Can a celebrant perform legal marriages?

Can a celebrant perform legal marriages?

With many engaged couples dreaming of a unique outdoor wedding, celebrants across Dorset and the rest of the UK have seen a rise in enchanting forest, costal beach and countryside weddings. 

Independent celebrants, including our award-winning founder, Ellie Brooks, are often invited to create magical ceremonies full of individual meaning, free of the restrictions of process, place and time.

As current laws in the UK dictate – your marriage needs to be registered by an appropriate church representative or a registrar. Many couples who choose a celebrant-led service get their legal marriage certificate signed on a separate day, either before or after the wedding service, at their local registration office. This is a very economical option, usually costing less than £150. This frees them from any restrictions on their special day.

When getting married in a licensed venue, including some hotels, country houses and villas (it’s always best to check with the individual venue), some people choose to have a celebrant-led ceremony, with the registrar present so that they can sign their paperwork at the appropriate moment but still have the bespoke ceremony they desire.

These legal proceedings may only take place in venues that have a marriage license – which usually means the venue must have a permanent structure with a roof.

It is also possible to be handfasted legally by the enchanting Avalonian Priestesses in the Goddess Temple at Glastonbury.

When you announce your intention to be married, you’ll often hear the phrase ‘it’s important to have what you want’

We’re going to go one step further and say it’s not just important, but absolutely essential, because – as well as making your commitment to each other in the presence of friends and family – your wedding ceremony is your golden opportunity to set your intentions for your marriage; what you want it to be like, and feel like; how you want to live together and be together; what values you are taking with you on this incredible journey you are about to take.

This is why having something that feels ‘you’ is truly the best, because the only two people who can set the intention for their marriage are the ones who intend to live in it for the rest of their lives . . . in short, you!

Recently winning ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Highest Overall Score’ at The Dorset Wedding Supplier Awards, Ellie Brooks, invites you back to the beginning of your love story, weaving the rich threads of who you are into your dream ceremony.

A handfasting specialist and professional storyteller; Ellie creates ceremonies that are meaningful for you, in places that are special to you. We are often asked for recommendations for stunning venues in Dorset and across the UK, and have connections with highly acclaimed and award-winning wedding suppliers.

If you are looking for a bespoke ceremony that will truly place you at the alchemic, beating heart of marriage, Wildflower Ceremonies would love to hear from you.

Contact us today to discover how personal and unique your wedding ceremony could be.