Many people believe that the only way to celebrate your wedding in England and Wales is either in a church or with a registrar.  However, more and more people are realising the benefits of separating the ‘legal’ part from the ‘celebration’ part by having the legal formalities completed with a registrar in advance (which costs £56 for a “Statutory Ceremony” in 2025) and then working with an independent celebrant to create and conduct a bespoke, personalised ceremony on their big day.  It’s a bit like signing the paperwork for a new house or flat one day and getting the keys and moving in later.  It’s a very continental way of doing things, and it’s catching on here.

Couples often assume that they have only three options for getting legally married in England and Wales:

1. In church
2. At a register office (with a registrar)
3. At an approved premises/licensed venue (with a registrar)

Registrar costs vary widely across the country - in some places, it costs up to £1,000 for two registrars to attend the venue, depending on the day of the week.  And registrars pretty much follow a standard script, so you get the same words as everyone else with usually only a little wriggle room for you to personalise it.