Currently, celebrant-led ceremonies are not legal. However, they offer the most freedom of choice in terms of ceremony content and location. Anything goes, whether you want to get married on a farm at sunrise, in your back garden or under a woodland canopy at night.
If you book a registrar to conduct your ceremony at a licensed venue, it’s basically the same as what you get in a registry office, just in a venue; all the same legalities and restrictions apply. Even if you want to tie the knot outside, you’ll have to do so under an approved structure such as a gazebo or pavilion.
Instead, many couples will have their standard legal ceremony at a registry office on a weekday when it’s least expensive. Then, they’ll splash out on their
personalised celebrant ceremony for themselves and their guests at a venue or location of their choice. They will then have total freedom in all aspects to have the bespoke ceremony of their dreams.