Why you should have a celebrant-led wedding or handfasting ceremony

How much do you remember of the last registry office wedding you went to?

The exchange of the rings? The first kiss? Maybe a reading?

That’s pretty much it, isn’t it!

That is because registrar-led and church weddings have a prescribed structure and content, which makes them feel a bit rigid and a bit all-the-same.

You are not able to include any religious or spiritual aspects that would make it meaningful to you into your registrar-led ceremony . And for this reason the bits that are meaningful to the couple and memorable to the guests are few and far between.

The other downside of a registrar-led wedding is, that you can’t get married in the middle of a field, the woods, or a stone circle. At least in England or Wales this is still the case at time of writing.

A celebrant has a lot more freedoms than a registrar and can tailor your wedding or handfasting ceremony to your path and your needs.

How are celebrant led ceremonies different?

Not only can a celebrant hold a wedding ceremony in pretty much any place you like, you can choose your celebrant freely. Unlike a registrar, who will be assigned. 

Your celebrant can be a high-priest(ess), another person from your spiritual community, or a professional celebrant. 

Whichever type of celebrant you chose, your handfasting ceremony will be entirely yours, with every part chosen by you, nothing is prescribed.

You can personalise your ceremony, write your own vows, and have any readings you want. And, you are able to add little personal touches like the lighting of candles or the passing of the rings. 

You can basically do what you want.

Why are celebrants free to create bespoke ceremonies?

The freedom of creating your very own personalised ceremony comes from not needing to include certain aspects and wordings that are required to make your ceremony legally binding.

Indeed, at time of writing, celebrant-led ceremonies are not usually legally binding within the UK.

So you will have to pop down to the registry office to do the legal bits first. Find out from your local registry office what you need to do.
I grew up in Europe, where it is common to take only your witnesses to the registry office, sign the paperwork and have the “proper wedding” a few days later.

Having your heart set on a legally binding handfasting?

If you are looking to have a legally binding handfasting in the UK or Ireland, then this is possible, but your choice is very limited. Having a legally binding handfasting also comes with restrictions and prescribed aspects, like vows that you cannot modify or omit.

You can find information on where and how you can have a legally binding handfasting in the UK in my blog Is a Handfasting Legally Binding in these 8 Countries?

How to find the right celebrant for your handfasting

With most celebrant-led handfasting not being legally binding, you can choose anyone, but you should chose someone who can bring your own path into the ceremony.

Unless you already have someone from your coven or community lined up to conduct your handfasting ceremony, I highly recommend choosing a professional celebrant, rather than a friend or family member.

There is a skill to structuring, planning, and conducting your ceremony in a way that makes it personal to you as well as keeping your guests interested, that comes with the training and experience that professional celebrants can bring.

Also, our friends and family should be free to enjoy the celebration rather than potentially suffering with stage fright.

One more thing…

I am a big fan of celebrant led ceremonies. And I hope this blog has helped you decide on whether a celebrant led ceremony is for you.
If you decide to have a celebrant officiate our ceremony, keep your eyes peeled. I will be very shortly writing about how to find a celebrant.

But whatever you decide, please remember that there is no right or wrong way for your handfasting ceremony, as long as it is meaningful to you.

If you are still not quite sure about the type of ceremony you want, here is an idea for what a handfasting ceremony can look like: Your Handfasting Ceremony

If you haven’t found your perfect spot yet, you might find this blog helpful: How to find your perfect handfasting venue.

As promised above, I will soon write about how to find a celebrant. Follow me on social media (links in footer) to be reminded when my next helpful handfasting blog is out.  

Bright blessings,

 Alternative Wedding And Handfasting Photographer UK and EU