What Are the Differences Between a Wedding Registrar and a Wedding Celebrant?

Planning your big day is an incredibly exciting time filled with wedding venue visits, wedding attire shopping, and wedding cake tastings, to name just a few. And with an incredibly long list of fun tasks to complete, and decisions to be made, it’s easy to forget about the dare we say, ‘not as exciting’ tasks, such as researching and booking someone to conduct your wedding ceremony and officially marry you!

But don’t worry we’ve got you covered.

In this blog we’ll explore the differences between a wedding registrar and a wedding celebrant to help you decide which would be the perfect fit for you and your vision for the perfect wedding day.

How Do You Get Married in the UK?

It’s not a question we ever think about until we are engaged and planning a wedding, but how do you actually get married? The first stage is to give notice of your intention to marry. To do this, both you and your fiancé need to give notice of your intention to marry at your local register office. The register office you attend must be in the district you live in; therefore you may need to visit a different register office from your fiancé. This is known as ‘giving notice’ and must happen at least 29 days before your wedding ceremony. And as you have to book an appointment at the register office, giving notice should be factored into your wedding planning timeline to make sure you don’t leave it too late. Another consideration is that the notice must state where you are getting married therefore you need to have picked and booked your dream wedding venue before booking your appointment at the register office.

Also, bear in mind there will be a fee for giving notice but how much will depend on the individual council office, as districts determine their own fees. In Lancashire, the fee for giving notice is £42 per person.

After you have selected your wedding venue and given notice of your intention to marry, you next need to book the registrar for the ceremony and, depending on what your dream wedding looks like, you may possibly also need to book a wedding celebrant.

As the roles of a registrar and celebrant do vary, we’ll go into more detail on each below helping you to decide which one is right for you or indeed if you’ll need both.

The Role of a Wedding Registrar

A registrar will conduct a wedding ceremony for a civil marriage. A civil ceremony wedding is one which is in the setting of an approved hotel, stately home, registry office, town hall, courthouse or other venue authorised by the local council to hold a wedding service. This differs from a religious wedding ceremony which will usually be conducted in a place of worship by a religious leader such as a vicar or priest following religious traditions.

A wedding service conducted by a registrar is legally binding and therefore recognised by the government. It is the registrar’s duty to ensure that all legal requirements are met and afterwards that the marriage has been registered with the local council.

Couples can tailor a civil ceremony wedding conducted by a registrar to fit their personality through the readings they choose, and the music selected. The happy couple can also choose to write personal vows, a really fun and touching addition to their special day. Some couples choose to write their vows together, possibly reminiscing over how they met or their first date. Whereas others choose to write them separately, leaving them as a surprise until the wedding day itself. Whilst you are in the wedding planning stage it is worth bearing in mind that religious content can’t be included in a civil wedding ceremony.

If your vision of the perfect wedding day is a small affair with simply you and your beloved, or maybe shared with just one or two other special people, it is worth noting that a civil marriage ceremony legally has to be conducted in the presence of two witnesses, both of whom are over the age of 16 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and over the age of 18 in Scotland. The role of the witnesses is to witness the wedding vows and sign the marriage schedule.

How Much Does a Wedding Registrar Charge?

Finally, as with giving notice there is a fee for the wedding registrar. According to the gov.uk website, a civil marriage ceremony at a register office costs from £102.50 to £369 depending on the day and time of the ceremony and at an approved alternative venue the cost is from £394 to £529. It is also worth noting that if the registrar has to travel to your wedding venue there may be additional fees so it is always a good idea to check what the exact cost will be during the planning phase.

The Role of a Wedding Celebrant

Differing from a civil wedding ceremony, a wedding ceremony performed by a wedding celebrant, also known as a celebrant marriage, offers greater flexibility to personalise your wedding day. Unrestricted by the civil ceremony regulations, couples can choose from indoor or outdoor venues rather than a licensed premises, meaning couples could choose a dreamy and ever so romantic ceremony on the shores of a lake, a beach at sunset or perhaps a magical forest setting, the possibilities are truly endless as long as your celebrant is happy. You also have greater freedom with music, readings and can even incorporate rituals such as handfasting or unity candle lighting. Having a celebrant at your wedding also means you can incorporate religious elements which, as we’ve mentioned, isn’t possible at a civil ceremony.

As there is no set script for a professional celebrant, it is the celebrant’s role to meet with the happy couple and get to know them and their love story. This allows the celebrant to create a unique wedding ceremony for the bride and groom through a tailored, personalised wedding script and the inclusion of heartfelt, meaningful elements that truly make a wedding feel intimate, no matter whether your dream is a small gathering or a larger celebration. A wedding celebrant has the ability to make you, and your guests shed a tear of love and pride as they share your love story and maybe cry with laughter as they tell a few tales of your silliest moments together.

How Much Does a Wedding Celebrant Charge?

As your wedding celebrant takes time to get to know you and your partner to create a truly one-of-a-kind wedding ceremony, they do charge more than a registrar. Typically, in the UK prices for a celebrant range from £450 to £1,500, however, this does depend on the experience of the celebrant and also the location of the wedding.

Choosing To Have Both a Wedding Registrar and Celebrant

Although not legally binding, the ability to create a unique wedding ceremony in a truly special location means many couples are choosing to combine both a registrar and celebrant wedding. This can be done by having a typically smaller legally binding registrar ceremony at a registry office or similar location and then have a celebrant wedding which they share with loved ones afterwards.

So, there you have it, there are some marked differences between a registrar and celebrant. For you and your fiancé, who you choose to conduct your wedding ceremony really depends on what your dream wedding day looks like to you, after all that’s what really matters.

Weddings At The Lawrence

Here at The Lawrence, our beautiful 200-year-old Grade II listed hotel is a licensed wedding venue, meaning if you would like to have both a registrar to cover the legal aspects of getting married and also a celebrant to add that personal touch at your ceremony that isn’t a problem.

Our stunning rooms provide the perfect backdrop to your dream wedding, whether you would like to start the celebrations as early as possible or say I do at dusk with our twilight weddings. And when it comes to our expert and ever so friendly staff, they are always on hand to help. Whether it’s before your wedding or on the day itself, we’re here to make sure everything is perfect, so if you need anything or have any questions just let us know.

Weddings at The Lawrence