If celebrants can’t legally marry people, why be a celebrant?

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    Love stories deserve to be told in their fullest, most authentic form. Yet we often hear the question: “If celebrants can’t legally marry people in the UK, why become a celebrant?” It’s a natural query that opens the door to a beautiful truth: celebrancy isn’t about the legal paperwork – it’s about creating profound, meaningful moments that celebrate love in all its unique expressions.

    The separation of legal registration from the ceremonial celebration isn’t a limitation; it’s an invitation to explore endless possibilities. It’s the freedom to craft ceremonies that truly reflect each couple’s journey, beliefs, and dreams. Whether it’s weaving together different cultural traditions, celebrating in unconventional spaces, or telling love stories that break from the traditional script – celebrants have the privilege of turning these dreams into reality.

    To explore this transformative approach to ceremony creation and why more couples than ever are choosing celebrant-led celebrations, we sat down with two of our experienced AMC mentors, Miranda Ash and Tara Heath-Arnold. Their insights reveal why this career path calls to those who believe in the power of authentic celebration and meaningful connection.

    What Do Celebrants Actually Do?

    Celebrants are storytellers, ceremony creators, and guardians of life’s most precious moments. While they may not handle the legal registration, they craft and conduct the heart of the wedding celebration – the ceremony that truly matters to couples and their loved ones. A celebrant:

    • Takes time to truly know each couple, understand their journey, values, and vision
    • Weaves personal love stories into meaningful ceremonies that resonate with everyone present
    • Creates unique ritual moments that blend cultural traditions, family customs, and modern touches
    • Ensures every word spoken reflects the couple’s authentic selves
    • Guides couples through the ceremony planning process with care and expertise
    • Conducts ceremonies in any location that holds meaning for the couple
    • Creates a warm, inclusive atmosphere that makes every guest feel part of the celebration

    As Tara Heath-Arnold puts it, “We’re not just officiating a ceremony – we’re crafting moments that families will remember for generations.”

    Read more: What is a wedding celebrant and what do they do

    Understanding the Legalities: Getting Married in England and Wales

    In England and Wales, the legal registration of marriage remains distinct from the ceremonial celebration. As Tara explains, “Similar to registering a birth or death, couples who don’t get married in a Church need to register their marriage with a registrar.” With fewer and fewer people choosing religious ceremonies, this separation of legal and ceremonial aspects has become increasingly common and accepted.

    Guiding Couples Through Their Legal Choices: A Celebrant’s Approach

    One of the most important conversations we have with couples is about the legal aspects of their marriage journey. As celebrants, we have the privilege of helping couples understand their options while ensuring their ceremony dreams can flourish without legal constraints.

    The Art of Explaining Legal Requirements: Empowering Couples with Options

    “I often encourage my couples to think of it like registering a birth or death,” Tara explains. “This is simply the couple registering their marriage.” This clear, straightforward approach helps couples understand the distinction between the legal registration and their personalised celebration.

    Every couple’s journey is unique, and Celebrants honour that by:

    • Explaining all available choices clearly and without bias
    • Supporting whatever combination of legal and celebrant-led ceremonies they choose
    • Highlighting the flexibility they gain by separating the legal and ceremonial aspects
    • Discussing how their vision can be brought to life without legal constraints

    The “Paperwork Day” Approach: Celebrating Freedom of Choice

    Many couples embrace what has become lovingly known as their “admin day” or “paperwork day.” This process is straightforward and cost-effective and typically involves:

    • Couples register their intent to marry at their local registry office (approximately £42)
    • A brief legal ceremony with two witnesses (around £57 in most areas)
    • These appointments are typically available on a quiet weekday morning
    • Many couples affectionately refer to this as their “admin day” or “paperwork day”

    As Miranda shares, “When you separate the legal aspect from the celebratory aspect, you’re free to have your ceremony without any restrictions.”

    Managing Expectations with Grace

    “At the end of the day, it’s entirely down to them. It’s up to them. It’s their choice,” Tara emphasises. This might mean:

    • Having a celebrant-led ceremony on a different day from their legal ceremony
    • Incorporating the legal ceremony into their celebration day
    • Creating a completely unique approach that works for their situation

    We always encourage couples to explore their options thoroughly. As Tara notes, “I never expect a decision there and then. I always say, go away and think about it. Make sure I am the right person, because I’m going to be by your side on one of the most important days of your lives.”

    Supporting Destination Wedding Dreams

    For couples planning a destination celebration, whether that’s a beautiful Cotswolds barn or a sun-soaked beach abroad, we recommend completing the legal formalities in their home country. As Tara advises, “For ease and less paperwork and less stress, do your legals in your own country.” This approach simplifies the process and allows couples to focus on creating their perfect celebration.

    The Benefits of Separating the Legals

    Whilst there’s some added admin for Couples opting for a Celebrant-led ceremony, there are some added benefits too. By separating the legal registration from their celebrant-led ceremony, couples can:

    • Reduce stress on their celebration day
    • Have complete flexibility with their ceremony timing
    • Choose any location that speaks to their hearts
    • Include any elements that reflect their love story
    • Feel relaxed about any timing changes or delays
    • Focus entirely on the emotional significance of their day

    Remember, our role is to guide couples through these choices while ensuring they feel supported and empowered in their decisions. As Miranda puts it, “I talk about what you do, don’t worry about what you don’t do,” focusing on the beautiful possibilities rather than any perceived limitations.

