Not all marriage celebrants are the same. They differ in many aspects and the general distinction among them is the kind of ceremony each celebrant can perform. Although they are all appointed by the governments of a certain country to conduct weddings in any venue that the couples have chosen, marriage celebrants may either be a religious or a civil celebrant.
Marriage celebrants may avail of trainings offered in schools and universities to help them prepare for this career. In the training they need to understand the essentials of wedding ceremonies and what makes good wedding ceremonies. Before they can obtain licenses they should first go through a detailed selection where they have to meet set criteria.
Religious celebrants are frequently affiliated ministers of a certain religion and the kind of ceremony performed mostly adheres to the standards of that religion. Thus many couples who wish to have a more personalized wedding ceremony often choose to hire civil celebrants without affiliations to any religion. A civil celebrant can perform a wedding ceremony that suits to the couple's preferences while at the same time following what's written in their Code of Practices. He or she can use lines from the couple's favorite poem or song and incorporate it in the ceremony.