Why a Celebrant Transforms a Plain “I Do” and Why We Could Be Working Together

When I got re-married about eight years ago, the idea of having a celebrant wasn’t really on my radar.

I’d heard of lay priests. We even had one at our wedding. But she couldn’t legally marry us, so we still had to have a registrar come in and do the official bit.

That was exactly as straightforward (and, let’s be honest, as dull) as it sounds. You book the registrar. They arrive right on time, someone you’ve never met before, and they run through the standard lines. “Do you take this person.” “Yes, I do.” A ring and a line about everlasting love. It is all very by the book and not especially memorable.

Now, here is where a celebrant comes in.

Couples still need to do that quick legal part at the register office or have a registrar attend their venue. But what they get in return is a ceremony that is actually about them. They get to meet their celebrant, share their story and shape something that feels real and personal.

If they fancy a ceremony under the trees, in a barn, on a beach or up a hill, they can. If they want to hang from aerial hoops, they can do that too. I am about to take part in a styled shoot where the couple will quite literally be suspended from hoops while I “marry” them, purely for fun and creativity. It is exactly the kind of freedom and imagination a celebrant ceremony allows.

The legal and the personal can work beautifully together. The registrar handles the formalities. The celebrant brings the meaning, warmth and connection. It does not have to be an either or.

Some couples do the legal bit separately at the register office and then have a full celebrant led ceremony later. Others would love both parts in one place, the registrar taking care of the legal words followed by the celebrant led celebration. I would love to see more collaboration on this.

I have tried reaching out to registars about working together on dual ceremonies but it is not always easy to get a response. Which is a shame because this is not about stepping on anyone’s toes. It is about making the couple’s day flow well, without awkward pauses, travel between venues or confusion over who says what.

We could do lovely work together if registrars and celebrants saw ourselves as partners rather than competitors. They have the authority. We have the freedom to make the moment sing. Together, we can give couples a day that is smooth, stress free and full of heart.

What It Might Cost

Just so couples can see how it all fits together financially:

• Legal ceremony with a registrar costs around £50 to £70 for the notice of marriage per person, plus £60 to £120 for the short legal ceremony depending on the local authority.

• Celebrant led ceremony prices vary but mine start at £350 for smaller ceremonies such as vow renewals or namings and £700 for weddings in 2025 and £800 in 2026.

  
  

A registrar led ceremony at an approved venue, where it is just the registrars using the same standard script for everyone, also costs around £700.

So although a celebrant led ceremony might be a little more expensive and take a bit more arranging, look what you get for those extra few quid.

You get a genuine relationship with your celebrant and a ceremony that is completely and utterly about you, not just your names slotted into a standard script that every other couple has had.

Be bold, be brave, be open minded. Do not be told by venues what you have to have. Ask about celebrants who may be local, or go and check out all the amazing directories. Whether it is a standard white wedding, an alternative wedding, a goth wedding or a bring your dog wedding, there is a celebrant waiting for you.

At the end of the day, a wedding should be more than a legal transaction. It should be a moment that feels alive, honest and entirely yours.