So What is an Independent Celebrant?
Independent celebrants are specialists in creating and delivering ceremonies which are written especially for you. This makes every ceremony just as unique as you are, which is why we’re so AMAZING.
As a celebrant, I personally hold a level 3 diploma in both Wedding and Funeral Celebrancy, and I am a member of the Fellowship of Independent Celebrants. (FOIC)
The two main differences between a registrar and a celebrant are about legality and freedom. A registrar can marry you legally, but the options for personalising your ceremony are very limited.
A celebrant can’t marry you legally just yet, but can offer complete freedom over the style, content and location of your ceremony.
Civil Ceremonies have strict legal requirements that make personalisation difficult. In the UK, Local Registrars are bound by their legal format, and there are limitations to the content of the service they can provide. They have set times, set locations, and restrictions on what they can and cannot say or do.
Having a celebrant conduct your wedding means you can quite literally hold your ceremony wherever you like. Currently, the only three places you can legally marry in England and Wales are at a register office, a licensed wedding venue or a church. For many people who want something a little different, this can be very restrictive.
If you choose to have a celebrant-led ceremony, these restrictions immediately vanish. This means you can have your wedding in your back garden, on your parents’ farm, on a beach, on top of a cliff, in the woods, in the ruins of a castle… The possibilities are endless, and the only limit is your imagination!
Registrars cannot include elements that are spiritual or religious in nature, and the format must follow a legally prescribed format, which makes it feel a bit ‘same old’. You may be able to tweak the odd word here or there or add in a reading, but it will always feel like a typical civil ceremony.
Using a celebrant eliminates these restrictions, giving you the freedom to have your day, your way. You may wish to include nature-based blessings, a handfasting, ring warming, or even a balloon launch as part of your ceremony: with a celebrant, there are no limitations as to how you celebrate!
Typically, registrars don’t meet the couple before the ceremony, even if you can pay to meet them beforehand, it’s usually a 15 minute meet and greet so it’s unlikely that you will know the person delivering the most important words to you as a couple.
Many celebrants, including myself, insist upon a “no strings” meet and greet before any agreement to conduct the ceremony is made as, due to the intimate nature of the ceremony, its important to find the right celebrant for you and your needs.
Once you have chosen your celebrant, you will be working closely with them to create and develop your ceremony. During this time, you will build both trust and a relationship them allowing you to have a special bond with the person conducting your ceremony.