Finding the right Wedding Celebrant is a tricky job and shouldn’t be rushed. The right person is the one who you feel a connection with. Someone you feel is really listening and helps you to enhance your ideas and let your ceremony grow.
Here I explore just a few things to think about when looking for a Wedding Celebrant.
They’ll know the legal bit
At the time of writing, Celebrants are not permitted to perform a legal marriage ceremony in England and Wales. You will need to be already married or planning to get married by a Registrar before or on the date of your ceremony. There are many phrases that are included in a legally binding Marriage Ceremony that a Celebrant must not use in a Wedding Celebration. Your Celebrant will guide you on this.
Discuss with them traditions that you would like to include. You can be presented with a Wedding Certificate rather than a Marriage Certificate (which you will receive at your Marriage Ceremony with a Registrar), you can include personalised vows or promises and include the giving of rings.
With the appropriate rewording and reflecting sentiment of phrases used in a Marriage Ceremony your Wedding Ceremony will hit the spot.
They will write a personal ceremony
The joy of an having an Independent Celebrant is that the page is totally blank. Your ceremony will be sparkly new and uniquely written and, most importantly, be all about you – your lives together, your future and, if wanted, include friends and family, pets and interests.
They will offer guidance on music and poetry
It’s OK if you don’t have a clue about where to start with poetry and music choices. Your Celebrant will know a great selection and will be happy to share their ideas with you.
On the other hand, you may already know exactly what you want. This is great! Even if they’re not your Celebrant’s cup of tea, they will dig deep to understand the choices you have made – they represent you and your union. Don’t be afraid to open their mind, your Celebrant will want to understand.
They will want to be “Team Wedding”
It’s a really good idea for your Celebrant to liaise with others involved in the ceremony planning, such as a Wedding Planner or Event staff at your venue. Having the key people connected enables them to collaborate and work together.
The same goes for key family members and/or friends. Having a Celebrant that takes the time to get to know the important individuals in your life adds to the feeling of togetherness. It will show during your ceremony and there will be a rapport that will shine on your big day.
They will be inclusive
Let your Celebrant know if any of your guests have any additional needs. For example, if a BSL interpreter is required or a space needed for a wheelchair user. Also, if any of the people attending are Neurodivergent and may need to walk around or make some noise. Your Celebrant will understand that this is them managing their environment.
They will get to know you…I mean, really get to know you
This is my final point, but one that I truly think amongst all others is the most important of all – It takes a great deal of trust to put something this important into the hands of a stranger.
There’s a lot of joy in what we do, but we also know that life isn’t always straightforward. Your Celebrant will want to hear if you are struggling with, for example, the thought of speaking or standing in front of a room full of people; or if a family member is being a bit tricky. They will put strategies in place to help. You need to know that if you feel like you’re falling they will catch you.
Best wishes, Louise