When you and your loved one are ready to tie the knot and enter into marriage, it makes sense that you’d want every detail to be perfect. From the wedding venue to the topper on your cake, there are a lot of decisions to be made. One decision that is often overlooked is whether to use a wedding celebrant.
Skip the Courtroom Wedding
For many people who prefer to have civil marriage (mariage civil for French speakers) vows rather than a religious ceremony, the default decision is to go to a court official. You don’t have to settle for the impersonal feel of a registrar official, however. Today’s weddings can be much more personal than they have been in the past.
You Choose the Venue
The move away from religious ceremonies, for example, opens up a whole world of venues. You might choose to have your ceremony on the beach, under a forest canopy, or in the backyard. Wherever you plan to exchange vows, a celebrant can officiate.
You Choose the Day and Time
Another drawback to working with registrars or religious leaders is that you are tied to their venues, their timelines, and their schedules. If you want to take your wedding party to a family barn in the middle of the afternoon or schedule a midnight wedding under the stars, a wedding celebrant is the officiant for you.
You Choose the Official
How do you want your ceremony to look and sound? Do you prefer whimsical and lyrical or serious and formal? If your ceremony is officiated by a registrar, you are pretty much stuck with their way of speaking and interacting. When you go the celebrant route, however, you have the chance to search around until you find a person who can provide the atmosphere you want.
You Choose the Tone of the Ceremony
When you hire a celebrant to do the ceremony, the professional will meet with both of you to learn what you want. After this meeting, the celebrant will put together a ceremony that reflects your personal wishes, whether that means traditional or nontraditional. The ceremony will be tailored with personal stories, poetry, or quotations, if that’s what you want. In some cases, the celebrant may provide language options, as well.
It’s All About You
Ultimately, your wedding ceremony should be about the new union between yourself and your partner. As you bring your two worlds together, combining different backgrounds, beliefs, and traditions, your wedding ceremony should reflect your new reality.
In the past, marriage ceremonies were often performed in a limited choice of venues, with limited options as far as time of day and type of ceremony. With the convenience of a wedding celebrant, however, these decisions can be up to you and your betrothed.