Our Ultimate Guide to Wedding Celebrants ⋆ by Unconventional Wedding ⋆

We LOVE celebrants here at Unconventional Wedding. They expand the options for your wedding day and offer such a wide range of personalisation for wedding ceremonies. And with the Law Commission recently publishing its recommendations to overhaul the outdated wedding laws in England and Wales, we’re excited that celebrants may be able to conduct legal weddings going forwards! So dive on in and discover all the benefits that a celebrant can bring to your wedding day.

Any questions, feel free to pop into our Unconventional Wedding chat room over on Facebook. There is always someone there who can help!

Feature photo Vicki Clayson Photography

Our ultimate Guide to wedding Celebrants

Click on each bullet to find out more

The legalities

A celebrant wedding ceremony isn't legally binding (at the moment) but is a fabulous, flexible alternative.

Symbolic Acts

There are loads of different types of symbolic acts, from handfasting to sand ceremonies. You can write your own vows and create your own ritual!

Write your own wedding vows

You can write your own vows and create your own ritual!

Outdoor v indoor ceremonies

We LOVE outdoor wedding ceremonies but you can't always rely on the UK weather! We'll discuss the pros and cons

What to expect on the day

A heads up to what will happen on your wedding day with a celebrant, with advice on how to choose the right one for you/

Choosing your wedding celebrant

Top tips to help you choose the right one for your wedding day

legalities: celebrant Wedding Ceremonies

A lot of couples now decide to get legally married on a different occasion and make their official vows with a celebrant on their wedding day. This could be earlier in the day or a few days / weeks prior. I know of a couple who got married first thing in the morning and went to a McDonalds drive through on the way back. They then got changed into their wedding outfits and got married in front of their family & friends in a stunning outdoor ceremony by a river.

Why does it happen this way? Currently, a wedding celebrant cannot legally register you as married though some regional differences do apply (we’re not going to go into all the legal bits here). We hope there might be changes in the future (you can read more here) and it goes without saying that you need to do the research to find out what applies to your area at the time you are planning your wedding day.

Top Tips from the Experts

One thing to be aware of, is that many venues ask nearly-weds to book their registrar before they will confirm the date and the booking. The reason for this is that they are trying to avoid the situation where the guests and the couple turn up to get married and find that no- one has been booked to conduct the ceremony. This seems sensible enough, but of course, that means many couples assume that they venue will only allow a registrar. That is not the case. Just tell your venue that you’re having a celebrant instead, confirm your celebrant’s details with them and that’s it, you’re all set for an amazing ceremony!

Claire Lawrence Celebrant

One of the main differences between a celebrant wedding to a civil ceremony is the sense of freedom. No ‘can’t say that’ here. Choose an Independent Celebrant and have exactly what you want including religious content! We really can tell your story, and get you into the very heart of your ceremony, with no templates or set scripts in sight. You can even have your doggy family member sign the certificate

Ceremonies By Leni Robson

Having a celebrant AND a registrar-led ceremony might seem like overkill but actually it allows you to put the heartfelt and meaningful stuff in your ceremony without having to mix it up with the boring legal stuff. With other major moments in life, or death, we are used to separating out the bureaucracy from the ceremony, ritual or symbolic set of actions. For example, signing on a house is different from the moment when you actually get the keys and joyfully cross the threshold. An appointment with the registrar to register a birth or death is not the moment when you gather everyone around you. If you do end up doing both, then you might want to make the registrar-led ceremony as short, cheap and simple as possible, so look out for possibilities for a Statutory ceremony with your county or city registrar. These are sometimes only on limited days/ times of the week but it helps when you know what you are asking for.

Rooted Ceremonies

symbolic acts for wedding ceremonies

Arguably, the best thing about celebrant led wedding ceremonies is the freedom! You can escape the tradition and formula (read the standard wedding rings) and create something which is truly unique.

Pick from symbolic acts which represent the vision of your wedding day – some of which we talk about below. Handfasting to jumping the broom, recreating the unbreakable vow from Harry Potter to incorporating your favourite drink! The list is endless!

Top Tips from the Experts

Sand ceremonies

A sand ceremony is a great way to include all the children – or grandchildren! It’s about blending of families, and how the grains of sand can never be separated. You can choose to have the colours of your day, or choose the children’s favourite colours.

