You may not have seen a civil celebrant in action. You may not even know anybody who has. How are you going to get the right celebrant, if you’re fishing while virtually blind-folded?
Where to Begin
If you can’t get a personal recommendation, then the internet is a likely place to start. You might enter “Civil Celebrant – Harrow”, if you want one local to me. “Vows That Wow” should come up, and you can have a look at my website.
Have a read and also listen to the material. See if you think you like me! Would you want to work with me? Would you feel happy working together with me? Could you trust me? Would you want me conducting what is probably the biggest day of your life?
Have a look at my review page. Am I delivering the sort of things that you want? Would I work the way you may have in mind? Am I professional? And friendly and obliging? Do I listen?
Find a couple of celebrants (so you can compare them) and make a list of questions to ask them. You may want their Ts & Cs, if these aren’t on the website. What exactly do they include? You will want to know how they work. You may want to know about any rehearsal. What experience (and training) does the celebrant have? is there a price guide?
If you like them, meet up with them, if you can (zoom or phone work but are second best). Judge their personality, as best you can. Will they be likely to work with the vision for your big day that you may already have? Can they give impartial advice?
How it Works
No two celebrants work the same way. Some may favour religious elements; some prefer spiritual and, of course, some insist on the secular only. (Some offer a mixture!) You can have a pagan (or part-pagan) ceremony, but you may opt for a fairly conventional service.
Your chats with your celebrant will doubtless cover the rituals you may include (such as handfasting or glass-smashing), music, ring blessings, vows, the tone of the ceremony, the couple’s “story”, the participants and the texts.
The bottom line is that this is YOUR day. The civil celebrant is there to facilitate and ensure that your wishes and desires are fulfilled. They should ensure that your expectations are met – and exceeded – and that the ceremony will be fabulous for all concerned.
I’d love to craft such a ceremony for you. Just contact me and we can have a chat.
photo: Soody Ahmed