The structure of your ceremony depends on who is performing it. UK couples can choose between a registrar (the legal route), a celebrant (full personalisation, no legal element on its own), a religious officiant, or a humanist celebrant.
Registrar weddings
The legal route for a civil wedding in England and Wales.
- Legally binding: Yes, by itself
- Personalisation: Limited. No religious content
- Cost: £45-£80 for registry office only. £200-£600 for registrar attending a venue
- Notice period: 28 days minimum
- Length: 15-30 minutes
Celebrant-led ceremonies
An independent practitioner who designs and conducts a fully personalised ceremony.
- Legally binding: No. Couples typically have a quick registry office signing the day before for the legal element
- Personalisation: Total — your story, your vows, your structure
- Cost: £400-£1,200
- Where: Anywhere — clifftop, garden, beach, forest, your living room
- Length: 30-90 minutes
Humanist ceremonies
A subset of celebrant ceremonies, specifically secular and grounded in humanist values.
- Legally binding: Yes in Scotland and Northern Ireland. No in England and Wales
- Personalisation: Total, but no religious or spiritual content
- Cost: £500-£900
- Length: 30-60 minutes
Religious ceremonies
Performed by clergy or religious officiants.
- Legally binding: Yes for Church of England, Jewish, and Quaker. Other religions usually need separate registry signing
- Personalisation: Varies by religion
- Cost: £200-£600 plus donations
- Where: The relevant place of worship
The legal essentials
Whichever route you choose, both partners must:
- Give notice of marriage at the local registry office (28+ days before)
- Provide proof of identity, address, nationality
- Pay the registration fee
- Sign the marriage schedule on the day
Browse celebrants and registrars.