What's the difference between a Celebrant and a Registrar's Ceremony?

While Registrars are confined to register offices and licensed wedding venues, a Celebrant Style ceremony can be delivered virtually anywhere (including licensed wedding venues). 

Whether you’d like a ceremony in a luxurious hotel, a majestic manor house, a rustic barn, a quaint village hall, a cosy restaurant, a cherished family home, a picturesque marquee, a private garden, by a serene lakeside, or in the heart of nature within a paddock or woodland setting... it's YOUR choice.  Perhaps you’d prefer a twilight ceremony late into the night, or a couples only ceremony at your favourite romantic location? 

Registrar's Ceremony

• Registrar ceremonies can sometimes feel restricted and rushed, mainly because Registrars often officiate multiple weddings during a single day at different locations. 

• During the busy wedding season, a Registrar might not always be available to officiate on a date/time that aligns with your own choice or venue's availability.

• Meeting the Registrar for the first time, just minutes before you walk down the aisle, can feel quite uncomfortable.   

• A Registrar's ceremony lacks creativity and typically features standard script choices, together with legal wording, but with limited or no options for personal touches, symbolic elements, multi-cultural rituals, religious content, etc.  

• Your guests are very likely to be listening to a similar script delivered at other weddings they've attended 

• No option for a ceremony rehearsal at your venue

• No guidance on personal styling

• No PA system

If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony at a licensed wedding venue, the experience can look and feel very different depending on whether you have a registrar or celebrant to deliver the ceremony. Read HERE

Celebrant Style Ceremony

• If you choose a licensed wedding venue, it’s YOUR choice to opt for a Celebrant Style ceremony as an alternative.  Please note if  you choose a licensed venue, you do NOT pay a Registrar's attendance fee in addition to a Celebrant fee.  

• A Celebrant Style ceremony has more flexibility on timing should there be any unexpected delays on the day.   

• No restrictions or limitations on timing, format, style, content, location, etc. and provides more creativity, inspiration, and one-to-one planning to ensure your ceremony is tailored to include your own ideas.  

• A totally UNIQUE ceremony - no two ceremonies are ever the same. Your ceremony can be creative, sincere, humourous, romantic, quirky, heartfelt or traditional, it's your choice.

• Option to incorporate symbolic elements, specific cultural traditions/rituals, etc.

• The ceremony is all about YOU as a couple, sharing a ceremony in ANY location, and in your own STYLE.  

• I take the time to get to know you several months before the big day so ultimately you'll feel at ease during your ceremony

• Private pre-ceremony rehearsal at your venue to ensure you know what to expect and feel comfortable with the whole process. This also includes  personal styling to help you look and feel your absolute best. From guidance on posture, positioning, and movement during key moments throughout the ceremony, to mastering picture-perfect poses.

• Help in composing your own meaningful vows 

• Your personal love story written and weaved into your ceremony script

• A beautiful calligraphy-styled ceremonial certificate, love story, etc. presented in a decorative keepsake box 

• Consideration given to my own outfit choice to ensure I dress in harmony with your ceremony vision

• Collaboration with your venue co-ordinator, photographer, videographer, and other wedding suppliers to ensure your ceremony is tailored to your preferences.

• Can act as host if necessary and provision of a professional wireless PA system (often required for outdoor ceremonies and larger venues).

• While Celebrant Style ceremonies focus on the love and celebration, there is a straightforward process to complete the legal aspect of your marriage.  A ceremony is a commitment of love in the presence of your guests. The legal recognition is essentially formal paperwork and costs just £56 (plus £12.50 for legal certificate).  This process, known as a Statutory Marriage, involves making legal declarations and signing a marriage schedule with two witnesses during a pre-arranged appointment at a register office. See LEGAL WEDDING

• As a former Registrar, I provide step-by-step guidance regarding the legal aspects of your marriage to ensure all the necessary legal paperwork is undertaken.

It's important to point out it’s not essential that legal paperwork is undertaken on the same day as your ceremony.  Just as your birth was legally registered on a different day to the date you were born.  Treating marriage similarly means separating the legal registration (often on a different date) from the actual ceremony.  

Consider how you celebrate your birthday each year based on the anniversary of your actual birthdate, it's never the date your birth was officially registered!  In future years, you'd celebrate your wedding anniversary on the date of your Celebrant ceremony – the day celebrated with all your family and friends will always be the most memorable day! This date will be printed on your calligraphy-styled certificate signed with witnesses during your Celebrant ceremony.  

Your love story deserves more than a formality, it deserves a celebration!

See Google 5 ⭐️ Review: 

..."We first met Sue at a wedding fayre and after speaking to her, and learning about how a celebrant delivered a wedding ceremony V a registrar, we decided there and then we wanted a celebrant, and Sue, with her knowledge and warmth was the lady to deliver it. From the start Sue kept us informed and upto date with every step, guiding us through the process in a calm, relaxed manner, right up until the rehearsal, which she again made us feel totally at ease and gave invaluable information so we got the best from the day. On the day our ceremony was perfect, relaxed, had some humour and was entertaining it was exactly what we wanted. Sue didn't rush off, she spoke to guests, who have commented on how committed she is and how much she loves what she does ( a guest actually said, she wasn't going to use the word "job", as she felt for Sue, it is far more.) I 100% agree, the time, effort and attention to detail Sue put in to make sure our wedding was personal to us was remarkable. Sue is such a beautiful lady, inside and out. Anyone thinking of having a celebrant to conduct their wedding, rather than a registar, you need to speak to Sue..." 

Alison & Dave - Ceremony at Hellaby Hall

See gallery and feedback received from previous couples here: Gallery & Reviews Google reviews HERE  or 'Hitched' reviews HERE 

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