    The Freedom to Marry Anywhere

    One of the most appealing aspects of choosing a celebrant is the freedom to hold your ceremony anywhere. Unlike registrars who are restricted to licensed venues, celebrants can conduct ceremonies anywhere, which gives couples complete freedom to choose. We’ve seen couples marry in:

    • Private gardens
    • Festival fields
    • Woodland settings
    • Any meaningful location the couple chooses

    As a celebrant, this means you get to work in some stunning locations and visit places you might not otherwise have visited.

    Personalisation: The Heart of Celebrant-led Ceremonies

    What truly sets celebrant-led ceremonies apart is the depth of personalisation. Unlike standardised registry office ceremonies, celebrants:

    • Spend time getting to know each couple
    • Craft unique ceremonies that tell their love story
    • Include meaningful rituals and traditions
    • Provide continuous support throughout the planning process

    Celebrants pour their heart and soul into creating unique and personalised celebrations, and you get to be as creative as you want. There’s a genuine sense of fulfilment that comes with knowing you made somebody’s celebration both meaningful and memorable and that you were part of what made their ceremony so special.

    The Impact of Registrars Offering “Celebrant-led Ceremonies”

    There has been considerable discussion within Celebrant groups regarding Registrar services entering the Celebrant space. While some registration services now promote what they call “celebrant-led ceremonies,” neither Tara nor Miranda have noticed any impact on their business or the number of enquiries they receive. Miranda highlights that some councils and registrars provide what they refer to as “Celebrant-led Registrar Ceremonies.” However, these are not the same as working with a Celebrant and have several key differences.

    • Registrars often conduct 6-8 ceremonies per day
    • Couples typically can’t choose their registrar
    • The ceremony content remains relatively standardised
    • Registrars aren’t spending time getting to know the couple beforehand
    • Registrars aren’t trained storytellers; they still have to follow a strict format and they aren’t crafting the ceremony for their couples
    • Love stories are limited to 300 words written by the couple

    Couples are savvy and those who want a personalised Celebrant-led ceremony are unlikely to be swayed by this obvious marketing move.

    The Growing Popularity of Celebrant-led Ceremonies

    If you need any more reasons to jump in and become a Wedding Celebrant, our mentors shared some positive statistics from the 2024 UK Wedding Report that show the ever-evolving landscape of the UK wedding Industry. :

    • The UK wedding industry is worth £15 billion annually
    • Average wedding costs have increased 100% since 2020 to £20,700
    • 80% of marriages are now civil ceremonies
    • There has been a remarkable 49% increase in search volume for celebrant-led weddings in the past year

    As more people learn about the benefits of a celebrant-led wedding, demand is surely set to rise.

    If the government accept recommendations from the UK wedding law reform report, then Independent Celebrants might find themselves able to conduct legal wedding ceremonies in the future, but that change is still some way off.

    Meet Our Mentors

    Miranda Ash brings twelve years of celebrant experience to the table, having conducted countless ceremonies while maintaining a parallel career in mindset and leadership coaching. Her journey began after a personal experience with a celebrant at her mother’s funeral, leading her to transition into this fulfilling role. In 2023, she conducted 26 weddings, including beautiful elopements and vow renewals.

    Tara Heath-Arnold’s path to celebrancy began with an intriguing suggestion from her husband in Christmas 2018. After a successful career in financial recruitment and completing a Masters in English Literature, she embarked on her celebrant training in 2019. Despite launching during the pandemic, Tara’s business has flourished, conducting 42 weddings in 2023 and building a thriving funeral celebrancy practice.

    Your Journey Begins Here

    The Academy of Modern Celebrancy offers comprehensive training and ongoing support for aspiring celebrants. With the wedding industry’s continued growth and the increasing demand for personalised ceremonies, there’s never been a better time to begin your celebrancy journey.

    Our vibrant, supportive community welcomes individuals who are passionate about creating meaningful ceremonies. Through our expert-led training programmes, mentoring support, and continuous professional development opportunities, we’ll help you build a successful celebrancy practice that reflects your unique style and personality.

    Ready to explore a rewarding career as a celebrant? Visit our courses page to learn more about our training programmes and join our thriving community of modern celebrants.

    Team AMC

    Our team of writers and contributors at The Academy of Modern Celebrancy are dedicated to educating Celebrants and helping them build thriving Celebrant businesses. Our team is made up of Celebrants and Industry experts dedicated to sharing their expertise with you.

    The Academy of Modern Celebrancy also has a thriving community of 2.8k celebrants that we are dedicated to helping grow their businesses and taking celebrancy from a hobby to a lifestyle.

    AMC host the global celebrant summit, Celebrantopia, each year, where experts from the Celebrant world share their expertise and passion for Celebrancy.

    The Academy of Modern Celebrancy has trained over 600 celebrants, and employs award-winning Celebrant Mentors who know what it takes to make it in the industry. We train the best celebrants out there across the UK, Europe and the USA.

    Take the Quiz to find out if you have what it takes!

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    Are you a Celebrantin the making?

    Find out if you have what it takes to be a celebrant and if now is the time for you to start this new chapter.

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