I am in a unique position as a photographer to have witnessed 100’s of Wedding ceremonies, each delivered in varying styles. Most people are not aware of the differences between a humanist celebrant ceremony and a legal ceremony performed by a registrar celebrant.

Fundamentally weddings are the promises you make to one another. Those words matter. The tone of the ceremony and the occasion itself, matters. Considering a humanist (non-religious) celebrant led ceremony means your words can hold even greater depth over the standardised legal script.

Traditionally your chosen location dictates the officiant – The person who will be conducting your ceremony. They will be allocated automatically by your choice of church, registry office or venue.

The only way to select and confirm the person who will conduct your ceremony is by booking a celebrant – they will be 100% committed to finding out, all about you both, your relationship, shared values, family dynamics, and not only will they help you both write your most binding of promises to each other. They will host and conduct your completely personalised ceremony.

Currently to be legally married in England and Wales you need a licenced location. This can be a church, registry office or licenced venue. Only in Scotland is it the individual officiant legally licenced to conduct ceremonies at any location. Meaning you can marry on a mountainside, family home or woodland, etc. (the dream).

Unfortunately the current frame work for regulations in England and Wales dates back to the 18th century and is unnecessarily restrictive. The government, recognising this has launched a public consultation on reforming Wedding law due to end in September 2026. Hopefully this will reassess outdated restrictions to create a more modern, flexible and inclusive system for all couples. In particular for non-binary and transgender couples who currently have to use their legal names and birth gender during their Wedding ceremonies. This reform should also change that. However, how long this process will take after September is unknown.

Civil ceremonies and Registrars – a legally binding option. The difference between registrars and humanist celebrants is often played down by the registry office.

You most likely won’t have met the registrar conducting your ceremony before the day. The person you have been liaising with at the registrars office will not necessarily be the person conducting your ceremony. You will have a choice of ceremony length and the option to choose readings, but as with church ceremonies the registrar will be following a standardised script.

Registrars usually conduct several ceremonies in one day and have to keep to time, they are an official but fleeting presence on the day.

Planning a church ceremony? You will be expected to spend a fair amount of time before the Wedding attending your chosen church, hearing your banns read. If the church is not your local diocese then you also have to attend both the church nearest to where you live and the church you have chosen to marry in. You will meet the vicar to discuss your ceremony, choose hymns and readings and prepare for married life in the eyes of god. This could feel like a lot of effort if you are not religious.

Each church ceremony follows the same pattern, and it is legally binding. The vicars address is often unique but it is not personalised towards the couple, but wider reflections on marriage.

My most recent church ceremony was officiated by the most amazing (pretty elderly) vicar, who brought his own guitar to play alongside the organist, his personality and address made the ceremony so meaningful and full of humour, he even brought tambourines to hand out before the final hymn making sure everyone really gave it a good go singing along. What a legend!

In contrast I recently photographed an Intimate Wedding ceremony held in a stunning ancient church, complete with a full choir (more choir members than guests in attendance). Emotion listening to the choir was high. It was all set to be a stunning experience. Half way through the ceremony the vicar quietly asked the groom to remind her of his name. Afterwards the couple were disappointed, the key part of their Wedding day, the vows, the promises they were making felt slightly lessened by the vicars lapse.