Why Celebrants are the answer...especially now!

We know that many of you are desperately trying to work out what to do about your wedding plans.  

You may have already postponed; you may be considering postponing again; you may be 'Parallel Planning'; you may be trying to plan a new wedding next year or beyond; you may be waiting to see what happens and then decide!

All in all, it's a bit of a quandary isn't it.

Regardless of your situation, you may find that you're a bit 'on hold' as Registrars are generally not taking calls at this time, meaning you're unable to finally confirm your new wedding date - and whilst you can confirm all other elements, not having the legal part confirmed will be hanging over you - but worry not, we have the perfect solution for you - a Celebrant!

Celebrants enable you to hold your wedding ceremony on a day, time and location of your choosing, and it's a ceremony that's totally personal to you too...and whilst it's not a legal ceremony, you can do the legal 'bit' anytime to fit around your plans!

We've invited Ana Kelly, our resident Whitewed Approved Celebrant to give you an insight into how a Celebrant wedding is the perfect choice, especially right now!

Says Ana:

"Did you know that being legally MARRIED need only entail saying 41 words in any Registry Office’s £57 Simple 2+2 Office Service? Before or after that service, you are perfectly entitled to celebrate your WEDDING anywhere and at any time you’d like.

The 41 words are:

I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I * may not be joined in matrimony to *. I call up these persons here present to witness that I * do take thee * to be my lawful wedded wife / husband.

Photo Credit: Ian Baker Photography

Everything else in a wedding can be celebrated in a separate ceremony with a creative Celebrant... such as myself! This includes your totally free choice of indoor or outdoor location, music, personalised vows, readings, ring exchanges, details of your love story, symbolic elements, as well as bubble/blossom/coloursmoke walks – you name it, it can be included!

Many fabulous Whitewed fellow-suppliers are being so flexible with couples postponing bookings during this COVID crisis, so it is lovely to be able to help everyone bring new plans together by being available for bookings, and by having many fellow-Celebrants in hand when I’m already booked. Celebrant service options provide a chink of positive light during the gloom of COVID, especially with many Registrars unable to offer re-bookings.

I am being booked by couples who want to fix a new date – they are so excited by how a Celebrant Wedding opens up their service options! Venues may now offer Weddings in their non-Licensed indoor and outdoor areas over a broader range of time slots. It’s a massive win-win for all!

Photo Credit: Ian Baker Photography

Anything is possible in a Celebrant Wedding! While many couples prefer a more romantic, relaxed and personalised service, I’ve been working on Game of Thrones vows, handfastings, as well as beer sipping, Viking and broom-jumping! Independent Celebrants may also include a religious element, and include the signing of a ceremonial keepsake certificate.

Lots of the above ceremony elements are simply not allowed in Registrar services, where hard-pushed Registrars are also given no time to make services truly personal. This is so not so with a Celebrant! I personally LOVE couples thinking out of the box and letting their imaginations run riot!

Photo Credit: Jack Aldridge Photography

With so much uncertainty, some of my couples are getting legally married as soon as they are able, then throwing all of their creativity into their delayed wedding service. What a lovely distraction in stressful times!

All Registrars are obliged by law to offer the 2+2 service.. Remember, expensive Registrar wedding suites and packages make Councils a lot of money – so many areas do not often publicise the ‘budget’ option well, but it will exist! Venues are certainly not obliged to use Registrars, and couples also may get married out of their area.

Photo Credit: Jack Aldridge Photography

Although the law may change to allow Celebrants to do the ‘legals’, I see advantages in them being separate. Christenings, Namings, Vow Renewals and Funerals are rites of passage where legals are completed separately, and so are Weddings in countries such as France.

Let your Wedding Service take its place as the most important and touching focus of your Wedding Day – and feel free to save the legals until another day! Save your guests from wriggling on their bottoms as legal tasks such as checking you are consenting adults, signing the register etc are completed...

Photo Credit: Amber Marie Photography

So, the big COVID reveal could totally revolutionise Weddings and keep the boring bits away!"

Ana Kelly, Celebrant

Keep smiling, from the Loved by Whitewed Team