Yay!! You have decided to get married and you can’t wait to dive in to the wedding planning.
But have you thought about who is going to conduct your wedding ceremony? The local vicar, maybe the allocated registrar! Are you aware that these aren’t the only options available to you, there is a better way! Have you considered a wedding celebrant?
What is a wedding celebrant?
A wedding celebrant creates and performs personalised wedding ceremonies. Wedding celebrants work closely with couples to create unique and meaningful ceremonies. Wedding celebrants also support couples with writing vows as well as providing advice about music, readings and rituals. A celebrant can conduct wedding ceremonies practically anywhere, on a beach, in woodlands, the opportunities are endless.
What’s the difference between a wedding celebrant and a registrar?
The main difference is that, currently, in England and Wales a celebrant cannot carry out the legal part of a wedding ceremony. Only a registrar or religious minister can perform a legal marriage or civil partnership. Although a registrar can conduct the legal element of a wedding, they are bound by certain rules. Registrars are not allowed to include any religious or spiritual content in their ceremonies and they must include specific wording for the legal declarations. Another constraint is that registrars can only conduct a ceremony within specific areas of licensed venues. The guidance that a registrar has to follow means that there isn’t a lot of room for personalisation.
If we choose a wedding celebrant, what do we do about the legal element?
To be legally married you need to give notice of your intention to marry. Next you need to book a date with your local registry office to attend, make the standard legal declarations in front of a registrar and sign the register. You will also need to bring two witnesses with you.
Making your legal declarations can be done before or after your wedding and it takes around 15 minutes. You can choose to view the process as just the legal signing and make no fuss whatsoever, just in and out. Alternatively you might want to make it a bit special. Get dressed up, go for a nice meal after, have drinks with friends.
How do you know if a celebrant is right for you?
Consider the type of wedding ceremony you want, what is your vision? Do you want something wacky, romantic, full of laughter or a combination of all these elements. Start researching Celebrants in your area, check out their websites and social media. It’s important that you pick a celebrant that fits with the vision for your wedding ceremony as they play an important role in your day. You will work closely with them to create your ceremony script so choosing a celebrant that you connect with is essential. You can find a whole range of Celebrants on the Celebrant directory.
What’s the difference between a humanist and an Independent wedding Celebrant?
Humanist Celebrants carry out non-religious ceremonies. A humanist wedding ceremony will usually not include any religious content or ritual. This is because humanist celebrants have chosen to live without religious or superstitious beliefs. Independent celebrants have more flexibility and most are happy to include religious and/or spiritual content to a ceremony as they are not aligned with a specific belief system . A Couple may choose an independent celebrant when they have mixed faiths and want a wedding ceremony that reflects both their beliefs.
How much does it cost to work with a wedding Celebrant?
Celebrant costs do differ, however you can expect to pay between £500 – £1,500.00. When looking for a wedding celebrant don’t be led by price. Remember Celebrants create a whole wedding ceremony from scratch. Each ceremony they create is unique to each individual couple. Choose the celebrant that you connect with and you feel is right for the both of you. Please don’t choose your celebrant solely on price.
How long is advance should we book our Celebrant?
Most Celebrants only conduct one ceremony a day which means they become booked up very quickly, especially during the more popular dates of the wedding season. If your chosen celebrant isn’t available for your date ask them if they have any recommendations. Although Celebrants work independently there is very much a sense of community over competition with the industry and most Celebrants will be happy to provide you with possible alternatives.
Hopefully this post has provided you with plenty of useful information about wedding Celebrants. If you have decided that you would like to book a Celebrant and you think I could be the one for you then please do get in touch. I would love to help to create a wedding ceremony that really cuts the Mustard!!
