The Difference Between A Civil Celebrant and a Registrar?

The Difference between a Civil Celebrant and Registrar?

This question is often asked when planning a Wedding, choosing a Celebrant (or officiant) or just out of pure curiosity, and it is a question which I get asked A LOT! This article will explain and discuss the differences between a Civil Celebrant and a Registrar for your Wedding. I will also discuss the pros and cons of both individuals, which might be useful if you are looking to plan a Wedding any time soon!

Before we begin, it’s important to note that the laws in Scotland are different from the rest of the UK, as in Scotland Celebrants can legally marry a couple, whereas currently throughout the rest of the UK that is not the case, however, these laws are likely to change in the coming years to enable more Celebrants to be able to conduct legally binding weddings.

Choosing a stranger to officiate your Wedding can be quite a tricky task, especially when you are totally in the dark about where to even start, or look for. As this is such a momentous occasion in your life, you will need to make sure that this decision is not taken lightly and that you put a lot of time and care into deciding who to choose. Religion is another aspect that you might need to consider when choosing a Civil Celebrant or Registrar, as this might affect the ceremony in a huge way. But what really is the difference, and how can you choose either a Civil Celebrant or Registrar when you don’t even know the difference between the two of them.

What is a Civil Celebrant?

A Civil Celebrant is an individual person (usually fully qualified), who conducts and holds ceremonies for either; Weddings, Funerals, Vow Renewals, Naming Ceremonies or more. In the UK, the Civil Celebrant movement came about in the 1900’s, so they are often seen as a fairly newish community and a lot of Civil Celebrants have quite a modern twist on how they conduct their ceremonies. For a Wedding, a Civil Celebrant will work with you and your partner throughout the planning process, making sure that they are there to assist and support along the way. These professionals will usually be fully qualified with a degree, so they will be able to help you with any questions or even help write or produce your vows to each other. Having a Civil Celebrant is a great way of creating a modern and bespoke ceremony, as you are usually allowed to incorporate absolutely anything into your ceremony (i.e music, location, readings etc). A Civil Celebrant will work with the both of you and watch you as a relationship, to really understand the love and connection the both of you have for eachother. Some Civil Celebrants will even write a small monologue about the two of you or how you both met, which is why a Civil Celebrant will analyse the both of you during this time. When choosing a Civil Celebrant, it’s always important to have an idea of what exactly you are looking for and what type of theme/atmosphere you wish to have on the day. Usually all Civil Celebrants will be able to adapt to any of these requirements and it is important to let them know of these as soon as you have the initial meeting with them. In terms of religion, the majority of Civil Celebrants practise non-religious ceremonies, however you might be able to find a few that will allow some religious aspects to be used, which is why it’s important to do a bit of research beforehand and to also have a good idea of what you want. A Civil Celebrant might also include a few spiritual elements to the ceremony if you desire, as there is a huge community of sacred and spiritual Civil Celebrants. There are a number of different Civil Celebrants which you can choose from when planning a wedding, and not all Civil Celebrants are the same. So when deciding on a Civil Celebrant, remember – they are very flexible and can tailor to any need or requirements whether religious or non- religious and make sure to have a good idea in your mind of what you are looking for. A Civil Celebrant is able to conduct a Wedding anywhere, whether that is in a hotel, an old manor home or even in your back garden – the choice is entirely up to you! The length of a Wedding conducted by a Civil Celebrant is usually between 30 – 40 mins long, however you can usually decide on how long you want the ceremony to last depending on what type of ceremony it is. Sometimes Civil Celebrants will stay for the duration of the Wedding, even after the ceremony to celebrate with you but this totally depends on your relationship with them.

What is a Registrar?

A Registrar is an individual who works for the government conducting legal Wedding ceremonies around the world. Registrars are a lot more formal and serious in comparison to a Wedding conducted by a Civil Celebrant, and they are a lot stricter in terms of what things you are allowed to include during your ceremony. Registrars are purely there to conduct the legal marriage of two people and the Wedding will need to be a licensed venue to ensure the legalisation of the marriage. A Registrar will not have as many personal touches as a Civil Celebrant and they will not work with the lead up of the Wedding. All Registrar’s are obliged to conduct a non-religious ceremony and you are not allowed to include any form of religion/spirituality during the ceremony (i.e hymns, religious readings etc). A Registrar will usually have a witness from the registry office to come along with them to the ceremony so one registrar will conduct the marriage and the other will take note and witness the ceremony. To ensure that you book a Registrar, you will need to look online for your nearest local registry office and pay a deposit to hold your ceremony date. Each registry office will have different prices, depending on which area you live in, so it’s important to do a little research before going ahead with any decision making.

Pros & Cons of a Civil Celebrant and Registrar?

There are many pros and cons for both a Civil Celebrant and Registrar, and choosing to decide on which one to pick is totally up to you and your partner. Nowadays, as we step into a more modern age each day, a Civil Celebrant has become increasingly more popular throughout the recent years. This is due to their flexibility in how they can conduct their ceremony and what they can allow during the ceremony. Which is more obviously the main pro of a Civil or Independent Celebrant in comparison with a Registrar. The biggest negative or con when choosing a Civil Celebrant would most likely be the fact that the ceremony is not legally binding so the marriage is not official. This can sometimes scare people away from choosing a Civil Celebrant, as this is quite an important thing to consider when organising your Wedding ceremony.

The major pro and positive for a Registrar is that the ceremony is legally binding and that the marriage is an official marriage. This is a huge positive when considering whether to choose a Civil Celebrant or Registrar. Having a big, lavish wedding is very exciting and bespoke but this might not be the right choice for you, if you are looking to have a legal ceremony. As for the negative side of having a Registrar, the main con is that the ceremony or ‘appointment’ is very strict, quite boring and very serious. There are strict rules when it comes to legalising your marriage at a registry office or having a Registrar conduct your ceremony, as they don’t allow any religious or personal touches to the actual ceremony. The ceremony or appointment is sometimes not even considered a Wedding ceremony as it’s very official and quite boring. The ceremony duration is very short and it focuses purely on the logistics of a marriage instead of the personal bond between two people. 

What is the major difference between a Civil Celebrant & Registrar?

The main major difference between a Civil Celebrant & Registrar is that one is a non-official, non-legally binding marriage ceremony, which can include a lot of personal and bespoke touches and the other is a legally binding ceremony but can be seen as quite a strict, boring and serious ceremony. At the end of the day, you will need to make this decision entirely on how you both feel as a couple, you must also consider both of your personalities and find out whether you would prefer a serious & boring legal ceremony or a fun, bespoke non-legally binding ceremony. The choice is entirely up to you!

At bookacelebrant.co.uk, we have a number of handpicked Civil Celebrants, waiting to hear from you so please feel free to get in touch today and get an instant 60 seconds quote for a Civil Celebrant today! 

If you are also interested in reading any of our other blogs or looking to find out more about Civil Celebrants, check out our most recent blogs ‘What Is A Civil Celebrant?’, ‘The Difference Between a Civil Celebrant and Humanist Celebrant?’ or ‘The Difference Between A Civil Celebrant Wedding & A Religious Wedding?’