Why hire an Independent Celebrant?

I decided to embark on my training to become an independent celebrant because I really believe that a wedding day should be personal and unique. Cookie cutter weddings with generic scripts simply don’t have the same impact and they encourage people to see the ceremony as the bit to ‘get over and done with’. By choosing an independent celebrant, you’re making sure that’s not the case on your wedding day.

Keeping it personal

When you plan a wedding, you get to set the tone. You might want something really traditional with clean lines and a neutral colour palette, or you might be more alternative, opting for eye-catching colour combos and an unexpected flash mob! Either way, you want it to be a reflection of you as a couple. With this in mind, why would you want your ceremony to be conducted by someone who you have never met before in your life?

Personally, I believe that the words spoken in your ceremony script carry a lot more weight when you know they have been carefully crafted with your relationship in mind. Having an independent celebrant means you will have had the chance for multiple meetings, they will have been able to ask you lots of questions about your hopes for the ceremony (and your marriage!), and you will have formed a working relationship (and perhaps even a friendship) that means your celebrant genuinely cares about you as a couple. On top of this, you may even have chosen to collaborate in the creation of your ceremony script and vows, making them even more meaningful. Whilst registrars are professionals and may have many weddings under their belts, they are simply not in the same position when it comes to getting to know their couples.

Flexibility

It’s also worth noting that, unlike registrars, independent celebrants are not limited in terms of ceremony length or content. Registrar-led ceremonies normally last around fifteen minutes, but independent celebrants are not constrained by the requirements of any specific organisations and the length of your script can be entirely up to you. Similarly, whilst registrars do not include any mention of a god or spirituality in their scripts, independent celebrants offer more flexibility. They can allow couples to include symbolic acts within their ceremonies and reference to specific faiths and / or cultures can be woven into the script if wanted.

Location, Location, Location

Firstly, couples shouldn’t feel limited to venues that carry a marriage licence and this isn’t an issue if you hire an independent celebrant. Flexibility is their middle name and they can conduct their ceremonies absolutely anywhere! Increasingly, people want to explore quirky and novel venues. Some couples want to be outdoors in remote locations, and others want a low key affair in their favourite restaurant. Having the scope to explore venues and choose somewhere that you really love is worth its weight in gold. Sometimes it can even save you on overall costs too because venues with licenses have to pay for this certification and that cost has to be accounted for in the price! In contrast to independent celebrants, registrars are employed by the council and attached to specific rooms / buildings (meaning more restrictions). 

Because you're worth it!

Indeed, a legal ceremony at a registry office or licensed building with a registrar will still be necessary for your marriage to become official, and this will need to be paid for as well as your celebrant. But this shouldn’t stop you!

I would argue that this decision is about priorities and, for me, the ceremony is the part of the day where I would not want to cut corners. Having that personal approach as you stand at the end of the aisle is a game changer and it brings the focus back on to the real reason why you’re getting married. Costs can be saved elsewhere without impacting such an important part of the day (remember you are likely to save money if you opt for an unlicensed venue too).

Equally, it’s becoming increasingly popular to make an event out of having a separate legal ceremony. Your wedding day itself might have an extensive guest list and, as everyone says, it really does feel like a whirlwind. Having the chance to celebrate in a more intimate way with a smaller group of friends and family can therefore act as a nice warm up. It’s also a great chance to do a test run with your photographer and an excuse for another outfit if you’re an indecisive bride or groom.