If you’re planning a wedding, you may be wondering how to go about finding the perfect person to conduct your ceremony – after all, that’s the most important part of the day! Until fairly recently, couples were pretty restricted when it came to choosing an officiant – they could either go down the religious path (with a church minister or similar) or the non-religious path (a civil ceremony with a registrar). But luckily, these days there is far more choice out there! In this article I’ll outline the key differences between the various types of officiants and offer my top tips on how to choose the right celebrant for you.
What is a celebrant?
A celebrant is someone who is trained to provide you with a tailor-made ceremony, designed to celebrate any ‘rite of passage’ from the beginning of life to its end in a way which is personal to you. They generally work without legal obligations or government restrictions.
It’s entirely up to you how the ceremony reflects your personal values and personality. Your special day should reflect you and your partner and your unique love story – the day is all yours!
Different types of officiant
Humanists, independents and registrars
Aside from religious officials such as minsters, there are three key types of officiant to choose from – registrars, humanist celebrants and independent celebrants.
Registrars are employed by their local council and work within set guidelines set out by the Government for civil wedding ceremonies. Keep in mind that they are restricted by law about where they can conduct their ceremonies (they must be licensed premises) and they cannot work outdoors in certain weather conditions. One advantage for some is that by choosing a registrar you can complete the legal part of your marriage within the ceremony by signing the official register. The disadvantage is that you won’t meet the person until a few minutes before the ceremony, therefore a standard script will be used and your freedom of choice is limited. You also won’t be able to include any content that’s related to religion, such as hymns, Bible references, and sometimes even songs that indirectly refer to religion.
Humanist celebrants provide more freedom of choice than registrars, so your ceremony can be personalised and held at any time and in any place you choose. It’s important to note that humanist celebrants operate within the humanism belief system and must work within the guidelines set by Humanists UK. So the content of the ceremony can be tailored to you but must be completely non-religious. In England and Wales, humanist celebrants cannot complete the legal formalities, so that must be done separately at the register office. However, in Scotland and Northern Ireland, humanist celebrants can conduct legally binding weddings.
Independent celebrants (like me), again provide much more freedom of choice than registrars, so your ceremony can be fully personalised and held at any time, any place. Independent celebrants can also welcome a wider group of couples with any beliefs or none. As an independent celebrant I am able to include elements of religion or spirituality and acknowledge and celebrate cultures, heritage and family traditions too. Independent celebrants cannot currently complete the legal formalities, so that must be done separately at the register office.
DID YOU KNOW? You can complete the legal elements separately for around £40 at the register office and then save your vows, rings and kiss for your ceremony day!
If you need a little more help getting your head around the key differences between officiants, the table below provides a summary of the services celebrants and registrars can and can’t provide.
| Features | Humanist Celebrants | Independent Celebrants | Registrars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legally binding Pre-wedding consultation Fully personalised ceremony Any venue Any time Any weather Spiritual references Any music choice Any reading choice Symbolic rituals Help with vow writing Unlimited support and ideas Coordination with other suppliers Venue suitability check | Sometimes1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No3 No3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes | No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes | Yes No No No2 No No No No3 No3 No No No No N/A2 |
1 Legally binding in Scotland and Northern Ireland
2 Licensed premises only
3 No religious or spiritual references
Which officiant is right for me?
A good place to start is by deciding what type of ceremony you actually want. Is it traditional and formal, or is it something more tailored to you?
You’ll know immediately which one appeals to you and that’s where your journey starts. If your wedding planning decisions take you down the more personalised celebrant path, then welcome to a world of wonderful choices!
What are the advantages of choosing a celebrant?
1. Your ceremony is completely personalised
Your celebrant will start by getting to know you and learn about your love story, how you met and what’s important to you. They will work with you to develop a script for your wedding ceremony that reflects you, your values and your personality.
Many celebrants will also help you choose your vows, readings, poems, prayers, music and anything else you wish for. You can include children, video link with people abroad and also include your pets if you wish!
2. Choice of venue for your wedding ceremony
Your choices for a wedding venue are much wider with a celebrant. In the past, couples were restricted to using licensed venues only. Now you can have the ceremony anywhere you like – a woodland, beach, enchanted forest, marquee, mountain top, or even your own home or garden!
3. Choice of dates
Any date you like – if your celebrant is available. Your marriage (the legal part) will still need to be booked at the local register office and this can be any time before or after your ceremony.
Many couples choose to have the legal marriage first and keep the traditions for the personalised wedding ceremony with the vows, ring exchanges and the kiss.
How does it work?
We start by getting to know each other, learn about your story as a couple and listen to what is important to you. When the celebrant has understood your needs, they can craft the day to reflect your values and beliefs. We often have lots of laughs along the way, and you can help to shape the words that are used on the day too.
Throughout the planning process you will have direct access to the person who is actually conducting your ceremony and receive valuable guidance and unlimited support along the way. By the time the day comes, you’ll know that everything is in hand. You’ll have seen the script of the ceremony and understand what is happening. If time permits, you can have a bit of a run-through too, so it will all feel less daunting when the time arrives.
How do I find a celebrant?
You can contact me (Melanie) for a chat through your requirements, or simply visit the Outdoor Ceremonies celebrant directory to make contact with the celebrants of your choice. It’s important to find the right person for you, and once you’ve make your decision you can secure the date and be guided through each step on the journey towards your big day!
Author: Melanie Gail
https://www.outdoorceremonies.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-right-celebrant-for-you/