What is the difference between a Wedding Celebrant and a Marriage Registrar?

There is a subtle but important legal difference between the words “wedding” and “marriage”.

A “marriage” is the legal union between two consenting people. Their financial assets and responsibilities in the eyes of the law combine. A “wedding” however, is the celebration of this new union.

Under the current law in England and Wales, a marriage ceremony can only be performed by Clergy and local council registrars. The Law Commission has just ended public consultation on updating marriage law so that it is more equal between religious and non-religious marriage services. But this is the topic for another blog post another day. This new law is not expected to come into force until 2023.

For now, wedding celebrants like me can officiate beautiful wedding ceremonies but we can’t currently register the marriage. Instead, independent wedding celebrants like me, will help you arrange your statutory legal marriage registration with your local council or at a registry office of your choice.

So why bother with a celebrant when a registrar can attend your venue and do your marriage registration at your wedding?

There are three main reasons why couples choose to have a wedding celebrant conduct their wedding ceremony for them and do their marriage registration at another time, either before or after their wedding.

1) A celebrant-led wedding ceremony is more personal, bespoke and is not restricted in its content like a registrar ceremony is. A celebrant takes time to get to know the couple and will write each ceremony personally for them. The current law prohibits any religious or spiritual content or music at a registrar ceremony. They often work from a limited number of scripts.

2) A celebrant-led wedding ceremony can take place in any location, indoors, outdoors, private house or garden, you only need the land-owners permission. A registrar ceremony can only take place in a licensed venue or registry office. These are often very expensive for what they are and even if the ceremony is at a beautiful “approved” venue, the ceremony must take place in the “licensed” room, you can’t go out and do the ceremony on the lawn or gardens if it turns out to be a glorious day. Registrars also have very packed diaries. Couples end up having to arrange their day around their diary commitments, rather than the other way round. There are no restrictions with a celebrant, they are there to meet your needs and wants.

3) Lastly, not only do you get a more bespoke ceremony in any location and with greater flexibility, it is also often cheaper than the more restricted options. Registrars can charge anything from £350 to £630 to visit an approved venue on a Saturday. They are often doing 3 or 4 weddings in a day and so only turn up just before your ceremony, and leave 20 minutes later. A celebrant will help couples arrange their statutory marriage ceremony which will cost them only £46 + £11 for the legal marriage certificate. Councils are not keen to promote this service but they have to make it available to couples by law.

Feel free to get in touch to find out more.