Who Can Be a Wedding Celebrant?

I don’t know about you, but I can think of plenty of instances in popular culture where characters in films or TV shows get married by their best friends.

The first example that comes to mind is Joey in Friends. But it also seems like a common theme in a lot of different American productions.

When I was younger, I thought that weddings could only happen in a church and be officiated by a vicar. So I didn’t really understand how these characters were able to buy something off the internet that gave them the power to legally marry people.

As an adult, and as a trained celebrant, I now understand that marriage in America works quite differently to how it does in the UK and a lot of Europe. In this country, legal marriage can only be performed by a registrar or an authorised member of the clergy.

However…

A wedding ceremony, which celebrates the commitment that people in a relationship are making to each other, isn’t legally binding. Which means there aren’t any restrictions on who can lead it.

So what are your options?

In this article, I discuss the technicalities of who can be a celebrant at a wedding, talk about your options when it comes to choosing a friend or family member, and share some of the advantages of working with a trained wedding celebrant.

Can Anyone Be a Celebrant for a Wedding?

Let’s start with a key question: Can anyone be a celebrant for a wedding?

If, by ‘celebrant’, you just mean someone who leads your wedding ceremony, then yes.

If, by ‘celebrant’, you’re thinking about a professional individual who has been trained to create and officiate wedding ceremonies, then no.

So it really depends what you have in mind for your wedding.

Perhaps you and your partner have a beloved friend that you have always imagined leading your wedding ceremony. Perhaps you want one of your parents or even grandparents to stand at the front with you and lead you through your vows. Perhaps you have something a little more wacky in mind, and would love to be married by someone dressed as a fictional character.

In these cases, it is perfectly possible for you to use this person to lead your wedding ceremony. As long as it’s not a legal marriage, your ceremony can include whatever you want, and also be conducted by whoever you want as well.

What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Celebrant?

At this moment in time, there is no single official qualification that you need in order to practice as a professional celebrant in the UK.

This means that, if you wanted, you could simply start a celebrant business without any training or qualifications.

Some people do this, and are so naturally good at the job that they are very successful.

But a lot of celebrants choose to complete one of several different training pathways in order to get a proper understanding of what the job involves and develop their skills in order to deliver the best possible service.

If you’re interested, I went down the second path. I trained with the International College of Professional Celebrants, and got a NOCN Level 3 Certificate in Civil Celebrancy. I learned a huge amount as a result of this, and felt much better prepared to launch my career in celebrancy.

So technically, you don’t need any qualifications to be a celebrant. If you have someone in mind who you would like to lead your wedding ceremony, they don’t have to complete any kind of course in order to do so (unless they really want to).

If you’re looking for a professional celebrant to lead your wedding ceremony, you don’t have to choose someone with a qualification or an accreditation. But it can be a useful indicator that a celebrant is skilled and experienced, and that your wedding will be in safe hands.

Choosing A Wedding Celebrant

So, if anyone can technically be a wedding celebrant, how do you go about choosing one?

First of all, I’d encourage you to think about what you’re looking for from the person who’ll be leading your wedding ceremony.

Is it important to you both that you know the person leading your ceremony? Do you want them to have been a part of your life, and bring that perspective to the role?

If so, you’re probably thinking about asking someone you know.

But you also have a lot of other options.

There are thousands of celebrants out there, and no two of us do this job in exactly the same way.

Whatever vibe you’re going for with your wedding, I can assure you that there is a celebrant out there who will match it.

If you have something specific in mind, then the internet and social media are your best friend. Whether that’s ‘LGBTQ+ wedding celebrant’, ‘alternative wedding celebrant’, ‘witchy celebrant, or even something like ‘drag queen celebrant’, you’ll probably find them through their own website or profile.

At the start of your search, it’s a good idea to consider:

• The tone of your wedding ceremony – Will it be funny? Emotional? Quirky? Elaborate?
• The theme of your wedding – Do you want a celebrant who will lean into this style?
• Any rituals you want to include – Are you looking for a celebrant with specific experience?
• Spiritual or personal values – Would you like your celebrant to share these?

These questions will help you to get a better idea of the kind of celebrant you’re looking for.

A lot of couples also like to choose a celebrant who lives and works in their local area. Not only does this mean they save money on paying for their celebrant’s transport, but it also allows you to meet up with your celebrant in person before the ceremony, which can be important for finding the right fit.

Searching for ‘celebrant in location’ will yield the best results here. But you’ll also find celebrant exhibiting at wedding fairs, advertising and partnering with other wedding suppliers, or just marketing their services on noticeboards or in local publications.

It’s absolutely fine to meet and talk to several celebrants before making a decision. They’ll want to get to know you as a couple as well, and won’t mind if you decide that they’re not the right fit. Celebrants are a tight-knit bunch, so they might even send you on your way with a recommendation for someone else!

Why Choose a Professional Celebrant?

I wrote this article to help answer the question of ‘who can be a celebrant at a wedding?’.

Part of that was to explain that you can choose whoever you want, including your nearest and dearest, to lead your ceremony.

But as a professional celebrant, I’m a bit biased. So I’m also going to give you a quick rundown of why it’s a great idea to choose someone (like me!) who creates and leads wedding ceremonies as their job.

• A professional celebrant is a trained public speaker. They’re deliver your ceremony clearly, confidently, and with exactly the right tone for the occasion.
• A professional celebrant will keep their cool, no matter what. You don’t need to worry about them getting stage fright, crying during your vows, or getting thrown off by any unexpected happenings during the ceremony.
• A professional celebrant is literally paid to write beautiful, heartfelt ceremonies. So you can be confident that they’re going to create something eloquent, memorable and personal for you and your partner.
• A professional celebrant is a wedding ceremony expert. They’ll have plenty of ideas and inspiration for what to include or exclude if you need some help at the beginning.
• A professional celebrant might not know you already, but they’ll take the time to really understand you as a couple. It’s their job, and by the time the big day comes around, you’ll feel like you’re up there with a friend.

How to Be a Celebrant at a Wedding

All that being said, I thought I’d include a section here about how to be a celebrant at a wedding.

If you’re reading this because you’ve been chosen to lead someone’s wedding ceremony, then congratulations!

I can tell you wholeheartedly that it’s one of the best things you’ll ever do.

Your job as the person overseeing a wedding ceremony is to guide the couple and the guests through the proceedings. What this actually involves will depend on what the couple want, and if they’ve chosen you then they’ll probably give you a rundown of how they want things to go.

You might be asked to write some or all of the ceremony for them. You might be asked just to read from a script.

What matters is that you deliver the ceremony with confidence, clarity and emotion. Make sure to practice speaking the script out loud, and get feedback on your approach so you can hone it before the big day.

If you’re feeling nervous, a rehearsal is a great way to run through the proceedings before the wedding itself. This also gives you the chance to make any changes based on hiccups that come up during the practice run.

Alongside my services as a wedding celebrant, I also offer ceremony support services where I can help you write a wedding ceremony that you will deliver on the day. If you’ve been asked to lead someone’s wedding ceremony and don’t know where to start, I can work with you to ensure you deliver something unforgettable.