We’ve all been to a wedding where the vicar, priest, minister, or registrar fails to capture the personality and wishes of the happy couple; this can result in a marriage ceremony that feels restrictive and impersonal.
Greater Flexibility and Choice
But things are changing as couples demand greater flexibility and choice. Plus, they want to have a hand in designing a truly bespoke, meaningful and special ceremony – one which is tailored to reflect their needs, tastes, story, love, personal beliefs and values. And that’s why in recent years, the use of Celebrants to officiate at weddings has become more popular.
Finding a Wedding Celebrant
This all sounds great, but how can you find a wedding Celebrate who will create and design a bespoke ceremony to help you commemorate one of the most important and memorable events of your life?
It goes without saying that before you start searching for a suitable Celebrant, you will need to have finalised the following details about your wedding:
- Date and timings
- Venue
- Registrar involvement
- Type of wedding – religious, relaxed, themed
- What else you want included – rituals, traditions, poetry, music etc.
Ask for Recommendations
In the first instance, it’s worth asking friends, family and colleagues if they have any Celebrant recommendations. If they do, get their details and visit their websites and social media channels. Pay particular attention to their experience, what organisations they are members of, any accreditations, videos and of course those all-important reviews.
If you haven’t got a referral, then the following website will help. They have availability calendars, enabling you to check which Celebrants are free on your chosen date.
The Fellowship of Professional Celebrant
Your Choice of Celebrant
It’s essential that you choose a Celebrant who matches your vision for your ceremony and with whom you feel 100% comfortable. You need to find someone who is thoughtful, inspired, supportive, understanding and compassionate. This is because you’ll need to share lots of details about your life and relationship with them.
Celebrant Checklist
In order to narrow down your choice, you may want to compile a simple checklist of things that your preferred Celebrant should have. This might encompass a few, or all, of the following:
- Who they are – gender, age and any particular skills.
- Credentials – professional and up to date training and accreditations.
- Compatibility – vision, values and beliefs.
- Experience of the type of wedding you want – religious/non-religious, traditional/non-traditional, formal/fun.
- What services they offer – proficient at researching and writing a unique and creative script and can also be yours exclusively for the day.
- Type of presentation – flexibility when it comes to style, theme and choreography.
- Cost – do their prices fit your budget and can they provide an initial no fee meeting/consultation.
- Location – some may be local or need to travel further and this may incur an additional Celebrant cost.
- Insurance – do they have Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance?
- Terms and conditions – check booking fee/final payment arrangements and that there are no hidden surprises if you need to cancel.
Getting the Best out of Your Celebrant Relationship
Always meet your Celebrant before you book them. Many offer a free initial meeting or consultation. You could go for a Zoom/Teams/Skype video appointment, or perhaps a phone call, but given the importance of their role and the trust you are placing on them, you should really meet them face-to-face. Only then will you know if you feel a connection and whether they have the personality, experience and commitment to work with you to create and present the ceremony of your dreams.
An Enjoyable Process
Working with your Celebrant should be enjoyable, dare I say it even fun! They will of course ask you lots of questions about what sort of day you would like and require details and information about your lives and your relationship. They will watch how you interact and get to know you both inside out – they need to know what makes you tick! In return they will offer you plenty of ideas and creative suggestions, as well as advice and guidance on how you can achieve your perfect day – everything from assisting with vows and promises, music and reading/poetry selection, to writing your ceremony script from scratch.
Take Your Time
Choosing the right Celebrant is a big decision. You must put in the time and effort necessary to find the one that will deliver a memorable day that you both deserve. Do not choose your Celebrant on cost alone – the value they offer should match the price they are asking.
Essentially, what you are looking for is someone who makes you and your partner the focus of a warm, entertaining, engaging and original ceremony; one which has been tailored to your exact wishes and beautifully celebrates your lives, your love and the future you will share.
For help in finding a Celebrant or to arrange an initial consultation about your wedding, please get in touch.
