At the GCCM we hear so many wonderful stories that showcase just how unique and meaningful celebrant weddings can be. So, with kind permission from some of the couples who have been in touch to support our campaign, we wanted to share a handful of these on our blog. Here we share the highlights of Katy and Michael’s woodland wedding ceremony in Hertfordshire, led by independent celebrant Susan Vieira.
Real wedding stories like these demonstrate why it’s so important for independent celebrants to be included in the upcoming wedding law reform in England and Wales – we hope you will agree!
Hi Katy, Tell Us A Bit About Your Wedding Ceremony And What Made It So Special.
We held our ceremony in a woodland area close to my parents’ house, where my grandparents’ ashes are scattered under a big silver birch tree.
The ceremony was just so full of us! We had our dog as a ring bearer, my dad and best friend did a reading, and when we signed the certificate we had a very special song playing in the background. My husband’s family from Ireland sadly couldn’t make it due to COVID restrictions, so I’d got them to sing You Are My Sunshine and played the recording of this as a surprise for my husband. It made us feel like they were still part of the day.
We also had a handfasting, which allowed so many of our family members to be included in the ceremony. And our celebrant shared our love story of course, which is just such a lovely thing to have included in your wedding ceremony.
Why Did You Choose A Celebrant For Your Wedding?
I wanted a personalised ceremony with freedom to write our own vows and choose our own location. I also wanted to know the person who was marrying us. Not just meet them on the day and have a scripted 20-minute ceremony led by a complete stranger.
Was There A Reason You Chose An Independent Celebrant (Rather Than A Humanist Celebrant)?
We are not religious, but some of our family are. We liked the idea of being able to add hymns or simple prayers. But in a ceremony led by a registrar or humanist celebrant it isn’t possible to add religious elements that might be important to couples or their families.
What Was It Like Working With Your Celebrant To Plan The Ceremony?
Susan was fantastic to work with. I had lots of ideas and had done lots of research, so already knew what I wanted to include in our ceremony. She was patient and flexible – altering our script until it was perfect.
She also gave my husband guidance on writing his vows, which I know he appreciated. She was a great help on the day itself too.
Where And When Did You Hold Your Legal Marriage Ceremony?
We had a very simple ceremony at a register office in St Albans 3 days before, joined by immediate family only. It was an intimate, special day, and it made us even more excited to share our ‘proper’ wedding with all of our extended family and friends.
Your Celebrant Wedding Sounds Wonderful – But How Might Things Have Been Better If Your Chosen Celebrant Could Legally Marry You?
We wouldn’t have had to pay twice or organise two weddings. It would have made our celebrant wedding (what we consider our ‘real wedding’) to have felt slightly more special, knowing we were doing it for the first time.
In Your View, Should Independent Celebrants Be Authorised To Conduct Legally Binding Marriages?
Yes, I absolutely think independent celebrants should be conducting legal ceremonies. Couples want more from their wedding than is currently being offered. They want to know the person that is marrying them – this was a big one for me. We had got to know our celebrant so well that I truly felt like we were being married by a friend on the day.
Couples might want to write their own vows, have the flexibility of where they get married, have a ceremony that isn’t over and done with in 20 minutes, and just have a ceremony that is personalised and unique to them.
There are also a lot of couples out there that have very different cultural backgrounds. With an independent celebrant it is possible to add a nod to a person’s heritage. Something that’s really important to some people.
Thank you so much to Katy and Michael for sharing their celebrant wedding story with us. If you have a story you would like to share, we would love to hear it! Just get in touch with the GCCM team at info@gccmovement.org.