Is it OK to ask a friend to do my wedding ceremony?

There are many options when it comes to choosing your ceremony. The first is where? If that’s not in a place of worship then you would generally choose from a Registrar performing a civil ceremony or a Celebrant who will write and perform something far more personal to you.

It’s probably the latter that has spurred a current trend of asking a loved one to act as your celebrant – and indeed something that our American cousins have been doing for some time.

But, is it OK? 

Well, the short answer is yes, of course it is. But beyond that decision think about what you want the ceremony to be, and remember that professional celebrants are trained and experienced – so will your loved one be up to the job?

You could copy and paste various paragraphs from all over the internet and you could come up with something totally acceptable. Is that what you want though? An acceptable wedding ceremony?

Or perhaps you’d rather have something extraordinary, fun, and personal to you.

If the latter is your preference, I’d urge you to put a bit more effort into your ceremony. Of course, as an experienced celebrant myself I’d love you to book a professional, but there are all sorts of reason that you’ve decided this isn’t the route for you. That’s why you’re reading this blog, right?

So in that instance, I’ve written a guide just for couples like you. It is a comprehensive step by step document that will help you create something fitting for the milestone celebration you are currently planning.

For a small investment your ceremony will be lifted from acceptable to extraordinary and remembered for all the right reasons.

The guide includes:

• How to obtain legal marriage
• The rules and what to avoid
• The structure
• How to tell your story
• Symbolic elements
• Planning ahead
• How to deliver a polished performance

Full details on the website www.writeyourownweddingceremony.co.uk