In the 2023 National Wedding Survey, also conducted by Hitched.co.uk, over 2,000 couples who had their wedding in 2022 were questioned. From their responses, it suggested that 19% of weddings (that's nearly 1 in 5) had a ceremony conducted by a Wedding Celebrant. This was an increase on the previous year of 18%. As a result, the continued growth in celebrant-led wedding is not a surprise to many. 

From my own experience, I have seen a rise in enquiries and bookings. Last week I had three bookings in three days. Despite many of our key target customers having to contend with higher mortgage payments or higher rents, this appears to have made couples only more discerning when it comes to deciding what is important to them when it comes to designing and planning their wedding day. 

Whilst many people may know of or experienced what a funeral celebrant can do,  many people have never been to a celebrant-led wedding. When they do, they often love it. They love that they can have their ceremony when and where they want it. They love that there are no restrictions and they love that it is so personal to them. Compared with the level of customer service most couples get from their local council registrar service, couples are delighted by how we look after them.

As a result, growth in demand is natural and organic and in my view very sustainable. More and more venues are catching on with the commercial benefits of promoting recommended wedding celebrants. For ages, most wedding venues will only ever discuss a church or registrar ceremony.  You'd be amazed how many wedding venues turn down a potential wedding booking because the couple have been unable to secure registrars on the day their venue is vacant. The most enlightened venues now know that celebrants are also an option and help to increase their bookings.