When planning your wedding there are now so many options available to make your day truly
unique and memorable but for many couples a church or registrar are still the only two
options that they consider. We have had the pleasure of meeting and working with several
celebrants over the years including Karina from Simply Ceremonies, Alison Heptonstall and
most recently Hayley Smith.
Here are Hayley’s thoughts of how a Celebrant can work with you to ensure your ceremony is
completely personalised.
One of the biggest challenges when planning a wedding day is the amount of decisions that
you need to make. The venue and photographer are usually the first two, however, there is a
third BIG decision you should consider before setting your date and launching into finding
your other suppliers. Hear me out:
When I reflect on my wedding day back in 2012, I remember climbing a tree in my wedding
dress. I remember dancing on the bar with one of my bridesmaids. I remember laughing as
my best friend showed me photos of my mangled cake that had to be quickly repaired the
night before.
Do I remember my ceremony?
No.
Don’t get me wrong, our ceremony was fine. Just unmemorable which, on reflection, is a real
shame. Our wedding – the reason that our friends and family travelled some distance to
attend is not the first and foremost memory in my mind.
I attended a celebrant led ceremony just as we clawed our way out of the global pandemic.
After a long period of misery, uncertainty and loneliness, and pregnant with my second child I
was thrilled to see family again. We knew that the couple had had their legal ceremony during
this difficult period of time with just their parents as witnesses, but held off celebrating with
their friends and wider family once we could all be together.
It was a complete eye opener.
Sophie Colligan, the celebrant who led the ceremony was amazing. I would recommend her
work in a heartbeat. Warm, friendly and inclusive she knew the couple. There was a Mr and
Mrs Quiz, readings, shots and a hand tying ceremony. It was overwhelmingly joyous, and I
was swept away in the whole feeling of the ceremony and it set the tone for the whole day.
It was inspiring. So much so, that while I was on maternity leave from teaching, I trained as a
celebrant.
So, to the couple reading this don’t be swept along and blindly book a church or registrar
thinking that these are your only options, there is a third. Using a celebrant for your ceremony
gives you a lot more flexibility and the ability to create a ceremony that you love, not
something “to get done”. Your celebrant will work with you and your partner to create a
ceremony that has your voice, interests and values at the heart of it. Another benefit – and I
personally think this is crucial- you will know who is marrying you. You will feel happier and
more confident going into your ceremony. Couples that I have worked with say that they feel
like that are being married by a friend, who has their best interests at heart.
If you do decide to use a celebrant for your wedding ceremony, it is important to note that it
will not be a legally binding wedding. After giving your notice of your intention to marry, you
will have to do the legal part separately with a Registrar. This costs around £60 if you go for
the basic 2+2 ‘statutory registration’ option. Most couples do this a few days before their
celebrant led ceremony and consider it the “wedmin”, a signing of contracts. In these
ceremonies, you don’t even have to swap rings, leaving that for the celebrant led ceremony
later. Like you would shop around for your venue (which doesn’t have to be a licensed if you
use a celebrant) you should shop around for your celebrant.
Every celebrant is different with different styles and skill set and you have the option to find
the right “fit” for you and your ceremony. Speak to a few celebrants, we generally are a lovely
bunch and choose someone who you click with. Laura Crockett, (another fabulous celebrant)
quite rightly says, “you just know” and she’s right. Find the celebrant that you could see
yourself being friends with. Find the one who you know will make you feel relaxed and you’ll
look forward to seeing on your wedding day. Find the one who will make you shine and will
make your ceremony a focus for your celebrations for you and your guests.
Hayley Smith – https://www.hayleysmithcelebrant.co.uk/
Sophie Colligan – https://www.sophiecolligan.com/
Laura Crockett – https://www.lauracrockettcelebrant.com/
Simply Ceremonies – https://celebrant-uk.co.uk/
Alison Heptonstall – https://independentcelebrants.com/celebrants/alison-heptonstall/
