Questions to Ask Your Wedding Celebrant
Firstly, if you’re getting married in the UK, it is only legally binding if it’s conducted by a licensed member of the Church or someone registered by the local authority, regardless of whether you’re having a civil or religious ceremony. So, what is a celebrant?
A celebrant is an independent professional who is not restricted by religion or legal obligation and can, therefore, provide you with a custom-made ceremony which is personal to you. In order to make your marriage legally binding you would need to give notice at your local register office and arrange to have a ‘Statutory Ceremony’, this part does not need to be treated as a formal ceremony.
You can find out more about the types of wedding you can have in the UK on a recent blog post I wrote, available here.
Some of the places you can find your perfect celebrant are:
When meeting your potential celebrant for the first time, what kind of impression do they give you and is this someone you want to play a major role in your wedding? Consider their personality, appearance and speaking style.
Experience
How long have you been a celebrant?
What training have you undertaken as a celebrant?
Have you worked at our venue before?
The Process
What is the ceremony writing process?
Can we write our own vows?
Do you have sample ceremony readings/vows that we can choose from?
What other options are available for the ceremony? Such as unity candles, sand ceremony, handfasting, wine ceremony, mother’s rose presentation etc.
On The Day
How many weddings do you officiate in one day?
Do you have a backup officiant available if you are unable to attend at the last minute?
Pricing and Confirmation
What are your wedding packages and fees?
What type of deposit is required and what is the schedule of payments?
Will you reserve my wedding date until we finish interviewing celebrants?
As part of my full and partial planning packages, I will liaise with all your suppliers, including celebrants. You can find out more about my services here. To discuss further and find out how I can help you, visit leaholiviaweddings.com or contact me at leah@leaholiviaweddings.com.