When planning a wedding ceremony in the UK, you’ll soon discover there’s a wonderful world of celebrants who can help you create a truly personal ceremony. But you might also find yourself wondering: what’s the difference between an independent celebrant and a humanist celebrant?
They sound similar – and in many ways they are – but there are some key distinctions that can help you decide which type of celebrant best suits your beliefs, style and vision for your day.
What Independent Celebrants And Humanist Celebrants Have In Common
Both independent and humanist celebrants specialise in creating personal, meaningful ceremonies. Unlike a registrar, who must follow a set script, or a minister, who represents a faith tradition, a celebrant focuses entirely on you – your story, your relationship, and what marriage means to you as a couple.
Both types of celebrants will:
- Take time to get to know you
- Write a bespoke ceremony that reflects your personalities and values
- Deliver it with warmth and authenticity on the day.
So far, so similar – but there are some important differences in their background, approach and flexibility.
Humanist Celebrants
A humanist celebrant is usually trained and accredited by Humanists UK (or a similar humanist organisation). Their ceremonies are grounded in humanist philosophy – a non-religious worldview that celebrates reason, compassion, and living well without reference to religion or the supernatural.
A humanist wedding ceremony will be:
- Entirely non-religious – no hymns, prayers, or religious readings
- Values-based – celebrating love, kindness, equality and shared humanity
- Personalised and tailored to the couple
- Held in any location the couple chooses.
Humanist weddings are legally recognised in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not yet in England or Wales (though this is set to change as part of the UK Government’s commitment to wedding law reform). If you’re marrying in England or Wales, you will need a legal registration at the register office to make the marriage official, before holding your humanist ceremony as the celebration.
Independent Celebrants
An independent celebrant isn’t tied to any organisation or belief system – and that freedom allows for complete flexibility in style, tone and content.
An independent celebrant can create a ceremony that is:
- Completely non-religious, lightly spiritual or with faith-based elements
- Blended and inclusive, incorporating different cultural or family traditions
- Totally bespoke to the couple, without needing to fit within a particular philosophical framework
- Held in any location the couple chooses.
Independent celebrants come from a variety of backgrounds and they bring a wide range of experience and creativity to their work. They will usually have trained with one of several professional organisations in the UK, and most are also members of celebrant bodies that provide ongoing training, support and insurance.
Independent celebrants are not yet authorised to conduct legally binding marriages in the UK so, again, you will need to ensure you complete the legal registration of your marriage at the register office beforehand. However, there is an ongoing campaign to get independent celebrants included as authorised officiants as part of UK wedding law reform. We need as many people as possible (couples included) to put pressure on MPs to make this happen, so if you’d like independent celebrants to be able to conduct legally binding marriages, please get involved via the Give Couples Choice Movement!
Humanist Or Independent – Which Is Right For You?
The right celebrant is the one who feels like the best fit for you as a couple – someone who understands your story and your vision for the day.
You might prefer a humanist celebrant if:
- You identify with humanist values and want a ceremony that reflects that philosophy
- You want an entirely non-religious ceremony.
Or an independent celebrant might be perfect if:
- You’d like the flexibility to include spiritual, cultural, or even light religious touches
- You’re less concerned with labels and more focused on finding the right personality match.
In terms of numbers, there are far more independent celebrants than humanist celebrants operating in the UK, but whichever you choose, make sure they have the appropriate level of training and professionalism. If they are a member of a professional body, have undergone relevant training, and you feel happy and comfortable when chatting to them, they’re probably the right fit for you!
Can A Registrar Offer Celebrant Ceremonies?
While many register offices now offer celebrant-style ceremonies and more bespoke packages, local authorities do not have the capacity for their registrars to really get to know couples and write bespoke scripts in the way self-employed celebrants do. One of the best things about using a humanist or independent celebrant is that they will be by your side throughout the planning process, and they will generally only conduct one ceremony per day (many registrars conduct several). Registrar ceremonies are also required to have no religious or spiritual content whatsoever – this is a legal requirement.
So while registrars have certainly upped their game in terms of the packages and styles of ceremony they offer, be aware that the roles and remits of a ‘registrar celebrant’ and a self-employed humanist or independent celebrant are very different.
Final Thoughts
Both independent and humanist celebrants offer deeply personal, heartfelt wedding ceremonies that move far beyond the standard registrar script.
The main difference lies in the belief framework behind the ceremony – humanist celebrants work from a defined philosophy of humanism, while independent celebrants can draw from any mix of beliefs, traditions and values that matter to you.
Whichever you choose, you’ll be creating a ceremony that truly tells your story – one that feels genuine, joyful and unmistakably you.
To find an independent celebrant or a humanist, visit the Celebrant Directory website: Find a Celebrant near you | Global Celebrant Directory