Eclectic wedding ceremonies

Symbolic acts are like the sprinkles on your wedding ceremony - totally optional, but they make everything extra special. Fancy a handfasting? Great, it’s like getting literally tied to your partner (as if marriage wasn’t commitment enough!). Sand blending? Perfect if you love a good metaphor and don’t mind finding rogue grains of sand in random places for years to come. Drinking from a shared cup? Ideal if you trust your partner not to down it all first. Whatever you choose, make it you - because nothing says ‘soulmates’ like lighting a candle together and hoping nobody sets their hair on fire.

ring ceremonies

A beautiful wedding tradition that involves the entire wedding party is one where the sacred rings are passed to each guest in order for them to give it their blessing. The guest could choose to kiss the ring box, hold it, or say a few words - anything that symbolises sending positive thoughts and blessings towards the newlyweds. If you don’t like the idea of rings, how about matching tattoos? Often used in a pagan wedding, their permanence is considered a symbol of eternal love.

Handfasting

A handfasting is a traditional Pagan or Celtic wedding ritual in which the couple’s hands are tied together with cords, ribbons, or cords to symbolise their union. It is one of the oldest known marriage rituals and is often used in modern Pagan, Wiccan, and non-traditional ceremonies as a spiritual and symbolic act of commitment. A secure knot is difficult to untie, symbolising: * enduring love * a strong bond * a lasting partnership

Including your loved ones

One of the things I’m seeing couples wanting more and more is to include their important people in their ceremony but in more fun and authentic ways. I have lots of nearly-weds who feel like their only option is to ask their best friend to ‘do a reading’ even though they’re terrified of public speaking, or have their dad walk them down the aisle even though that doesn’t feel right for them. Celebrants really come into their own here. A celebrant can work out elements and roles, that feel much more in tune with them, fit their vibe and are right for the people they want to be involved.

Cocktail Creation

For lovers of cocktails and mixed drinks, this is a fun ritual that will surely add a few laughs and smiles on your big day. To do this, you could opt to make an already-known cocktail together with your partner. But for more fun and creativeness, why not choose your own ingredients and prepare a brand-new cocktail? This is a great way for the pair of you to work together to create something brand new.

Writing your own wedding vows

Being able to write your own wedding vows is a clear advantage of a celebrant led wedding day. The only box to be ticked is “YOU”. Your celebrant will work with you to pull these together (don’t worry you don’t need to do it alone!).

Top Tips from the Experts

Writing your own vows can be a daunting prospect. You don't have to do it. They don't have to be super long. Use your celebrant as a sounding board. And ask your celebrant to read both partners so you know they'll flow together, with the same vibe, at the ceremony. Speak from the heart, the wedding is all about your love for each other

Always write from the heart and you can’t go far wrong, but remember this isn’t the speech, this is the moment you make the promises you hope to keep for the rest of your life -and don’t forget to say I love you! You’ll be amazed how many people forget and it’s the reason we are all there!

The exchange of vows is often one of the most moving moments of a ceremony- both for the couple and for those witnessing it, and many people find themselves welling up as they deliver and receive their vows. These tears flow from a place of deep joy, love and gratitude and are profoundly beautiful and deeply contagious! However, if you feel anxious that you might sob uncontrollably, or feel shy to speak from your heart in front of everyone, you could consider writing your vows down and exchanging them in letter form. You never know, you might feel like reading them out in the moment but this might take the pressure away.

Outdoor vs indoor wedding ceremonies

Another great thing about wedding celebrants is that their ceremonies can be conducted anywhere! This is different to legal ceremonies which can take place outside but they must be under a fixed and permanent structure.

So this opens the door to 101 different opportunities for your wedding ceremony and you can really personalise it just for you! How about a wedding ceremony in a forest, a field, in your parents back garden, on top of a mountain … the options are endless. It just needs to be a place that means something to you both! It also ticks the box for enabling socially distanced wedding days which unfortunately are going to be around in the short term.

Top Tips from the Experts

Plan ahead

I'm a nature lover, a sun worshipper, outdoor ceremonies are absolutely my bag! But have a back up, UK weather cannot be depended on! A marquee, umbrellas, or an indoor room. Be prepared that you might need to chuck something on the ground to walk on. And maybe even if you're lucky and it's super sunny, some source of shade needs to be considered.

Weddings at Festivals

Try suss out a location before the day, if you can. Somewhere with low traffic and low noise is ideal but somewhere that feels special to you. Make sure to have meeting points with suppliers/friends/family! This is SO important as phone signal can be a real killer at festivals, make sure to set times at meeting points and stick to them. Another key piece of advice if you want a bouquet at your festival wedding is florals need to be cool! It’s important you have somewhere shaded and in water that you can keep them so that they last until the ceremony.

Nature Based Weddings

Outdoor ceremonies are perfect for Pagan weddings. Why not include layering in your outfit? Robes or shawls can be ceremonial and practical. Your outdoor space may also provide symbolic accessories which can be incorporated into the ceremony: foraged feathers or stones can be incorporated by both the couple and guests.

