Why Choose a Wedding Celebrant? What Do they Do?

• 2 March, 2020
• Categories: Wedding Ceremonies

Hi lovely brides and grooms,

Today I would like to talk about the importance of a wedding celebrant. First of all I think it is important to understand what does a wedding celebrant do and next I would like to explain you why you should choose a profesional celebrant for your wedding.

Spain is becoming a very popular spot for destination weddings and too often couples aren’t sure whether booking a wedding celebrant is a good idea. They think perhaps a friend or a family member can create a script for their beautiful outdoor wedding, but in my opinion that is an error and I would like to explain why.

Video: Alberto Ojeda Producciones // Wedding Celebrant: Diana Lacroix

What is a Wedding Celebrant?

A wedding celebrant is a very important vendor since he or she will be in charge of giving you the most unforgettable day and above all, the most beautiful wedding ceremony. The celebrant you choose will create a personalized script, he or she will guide the couple and the guests through all the steps of the ceremony and very important (in my opinion), the wedding celebrant will help you to relive all the beautiful moments you have shared together.

In many countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, celebrants can legally marry a couple. Unfortunately in Spain, only a councilor or a notary has that power, but being people “of the law” they do not usually offer beautiful, romantic and personalized ceremonies. For that reason, most couples turn to a wedding celebrant.

What does a Wedding Celebrant Do?

Each wedding celebrant has his/her own way of working and creating a ceremony. But without doubt, one of the most important tasks is to create a wedding ceremony tailored to each couple’s needs: a personalized ceremony, created especially for them, adapted to their wedding style and personality.

For me as a celebrant, the love story of each couple is the most important aspect of the script. for my couples, the first step of script writing is a meeting (virtual or in person) to establish the needs and wishes of the couple. I think it is very important to listen to the wishes of the couple. What do they want, what style, do they want something romantic or perhaps something more with a touch of humor? A traditional ceremony or do they wish to do something different by incorporating a symbolic wedding ritual? Do you want to write their personal vows or perhaps they are quite shy and prefer something traditional…?

Something really typical in Spain is the involvement of friends and family during the ceremony.  I usually encourage couples to invite some persons to read a lovely poem or to have a nice speech because this can really add an emotional extra to the ceremony.  I love it when my couples tell me they have an artist in the family who can play an instrument or sing. Well, this is the perfect excuse to create an intermezzo during the ceremony and give prominence to that person!

Advantages of Booking a Profesional Wedding Celebrant

Just too often I hear and read that “any friend” can officiate a wedding. If that would be true, any friend can take the wedding pictures, play the music during the party, record the wedding video, prepare the wedding decorations,…

Honestly whenever I hear “I have a friend who knows …”, I get nervous. Friends and family should only be invited to enjoy the wedding, the ceremony, the party and should not be given the responsibility of performing a task that vendors can do much better. Profesional vendors have experience, are not busy “enjoying” the party, the wedding, the guests,…  Very importantly they know how to focus on what is important.

So that is one of the main reasons why I think it is important to show you the advantages of booking a professional wedding celebrant with experience:

1. You can be sure your ceremony will look like a “real” wedding ceremony. As you know, a celebrant in Spain will not be able to marry you legally, but he can make all the guests believe that you are actually getting married during the ceremony. Tip: if you combine celebrant and a notary your wedding will be legal on the spot ;-)
2. A wedding celebrant will know how to help you create a romantic and personalized ceremony, balancing each moment. He/she will help you choose the music for each moment, he/she will help you to structure all the chosen events: welcome, love story, speeches, readings, I do’s, vows, symbolic rite,…  And above all, a professional wedding celebrant will know how to advise you when necessary.
3. Of course you will ensure a person who knows how to speak properly in public. He/she will not feel ashamed, won’t start crying if the ceremony gets emotional and very importantly, he/she will feel comfortable speaking and addressing the guests and the couple.
4. An experienced celebrant will know how to act spontaneously and will offer a quick solution to any unforeseen events that may arise.

You will be able to work side by side with an experienced person to prepare a completely personalized ceremony that you have always dreamed of. There will be no surprises or unforeseen events. Everything will be under control.

Without a ceremony there is no wedding … The ceremony is one of the most emotional and important moments of your great day and deserves to be treated with great affection. Having the confidence and ease that this special moment will have no unforeseen events and everything will be under control , is very important.

Only a professional will know how to incorporate original moments such as symbolic rituals for civil ceremonies in a beautiful and special way. Professional experience helps create truly magical moments. Only a wedding celebrant will know how to beautifully perform a ritual without people thinking nonsense has been added just to be original or different.

With a professional wedding celebrant you will have a completely personalized script, written for your wedding. No copy / paste of beautiful texts but without coherence…

Surely you already know that the ceremony is a fundamental part of your big day. Without a ceremony there is no wedding… With this article I wanted to make sure you understand the importance of having a professional wedding celebrant for such an important day. I do not know if I have succeeded but if you are getting married in Seville, Málaga, Huelva, Cádiz or nearby and you need a celebrant, I would be happy to help you.