-Where can I hold my Ceremony?:

Hold your ceremony anywhere! It does not need to be licensed as you can separate your legal signing. How about on a beach, festival style in a field, in an enchanting woodland, an urban space, or even your own garden! We recommend that if you are thinking of having your ceremony outside, you need to plan for shelter if the weather conditions are bad.

-Can the ceremony be held at home?

Yes you can hold your ceremony at home, your celebrant will visit you first to ensure that your home meets the required Health & Safety standards.

-When can the ceremony be held?

Any day at any time! Most of our ceremonies are conducted on either Saturdays or Sundays but they can be held on any day of the week. Most ceremonies happen on the same as the legal formalities of marriage, or soon afterwards. Any time of day is possible.

-Can we have whatever we like in the ceremony?

Broadly speaking yes, however, we are unable to say or do anything which may mislead the guests into thinking that the Wedding Celebration Ceremony is in any way part of a legal formality of marriage, because these ceremonies do not have legal status.

Consequently, we are not able to use the statutory declarations from either a religious or civil marriage. However, we are able to use a similar format when making promises and exchanging rings, as well as having access to an extensive range of symbolic actions, which add very special and personal meaning to the ceremony.

-Can we include religion in the ceremony?

Yes, some couples do include religious references and this is no problem, although if you require a fully religious ceremony, we would suggest that you contact your church or religious community.

-How long does it take to prepare for the ceremony?

We do need all of the paperwork back in our office 6 weeks before the ceremony takes place to allow us enough time to script it. If you are wishing to book a Celebrant for your ceremony we do really need to know your chosen date as early as possible, in order to check availability.

-What can the wording include?

The wording required by law in a marriage ceremony is the only element that cannot be used in a Wedding Celebration Ceremony. Therefore, apart from the note below, there’s nothing that has to be said and done. You choose what to say and do, from the beginning right through to the end. The ceremony can incorporate elements from any religion or culture if you wish.

The main elements of a Wedding Celebration are:

• Introduction / Opening Words
• First Reading
• Promises/Vows of Commitment
• Blessing/Giving/Rededication of Rings
• Further Reading
• Closing Words
• Signing a commemorative certificate

There are additional optional elements such as prayers, symbolic actions (e.g. joining of hands, lighting a candle) and new step-parent’s promises. The ceremony usually lasts between 20 and 40 minutes, but does depend largely on content chosen.

Note: Just so that your guests aren’t confused or misled in any way, all Wedding Celebration Ceremonies include a reference to where and when you carried out the legal formalities of your marriage.

-Do I get a copy of the script?

Yes! Once your ceremony is scripted we will send you a copy of it by email for you to check. Once you are happy with the script we will then send you a hard copy in the post along with your Order of Ceremony. This is useful to print for your guests to enable them to follow the ceremony. Your script will also be forwarded to your Celebrant.

-Is there a certificate?

Yes, the wording of your Certificate will be sent to you at the same time as the script. Once checked it will then be brought by the celebrant on the day.