Wedding Celebrant or Registrar

Dispelling the myths about what you can and can’t do on your wedding day…

‘Why should we have a celebrant for our wedding ceremony rather than a registrar?’ A very good question.

Here’s why…

With a celebrant led ceremony you get to choose who officiates your special day. You get to work closely with your hand-picked celebrant well in advance of the big day, creating a ceremony that is totally bespoke and tailored to you and your relationship.

It’s personal - no two celebrant led weddings are the same.

Every detail is considered from the moment you enter, to where you sit or stand, to the words you say, the readings, any religious content, and symbolic rituals you wish to include. You choose and I help you on the journey, bringing it all together in a special ceremony that speaks explicitly to you and your story. The heart of the matter - quite literally!

The result is a truly memorable ceremony, like no other.

With a registrar your wedding ceremony will look and feel quite different.

For starters, you usually won’t have met your registrar. A perfect stranger from the council’s duty roster will show up at your chosen venue to marry you. After a quick chat they will talk you through the legal statements of marriage as they are bound to do, secure your signatures, and announce you married.

They may offer you some choice of vows, but these won’t be personalised and written specifically for you. Your ceremony will be restricted by legislation and no religious or spiritual content may be included.

As such, you wouldn’t be able to include any religious readings, alcohol, or multi-faith or symbolic rituals for example. And they often limit your photographer’s movement and the moments they can capture, like the signing of the marriage certificate – a must-have for the photo album!

Hmmmmm.

The only thing they can do that a celebrant can’t is legally marry you. But that’s ok. There’s a popular solution.

All councils offer couples who want a celebrant led wedding ceremony something called a 2+2 Ceremony.

It’s not widely advertised, but it’s your statutory right to ask for one and to have one. It’s also very reasonably priced at around £60. I know! Good, right? The slots are usually mid-morning one morning each week, so do book well in advance to secure your slot.

Quite simply, this is where you and two witnesses pop to the register office in advance of the wedding ceremony to register your marriage and secure all the legal paperwork. Just like you might register a birth before the fun and occasion of a naming ceremony. It’s quite transactional, like it would be on your wedding day with a registrar. Once that’s done though, you can pop out to lunch to mark the moment with your two special people and then…

…a celebrant like me will be proud and honoured to announce you married at your wedding in front of all your friends and family in a totally tailor-made ceremony.

Ta dahhh!

Sound good? Let’s get the party started with a fantastic wedding ceremony that’s a real celebration!

‘But’, I hear you say…“Doesn’t a Registrar have to officiate our ceremony at a UK licensed venue?”

Not at all! Licensed or unlicensed, wedding venues don’t mind what you choose. It’s your day - so have it your way…