Difference between a celebrant & a minister
With over 85% of weddings in Australia today solemnised by an authorised civil marriage celebrant, what is the difference between a religious minister and a civil celebrant?
A marriage celebrant is a person who is authorised by Commonwealth law to perform marriage ceremonies, while a priest, father, minister or pastor is a member of the clergy who is ordained to perform religious rites and ceremonies and their authority comes from their state-registered religion.
In general and professionally, marriage celebrants are not affiliated with a specific religion and are able to perform marriage ceremonies for couples of any faith or no faith at all.
Priests, on the other hand, are typically associated with a specific religious denomination and typically only perform marriage ceremonies for couples who are members of that denomination.
A civil celebrant will typically create a custom and personal marriage ceremony for the couple being married, whereas a minister will generally bring their religion's standard marriage ceremony rituals and script.
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