There is no one size fit’s all when it comes to wedding ceremonies. Nowadays you can pretty much do whatever you want and that is something I strongly advise. Your ceremony is one of the most meaningful and personal elements of your wedding and therefore it’s important you feel comfortable.
I personally think that’s why celebrant lead ceremonies are becoming more and more popular.
The benefits of having a celebrant lead ceremony
1. A celebrant can create a script completely bespoke to the both of you encapsulating your unique love story in a format which suits you. You won’t be forced to say or do anything you don’t want to, and you can personalise it however you like. You also get the added bonus of being able to have a sneak peek of the script before the day.
2. There is no threat of them leaving if your 10 minutes late. Most celebrants only conduct one ceremony a day meaning they can be flexible, so if your ceremony needs pushing back for any reason, they’re more than happy to go with the flow. Whereas registrars don’t have that luxury as they normally have back-to-back weddings they have to get to, so they will just leave if you’re running behind!
3. You can have your ceremony wherever you like. A celebrant lead ceremony isn’t legally binding (not yet anyway!) so you’re not restricted to a certain room, barn, bandstand, arbour etc meaning your celebrant lead ceremony can take place anywhere you like. Up a mountain, in your back garden or maybe even a boat, wherever feels special to you.
The legal bit
As celebrant lead ceremonies are not yet legal most couples tend to do one of two things.
1. Get married a couple of days before at their local registry office. It’s up to you how many guests you invite but you will need a minimum of two witnesses. This is a great option if you’ve chosen to have a wedding on private land or up a mountain which doesn’t hold a licence.
2. Have a private legal ceremony on the day of the wedding in a place within your venue which has a wedding license. Most couples keep this very small and treat their celebrant lead ceremony as their main ceremony. This could take place in the morning before your guests arrive onsite or after your celebrant ceremony while your guests are preoccupied tucking into canapes at your drink’s reception.
Did you know as part of my partial and full planning services I can help recommend suppliers to complement your day. Get in touch if you want some recommendations.
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