Registrar or Celebrant Ceremony – what’s the difference?

With celebrant-led ceremonies becoming increasingly popular, here’s a quick guide to the difference between a registrar-led and celebrant-led ceremonies:

· Registrar-led ceremonies are legal. Ifyou want the legal benefits of marriage or civil partnership, you’ll need to be married by a registrar. This can be a simple register office ceremony inaddition to a celebrant-led ceremony or the main ceremony on the big day.

· One wedding day or two? Using a registrar for your main ceremony means that you’ll have one wedding day, one anniversary and the date on your marriage certificate will match the date of your wedding.

· Religious or not? Celebrant-led ceremonies can include religious elements.

· Registrars work in teams so there is always a back-up should someone be unexpectedly unavailable on the day.

· Celebrants will work in a less formal way. As they won’t be legally marrying you, there is no need for them to include any legal wording in the ceremony.

· Celebrant ceremonies can take place anywhere. Legal ceremonies can only take place in venues that are appropriately licenced

. Inside or out? Many licenced venues have outside spaces so either celebrant-led or legal ceremonies can take place outdoors.

· Celebrants can conduct ceremonies in any registration district. Registrars are restricted to their own district but if you want us for a celebrant ceremony, there are certain venues outside of the Vale of Glamorgan where we can do this. Ask us for more information.

‍

As registrars first and foremost, we will always have a preference for your legal ceremony to be the ‘real’ one. We want your ceremony to be as personal as it can be and we’ll include any elements that you think will help this happen. Our online ceremony planner will help you configure your ceremony but don’t be afraid to ask if you want a ceremony more personal to you, we can always help with that.

If you do choose a celebrant ceremony as well as a legal ceremony, remember that we are celebrants too. If you choose us for your celebrant ceremony, we can make sure that the celebrant who conducts it is also the registrar that conducts your legal ceremony. We can even conduct both ceremonies on the same day at the same venue, just get in touch to talk through the options.

‍

Read more about our celebrant ceremonies here.

‍

‍

‍

‍‍‍

‍