Independent Celebrant-Led Wedding Ceremonies: Translating, Tweaking, and Innovating Traditions

This article explores ceremonial design of independent celebrant-led wedding ceremonies in England and Wales. It draws on a qualitative study which involved focus groups with celebrants and interviews with individuals who have had an independent celebrant-led wedding ceremony. Six factors are descri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sociological research online 2024-12, Vol.29 (4), p.825-841
Main Authors: Blake, Sharon, Probert, Rebecca, Barton, Tania, Akhtar, Rajnaara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bricolage
Cultural heritage
Interfaith
Kinship
Religious beliefs
Rites & ceremonies
Time
Traditions
Transferability
Weddings
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Summary:This article explores ceremonial design of independent celebrant-led wedding ceremonies in England and Wales. It draws on a qualitative study which involved focus groups with celebrants and interviews with individuals who have had an independent celebrant-led wedding ceremony. Six factors are described which influenced how couples translated and tweaked traditions or innovated ceremonial elements: faith, heritage, values, kin, informality, and temporality. In line with a bricolage process, it is suggested that the keeping of and minor adaption of traditions through the personalisation offered by independent celebrant-led wedding ceremonies may support inclusion of relationship practices such as interfaith couplings and blended families. Examples of kinship display-work and self-display-work were found throughout participant accounts of their wedding ceremonies. It is proposed that both may act as an important means by which the needs of individuals for whom a religious or belief framework is not prioritised over other contexts of identification can be met in a wedding ceremony. Further research is needed to explore the transferability of these findings to larger samples, as well as specific sub-populations.
ISSN:1360-7804
1360-7804
DOI:10.1177/13607804231211443