Celebrate your Celebrant
I promise you that an independent celebrant will invest more energy and care into your relationship, more time to listen and understand your vision, and more real interest in crafting your bespoke ceremony than any other wedding provider.
When I got married ten years ago, it was a wonderful day, full of emotion and shared with the people we most loved BUT it was a simple registry office ceremony (budget was a factor here) and we genuinely had no idea that having a celebrant led ceremony was an option. I didn’t understand the difference between a registrar and a celebrant, and I certainly didn’t realise the very real advantages of the latter.
I’m a diplomat at heart and every single couple must choose the wedding route that feels right for them, but there is a little window here to throw a shining light on why I believe that having a celebrant led ceremony could be the most fulfilling option for your day. Hear me out folks….
THE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AS A COUPLE AND THE PERSON MARRYING YOU
At present (although the law may well change in future), only a council employed registrar can legally officiate your marriage, therefore many couples believe that a registrar is the right person to lead their whole ceremony. I think this could actually be at the cost of a much more personal experience with a celebrant. If you are willing to have the legal “Statutory Marriage Appointment” at your local registry office (approx £56 and just involving you plus two witnesses) in the days before or after your ceremony, you can then be completely liberated to have a celebrant craft your ceremony entirely how you would like it.
You meet with your celebrant numerous times before your day, hopefully in the comfort of your home or any place you choose. You develop a relationship of trust and your celebrant gets to know you as a couple, hear your journey and really understand what makes you tick. This relationship is clear to see during the actual ceremony. How much nicer to walk towards someone you know has written your ceremony just for you, has your back and will guide you through the process. In contrast, you will rarely meet your registrar. In fact, you might not actually know who it will be until you arrive at your venue.
Many councils now call their registrars “celebrant registrars” which is confusing and unhelpful. The reason is that they know the celebrants in the area will put more time, energy and personal care into their couples and so they have started to offer what sound like the same sort of bespoke wedding packages, only they’re not the same! Yes, they can include a handfasting or a sand ceremony; yes, you can have your own chosen readings; yes, you can include your musical choices etc BUT, what they don’t say, is that your personal love story won’t be scripted over hours of time to reflect just you. Your guests won’t be engaged by your relationship journey that’s brought everyone together on the day, because it’s not written and told. For me, this fundamental element of treating each couple’s love story as entirely individual and letting it shine out on the day, is the most important reason that I chose to train as an independent celebrant instead of a council registrar.
Please have a look at my testimonials to see how much this personal touch and relationship has made such a positive difference to couple’s ceremonies. A few years ago, I went to the wedding of a family member who lived far away and I hadn’t had a chance to see them very often at all. The wedding was conducted by a registrar and although it was confidently and efficiently done, I didn’t hear a single part of the couple’s journey together, nor what they loved about each other, nor any special turning points of their relationship. This was a real shame because I didn’t learn much more about them than I already knew. I know that what I can provide is a much more holistic lens on the whole love story and it will completely engage everybody gathered.
LOCATION IS LIMITLESS
Many couples might compromise on a location that has special meaning to them because they know that it doesn’t have a marriage license. With a celebrant this isn’t a worry because we really can perform all parts of your bespoke ceremony ANYWHERE. Now this could very well be in a venue that does have it’s own marriage license, but equally, it could be on a beach, in a meadow with a view, in woodland, in your home, at a campsite, at a holiday home……..the possibilities can be a lot of fun as long as you have the necessary permissions from landowners etc.
I have done the most wonderful ceremony stood in the shallows of a beautiful local beach. Myself and the couple were ankle deep (some waves got to the shins actually!) and their loved ones were in a semi circle around us on the shore. They had their love story told in beautiful detail for all to hear, they spoke their own vows to each other and they were handfasted together to the sound of the waves and much applause. Their party after the ceremony was at a local sea-view campsite with hay bales, a marquee, homemade chilli, and music and dancing at sunset before collapsing into tents and campervans.
On another glorious day, the couple’s ceremony was in a wildflower meadow atop the Helford Passage with views inland and out to sea, literally as far as the eye could see! Surrounded by flowers, the water, family and friends, it was just an incredibly special location that reflected exactly what was important to them as a couple.
CHOICE IS REALLY IMPORTANT
Maybe you will decide that having a registrar lead your ceremony is the right path for you, and that you don't actually mind if you don’t know or meet that person until the day. However, if you feel that knowing the person who will write, craft and perform your ceremony is important, then a celebrant may feel like the more comfortable choice. You will know us well in the months / weeks beforehand and can communicate with us at every step of the way, whenever you like. We are your guides as well as your champions. There are plenty of fantastic celebrants to choose from especially in areas like Cornwall, but that’s great for you because you really do have a choice to invest with someone that you click with. We all work with love and care, but you have the chance to find one that “gets you”. What a privilege if that person turns out to be ME!