Connection to Nature

What better way to symbolise unity and growth than to plant your very own tree? Or, alternatively, you could choose your favourite tree - say, at the place where you are getting married - and make that your unity tree. Alternatively an Oathing Stone is an old Scottish tradition where the couple place their hands upon a stone while saying their wedding vows. Taken from the ancient Celtic custom of "setting an oath in stone", inclusion of the Oathing stone ceremony in the vows can be deeply moving. It's believed that holding the stone during the vows casts or sets them in stone. For the Celts, holding the stone was a way of transferring oaths not just between the couple, but also with their ancestors so they could also be "present", so for many people the stone is a really meaningful inclusion.

What to expect with a wedding celebrant

Is a celebrant led wedding day different to a registrar led wedding day? Definitely yes! After all, there is only one wedding happening at your wedding venue on that day! So expect a much more personal approach to the finer details. Celebrants aren’t attached to a rigid timetable – if you need to dodge a rain shower, you can wait! They’ll make sure everything is set up perfectly for you so you just have to turn up!

Top Tips from the Experts

Expect a lot of love and laughter, and a voice of calmness amongst the organised chaos. In the run-up, your celebrant will be your personal hype squad, part-time therapist, and professional storyteller - diving deep into your love story to craft a ceremony which truly celebrates ‘you’. On the day, we’ll be there to calm nerves, cue the laughter, and make sure you don’t accidentally forget your spouse’s name. Basically, we’ll be the wedding wizards you never knew you needed!

Unlike a registrar that may have officiated hundreds of ceremonies using the exact same script, celebrants create a unique script for each ceremony. We will deliver it with heart, passion and freshness. The goal is not to perform a legal contract using set words, but to host an intimate experience for you as a couple and all your guests if you have them. Celebrants are curious creatures who love getting to know you and what this is all about for you. While you may not have met a registrar before the ceremony, celebrants will be developing a relationship of trust with you right from when you first book them. You can lean on us when you are feeling awash with nerves or overwhelmed. We will be rooting for you all the way through the process whilst having an eye on all the details (like sound, ritual choreography, layout of the seats, audience participation etc) so you can focus on being present.

How To Choose Your wedding celebrant

It goes without saying that you need to choose your ‘dream team’ to support you on our wedding day. Choosing a wedding celebrant is no different and you should treat them like any other supplier. So we’re sharing with you our top tips for choosing your celebrant. And of course, you can also check out the celebrants listed in our directory here.

Our top tips ...

Who do you connect with?

It's important you get on with your celebrant as they are leading your wedding ceremony. We LOVE Lisa from Celebrant in Cornwall's comparison to finding the perfect fit for your wedding dress - see more below

What's important to you?

Take a look at all the different celebrants in your area. It's not always about price. Does their vibe work with yours? Have they worked at your venue before?

TRAINING

Have a look at what training they've undertaken. For example, humanist celebrants are accredited by Humanists UK and have to complete specific training

Do a mini vetting!

Have a scroll down their social media. Check out awards, reviews or recommendations. Make sure they are genuine. How many ceremonies have they done?

The legal bits

Always check out postponement / cancellation policies and make sure they have insurance / DBS checks in place

Top Tips from the Experts

Choose someone you're comfortable chatting openly with, someone who's interested and asks questions. Someone who you can get lost in the conversation with. Someone who listens to what you have to say, your ideas, who gets enthusiastic and has suggestions, someone who cares about it being magical for you. You want to choose someone who's main concern is you having the best day, not more concerned with getting the booking.

Have a chat with a few and ask them every question you can think of and then some. Most celebrants love to talk weddings! Remember it’s your day, so if you have strong feelings about something find out whether your views align. Do you trust them to make your day perfect? If you have any additional needs talk about how they can adapt to make sure that you don’t have to compromise on what you want. I love the fact that as a celebrant you’ve spent time building a relationship with your couple, so you are just as excited as everyone in the room to see them pledge their love for each other.

Featured wedding celebrant members ...

These are just some of our celebrant members from across the UK and Europe – the full list can be found here.

Shelley Bell Wedding celebrant conducts a wedding ceremony in essex

Shelley Bell, Essex Wedding Celebrant

Hello, I’m Shelley Bell. As a Celebrant that has written and conducted hundreds of ceremonies, I love that every time I work with a new couple I learn something new. I embrace new locations, including multicultural or religious elements and creating new themes just for you. I love to stretch

Unique to you celebrant - alternative wedding - alternative wedding ceremony 2

Ceremonies By Leni Robson

Couples who like laughter, warmth and really want to put their own spin on their ceremony are right up my Diagon alley. I love getting into a theme, but am a big believer in love being the greatest story, so work really hard to get to know what makes you

