... read more.

2022 statistics were released

The Australian Bureau of Statistics dropped their annual present to Sarah Aird, the previous year's marriage stats, and your oracle wrote a piece about how things looked marriage numbers wise in 2022 ... read more.

Email regulations are changing this year

If you want your emails to end up in inboxes instead of junk mail folders you need to be across these changes in 2024 ... read more.

The Celebrant Talk Show

I've recorded and am releasing new episodes of the Celebrant Talk Show, beginning with a series talking to new marriage celebrants. Hear the stories of Lachie Grisold, Amy McNeilly, and Megan Studman now, and there's a bunch more in the pipeline this month ahead. Search for Celebrant Talk Show in your podcast app or follow the links at celebrant.fm.

Professional (the non-ongoing type) Development

If you have some space in the calendar this January I recommend doing what I try to do every day, and that's learn.

At the Celebrant Institute we have professional development courses you can do at your pace at your time, in your time, on our website now.

• Developing a client journey for your wedding clients
• How to get a shortening of time for your clients
• How to help your clients with a prospective marriage visa
• How to become a funeral celebrant
• How to co-pilot a marriage ceremony
• A complete refresher on the marriage laws, this is really good!

As always, I hope this newsletter (subscribe here), our website, our membership, and our podcast is a blessing to you and genuinely improves your life or if nothing else makes you smile.

Sarah and I are always at the beck and call of our members at celebrant.institute/ask and you'll have the pleasure of knowing that for the last few months I've been automatically sending your questions to ChatGPT as well as for Sarah and I to answer and ChatGPT is quite wrong a lot of the time, so until such time that the computers take over there's still a lot of value in your $10 a month membership to the Celebrant Institute. On that note, we've been $10 a month for about five years now and I think that price needs to go up. Best join now before Sarah reads this and texts me about it. Go to celebrant.institute/join now to join for $10 a month or $110 a year.

Once more, happy new year from myself, Josh Withers, and on behalf of the Oracle, Sarah Aird.

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