How to have a Celebrant-led wedding
Celebrant-led wedding ceremonies are easy to arrange. Follow these 5 simple steps to a beautiful personalised ceremony…
- Book your wedding venue where you would like your celebrant-led wedding to take place. it makes sense to do this first as many venues have been inundated with wedding enquiries since restrictions lifted. Bear in mind that you may not get your first choice of month, day or time. There are only so many Saturday 2pm ceremonies available in peak season! You may wish to consider having an off-season ceremony instead, it’s much cheaper and if sunshine is super important to you both you could always go on honeymoon to chase the warmer weather!
- Book your celebrant. It is really important to choose someone you click with, as you will be building up a relationship with them over time and trusting them with (some of) your innermost secrets! Remember that a celebrant-led wedding is completely personalised so your celebrant will want to get to know you so that they can tailor your wedding ceremony to your personalities, style and beliefs.
- Make an appointment at your local registry office (where you pay your council tax) to give notice of intent to marry. Both partners need to attend this appointment and you will need to state where you are going to do the legal ceremony. Research registry offices that offer the statutory legal service, this does not have to be the same registry office where you gave notice. It can be anywhere that offers the basic service, so do some research and check which days they offer the basic service. It is usually offered one morning a week in a simple office / room, takes about 10 minutes and costs around £50
- After your 28 day notice period you can book your basic service to say your standard declarations and complete the paperwork for a legal marriage. This can be done at any registry office that offers a basic, ‘no frills’ service. You will need to take ID and two witnesses who must be over 18 years old
- You are then free to enjoy your completely bespoke and unrestricted celebrant-led wedding ceremony
Remember….it is the paperwork that legalises your marriage, not the ceremony. Save the exchange of vows and rings for your celebrant wedding ceremony.
I’d love to chat with you about your celebrant-led wedding ceremony, just get in touch.