How to Choose a Humanist Wedding Celebrant

Your ceremony isn't the warm-up to your wedding day, it's the moment your guests will talk about long after the confetti's swept away. Choosing the right celebrant to write and deliver it is one of the most important decisions you'll make, and it's worth getting right.

Here's what I'd tell any couple starting that search.

Couple Chris and Megan - Chapel house estate

1. Look for someone genuinely trusted, by planners, venues, and couples

Anyone can call themselves a celebrant. What matters is whether the people around them, wedding planners, luxury venues, and most of all, past couples, actually trust them with the day.

Start with their website and their reviews. Read past the star rating: look for specifics. Do couples mention a particular moment in the ceremony? Do they talk about how the celebrant made them feel, not just what was delivered? Venues and planners who repeatedly recommend the same celebrant are one of the strongest signals you'll find, because they've seen that person perform under real conditions, at real weddings, more than once.

I'm fortunate to work regularly with some of the UK's most respected luxury wedding planners, including Susie Evans, Caroline Sian, Rachel Leach of The Little Details, Hannah Rose, The Revelry, and Cherelle Joseph of Perfectly Planned 4 You. If you're already working with a planner, ask who they trust; it's often the fastest way to a shortlist.

2. Ask to see their work, not just hear about it

Unfortunately, anyone can say they're an experienced celebrant. Not everyone can prove it.

Look at their content, photos from real ceremonies, video, written stories about specific weddings they've delivered. If a celebrant has little to nothing to show, it's often a sign they're not investing in how they present their work, and in my experience, that tends to reflect the level of care that goes into the ceremony itself too. A celebrant who's proud of their work will want to show it to you.

3. Have a call, and pay attention to how you feel

Credentials and content will narrow your shortlist. The final decision usually comes down to something harder to put into words: connection.

Have a call with a few celebrants you like the look of. Notice who listens properly, who asks good questions, and who makes you feel genuinely heard rather than just talked at. This matters more than almost anything else on this list, because the person standing beside you on your wedding day needs to make you feel safe, at ease, and as joyful as possible, not just deliver a well-written script.

Grooms Alex and Darrin at their wedding at the HAC in London with Celebrant Kathryn B Wilson Love Celebrants

A quick note on humanist ceremonies specifically

If you're drawn to a humanist ceremony, it's also worth checking your celebrant is trained and accredited, through Humanists UK or an equivalent body, rather than self-taught. Accreditation means insurance, a code of conduct, and ongoing quality checks, which matter for something this important.

I'm Kathryn B Wilson, a Humanist-trained wedding celebrant based in Buckinghamshire, working with couples across London and the Home Counties. I've had the honour of conducting ceremonies at venues including Blenheim Palace, Cliveden House and the Natural History Museum, and I bring 15 years of experience as a professional broadcaster and presenter to every ceremony I write.

Get in touch to talk about your ceremony.