The best place to start is to ask your friends and family if they can recommend a celebrant … or warn you of a not-so-good one. 

Do some on-line research and see what celebrants are in your area and review their websites in detail. 

Give them a call and explore who they are and what skills and experience they have. 

If you like the celebrant, request a no-obligation meeting to further explore if they are the celebrant for you both. 

Be prepared for the meeting with a few key questions to ask the celebrant.  Here are some examples:

1. Are they available on the day and time you require?
2. What is their approach to creating and delivering a marriage ceremony?
3. What resources will they provide?
4. What equipment do they provide?
5. Do they offer on-site rehearsal/s? 
6. How many ceremonies do they conduct on a day/weekend?

There are no short-cuts to a well prepared, beautiful and successful wedding ceremony.

Other considerations in selecting a marriage celebrant

1. Aside from the legal responsibilities a civil celebrant holds, a celebrant is really a resource person who can (and should) provide you with a selection of poetry, readings, prose, music, rituals, symbols - all the elements you wish to see in your marriage ceremony. 
2. Your celebrant should have strong creative writing skills to capture your love story, help you to share the story of the journey you have both made on the way to your wedding day, and assist you in writing beautiful heart-felt, loving and unique vows.
3. Your celebrant should give you plenty of time to consider and reflect on the ceremony elements they have created for you both and the good grace to accept edits and changes - as long as they are not unreasonable - and please not last minute! 
4. Your celebrant should encourage you to undertake a full rehearsal, preferably on-site to ensure everyone know what to do, when and how, so the actual day runs smoothly.  This rehearsal also builds confidence and calms nerves. 
5. Your celebrant should be available to you throughout the planning phase, arrive well in advance on the day to check important elements are set up correctly and take command of the ceremony to ensure everything flows smoothly and beautifully. 
6. Your celebrant should be willing to dress to complement your wedding style and colour theme.
7. It is your wedding. Your celebrant should guide and assist you both to ensure that everything you say and do during the ceremony seals the commitment you make to each other, witnessed by your family and friends. 
8. Your marriage ceremony should be carefully and beautifully curated and it is imperative to give this important event more attention than all the other elements of your wedding day.