Frequently asked questions
What is a Celebrant??
A Celebrant is someone who officiates milestone ceremonies from birth to death, such as Namings, Weddings, Vow Renewals and Funerals. We create very personal ceremonies that celebrates the person or people whose special occasion it is. Some Celebrants are trained only for funerals, some only for ‘family’ (which are all other ceremonies) and some for both. I’m trained for both.
I hear of ‘Humanist, Civil and Independent’ Celebrants. What’s the difference between them?
A Humanist Celebrant will not have any religious words, prayers or emblems in their ceremonies. Their beliefs celebrates human philosophy and morality, not a deity. A Humanist is a belief system in itself, so a Humanist Celebrant will bring this into the ceremony.
An Independent Celebrant may not be against having some religious elements like prayers, hymns or emblems, but some might be, so you need to check with them as individuals. The majority of the ceremony will be a celebration of the person or people’s story rather than religion or Humanist philosophy.
A Civil Celebrant is as an Independent Celebrant re: religion. The difference between an Independent and Civil Celebrant has blurred definitions. The word ‘Civil’ has links to being employed by the government (‘Civil Servant’). This then connects more to being a Registrar (or Civil Registrar to use the full title). However, the phrase “We’re having a civil wedding” has often meant it’s not led by a member of the clergy or official Registrar, therefore, it’s not a legally binding ceremony. Because of these blurred lines, ‘Independent’ and ‘Civil’ are interchangeable, meaning the same thing. If your ceremony is a wedding, the best thing to do is simply ask your Celebrant if they can conduct legally binding marriages or not.
To summarise: if you want a Celebrant-led wedding, ask
If they can legally marry couples
whether they mind some religious elements in their ceremonies or not.
You should get a straight answer. If you were to ask me about my role, I’d say
I’m an Independent Celebrant
I can’t legally marry couples (yet – see the Law Reform link further down) and
I don’t mind including some religious elements if it means something to you.
What are the benefits of hiring a Celebrant for a special occasion?
A ceremony led by a Celebrant doesn’t have the restrictions that other officiates have. e.g. we are not restricted to officiating weddings only in licensed buildings like churches or hotels. Also, because we’re not Registrars or members of the clergy, we don’t need to use religious or legal language which is why the ceremony is more personal. This gives people who hire us much more freedom to have a very unique ceremony that is unforgettable for everyone attending and feels much more personal – and different.
Can Celebrants really hold ceremonies anywhere??
Potentially, yes! I mean, you may need to get permission from the local council and/or owners of buildings, land or property if it’s private or council-owned, but having a Celebrant definitely opens up more choices of venue. Have you seen those weddings on ‘Don’t Tell The Bride’ who have ceremonies in the woods, under water, on top of a mountain or on a roller coaster? That ceremony will be conducted by a Celebrant.
Is a Celebrant-led wedding a legally binding ceremony?
It depends where it is. In the UK, Celebrant-led weddings are legally binding in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Yaaay! In England or Wales, however, they are not – at the moment ... but there is a law reform currently sitting with the Government to make Celebrants able to legally marry couples in England and Wales. It’s probably only a matter of time before this law reform goes through.
Click on the link below for more understanding of this reform.
Update on U.K. Wedding Law Reform
So, we’re a couple from Wales or England and want a personal and unique wedding ceremony, led by a Celebrant, but we also want to get legally married. What can we do?
Most couples nip off to the local Registry Office midweek (because it’s cheaper than the weekend), take two witnesses, have the legal phrases said, sign the marriage certificate and it’s done and dusted. The formalities are over and you are officially married. The wedding day is party day, kicking it off with a Celebrant-led ceremony in front of all your VIPs. Check out your local council to see what it would cost to legally marry midweek as prices differ council-to-council.
We’re a couple from Scotland and are being legally married by a Celebrant. Will our Celebrant use legal phrasing to marry us?
Yes. Legal marriages are bound by uniformed phrasing. However, in every other part of the ceremony, you can have all the personal and unique elements that a Celebrant brings. It won’t be a ‘wam bam, in and out’ 15 minute ceremony. You get the best of both worlds, you lucky Celts! It’s the same in Northern Ireland too.
But are we restricted to only being able to marry in licensed buildings like churches or hotels by Celebrants?
No! In Scotland and Northern Ireland, you can have a Celebrant-led, legally binding marriage ceremony anywhere (as long as you get permission by the land or building owners or council to be there). Again, the best of both worlds.
Can we get married in Scotland but have an English or Welsh-based Celebrant travel over and legally marry us?
Yes, as long as that Celebrant is officially registered and approved by the National Records of Scotland to conduct ceremonies.
And …
Can we get married in Northern Ireland but have an English or Welsh-based Celebrant come and legally marry us?
Only if the Celebrant is a registered Humanist or is authorised as a religious officiant that is recognised by the Northern Ireland Registrar General.
You may not find many English or Welsh-based Celebrants with these credentials. In that case, would be easier for you to find a Celebrant based in the country you marry in.
We have children or extended family and want them to be involved in a Celebrant-led ceremony. Can that happen?
100% yessss!!! Check out my blog ‘Ceremony Elements’. My blog gives you:
a plethora of ideas to bring others into your ceremony
the advantages of each
where it is best placed in a ceremony
what considerations you need to think about for it to be right for you and your VIPs.
How much does a Celebrant cost?
That can vary Celebrant-to-Celebrant, often based on location, experience and what price brings in the most work. Celebrants can charge based on their target clients too. Check out my price list and compare with others in the North West area.
What makes a good Celebrant?
Well, when it comes to your ceremony, you can usually get a no obligation online meeting, allowing you to ‘get a feel’ for your potential Celebrant. That’s a great way to see if you ‘click’ and pick up on a mutual vibe. Professionally, a good Celebrant is:
An excellent listener (to your story)
Empathetic and sensitive (so we can take your story and write a script that captures the very essence of you or those being celebrated.)
An exceptional communicator (from writing the script to orating it.)
Final Thoughts: I always say that if I can make people laugh AND cry during a ceremony, it’s gone well! My advice is to have that ‘no obligation’ online meeting and tune in to how the Celebrant sounds. For me, it’s not the accent; it’s the tone of voice, the way they tell you something. Ask yourself how much natural warmth is in their voice and general persona.
The Celebrant should never sound monotone when reading their script. It is the spoken delivery of the script that will really draw everyone in and charm them into enjoying a beautifully crafted ceremony, full of emotion, humour, poignancy, sentimentality, respect – and essentially …. Love. )
You and your people will remember what was said, how it was expressed and what emotions the ceremony evoked, more than what the Celebrant looked like.
