Why choose a Celebrant?
Why Choose a Celebrant?
Before you choose your ceremony officiate, here is a little information.
There are a few key differences between Celebrants, Priests, Registrars and Humanists.
The biggest difference being that a Celebrant is not a member of the clergy.
While the priest receives formal training to perform ceremonies, a Celebrant participates in seminars
and conferences as dictated by his or her country's Celebrant organization.
A more important difference for your wedding however, is that whereas a priest is bound by the religious
conventions and rites of their faith, a Celebrant can tailor the wedding to your own specifications,
pulling in a number of themes, ceremonies and concepts as you'd like.
Registrars are allowed by law to officiate via civil ceremony.
Meaning that the ceremony is purely secular, with no religious tones whatsoever, and is generally scripted.
The Registrar is then in charge of processing and approving the couple's marriage license, with the wedding ceremony acting as a
formality after the legalities are taken care of.
A wedding Celebrant can assist and guide the couple in completing the necessary requirements for the marriage license, although they do not have the authority to approve it.
Both are purely secular in nature, so religion is not a primary concern.
However, if you did want your ceremony to include religious practices, both can adjust your ceremony to
include them as you see fit.
The biggest difference between these two are that Humanists don't believe in wedding traditions, superstitions
and religion, while Celebrants simply don't like favouring one wedding path over the other ~ they usually
embrace different religions, wedding practices and traditions, as long as it's what the couple wants. After all
it's your ceremony.
Simply put a wedding Celebrant is a person who performs and officiates formal ceremonies.Although they are commonly seen in Weddings, they can also conduct other ceremonies like vow renewals, baby naming, and funeral rites.
Because the role, certification and job description of a Wedding Celebrant can be vague, or because some people simply haven't heard of them, there is a little confusion as to whether the ceremonies they perform are legally binding.
However, that shouldn't be something to stop you from considering a Celebrant to officiate your wedding ceremony.
As actually, it's not the ceremony that makes the wedding legal.
Some couples are already technically married before the ceremony begins, and use the wedding rites as more of a celebratory event, than anything else.
After all, there's no rule that the wedding certificate can only be signed after the ceremony, it can be signed even before you slip into your gown or suit.
In this sense, it doesn't matter if the person officiating is not a member of the clergy or the civil office. Your wedding will still be valid and legal as long as you have a marriage license and a signed marriage certificate.
What does matter, is that your ceremony is everything that you and your partner want it to be.
With a Celebrant, you can specify and tailor your ceremony until it is the perfect representation of you and your ceremony.
Lastly, Celebrant led ceremonies offer an affordable alternative.
You no longer have to search purely for wedding venues that are licensed;
you may have a favourite restaurant, farm, beach or even your own home for a more intimate celebration.
The options are endless with a Celebrant.
Why would you choose a celebrant over a Registrar/Humanist or Priest?
Having a Celebrant led ceremony means you have complete flexibility over your venue ~ anywhere, anytime.
With so many hidden gems, stunning private estates, beautiful outdoor locations, unlicensed and licensed venues out there
including your own back garden.
A Celebrant offers you the chance to have your wedding in any location you find and love.
A Celebrant will also personalise your ceremony to suit your style and you will get to know your Celebrant over the course of
planning your wedding so you have a personal, meaningful connection for one of the most important days of your life.
Your Celebrant will create a unique ceremony from scratch, one that truly reflects you as a couple.
It can be light hearted, humorous, formal or simple and will perfectly suit you as a couple.
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.
It is more than likely you will also not know the person delivering the most important words to you as a couple either
Note~ Until the law changes in England, please note that the ceremony itself is not legal, but as far
as your guests are concerned, your celebrant - led ceremony is your special wedding day.