Cherry the Celebrant – West Midlands Rock n Roll Celebrant

Rock n’ Roll Weddings that break the rules. 100% Uniquely curated ceremonies as weird & wonderful as you are! Fancy a wedding ceremony that makes everyone go; “oooh this is so (add your name in here)” and not go “oh this is the same as (add someones name you don’t

carrie celebrates marries a couple at an outdoor wedding

Carrie Celebrates, East Sussex Wedding Celebrant

You’re getting married – congrats! If you want your wedding ceremony to be fun, joyous and 100% you, you’re in the right place. Carrie Celebrates will help to bring joy & fun to your wedding ceremony. Wedding ceremonies have been the boring bit for too long. The bit people sit

wedding celebrant, stardust ceremonies, is stood on a mountain top watching hot hair balloons at a destination wedding

Stardust Ceremonies, Fun Devon Wedding Celebrant

At Stardust Ceremonies, I specialise in making your special occasions unforgettable. Whether it’s a wedding, renewal of vows, civil partnership or commitment celebration, I bring your vision to life with bespoke ceremonies tailored just for you. I am committed to creating memorable ceremonies that resonate with your personal story. Every

Celebrant Number 1, Yorkshire wedding celebrant

Thank you for stopping by my page – Celebrant Number 1. Each wedding ceremony is made to fit the couples personality and their understanding of family and fun – no bars withheld. I will create the perfect bespoke wedding ceremony that not only becomes memorable for the fun, love and

Bohemian Autumn Wedding at Longton Wood

We love an outdoor wedding ceremony here at UW! This bohemian autumn wedding was sent into us by ButtercupBus Vintage Campers and photographed by Tony Pullen. It’s a beautiful, intimate affair with a Harvest Festival theme of feasting, celebrating, and giving thanks. What a brilliant theme for a wedding. Keep

Eco-Conscious Wedding- Creative Ceremonies- Eco Friendly Wedding- Eco Wedding- Hippie Wedding- Boho Wedding- Pagan Wedding- Unique Wedding- Unconventional Wedding- Quirky Wedding- Unique Wedding Ideas- Wedding Planning

Eco Wedding Planning Tips!

Today we have a guest blog by Angie from Creative Ceremonies! Read on to find out how to plan an eco wedding… I’m an Eco-Conscious Celebrant. This means that I consider what we are doing to our environment in my ceremonies. How and what we consume has a huge impact

Vicki Clayson Photography- Bohemian Woodland Wedding- Unconventional Wedding- Alternative Wedding- Outdoor Wedding- Handfasting- Unique Wedding

Our Ultimate Guide to Wedding Celebrants

two brides just married - lgbtq wedding photos - sunflower wedding

Dud & Gina’s Festival Wedding Weekend

Today we’re sharing Dud and Gina’s epic festival wedding weekend. This incredible couple described their big day as ‘a combination of a family holiday, a festival and a rugby tour’! Sounds pretty great, right? The celebration took place over a bank holiday weekend at Hidden River Barn in Cumbria. Kirsty

beach elopement - beach wedding - eco friendly wedding -tempest themed wedding - jumping the broom wedding ceremony

Eco-Friendly Beach Elopement Inspired By The Tempest

Take two friends who happen to be Shakespeare fans, a lockdown and some socially distanced wine drinking. Add in the fact that they are both wedding suppliers, trying to find new ways of working in the COVID world of 2020. You are only a Sauvignon Blanc away from a Tempest

Unique Engagement Photoshoot- Corina Photography- Pride Wedding- Brighton Pride- Unconventional Wedding- Quirky Wedding- Alternative Wedding

How To Cope With The Postponed Wedding Blues

Today we have a guest blog from Leni Robson at Unique To You Ceremonies. She has shared some valuable advice about how to deal with a postponed wedding and look after yourself. She gently reminds us that our feelings are valid and it’s normal to experience grief! Over to Leni…

Feature photo Vicki Clayson Photography

Our ultimate Guide to wedding Celebrants

Click on each bullet to find out more

legalities: celebrant Wedding Ceremonies

Top Tips from the Experts

symbolic acts for wedding ceremonies

Top Tips from the Experts

Sand ceremonies

Eclectic wedding ceremonies

ring ceremonies

Handfasting

Including your loved ones

Cocktail Creation

Writing your own wedding vows

Top Tips from the Experts

Outdoor vs indoor wedding ceremonies

Top Tips from the Experts

Plan ahead

Weddings at Festivals

Nature Based Weddings

Connection to Nature

What to expect with a wedding celebrant

Top Tips from the Experts

How To Choose Your wedding celebrant

Our top tips ...

Who do you connect with?

What's important to you?

TRAINING

Do a mini vetting!

The legal bits

Top Tips from the Experts

Featured wedding celebrant members ...

More advice about wedding ceremonies and celebrants

Discover more from Unconventional Wedding

Sign In

Forgot password