Got a (second) favourite? Let them marry you!
Ever wanted your bestie, cousin, sibling or special human to be the one to marry you? Well, they can. And I've got their back!
Olivia
3 min read
There’s something incredibly special about being married by someone who already knows you.
Someone who remembers the early days. Who has witnessed the relationship grow, held parts of your story and knows exactly why the two of you make sense. They don’t need to manufacture warmth or familiarity, it’s already there.
More and more couples are inviting a sibling, best friend, parent or other favourite person to lead their ceremony. And honestly? I love it.
It’s also how I found my way into celebrancy in the first place. I was asked to hold the ceremony for people I loved, while an authorised celebrant stepped in to take care of the legal parts. I got to stand front and centre, tell their story and guide them through such an important moment—with my own legal wingwoman quietly making sure everything was official.
It showed me just how powerful this kind of ceremony can be.
What does it mean to have someone you love lead your ceremony?
Choosing someone familiar changes the energy.
Your ceremony becomes more than a story being told about you. It becomes a moment held by someone who has lived alongside parts of that story. Someone who knows the in-jokes, the hard seasons, the people you were before you found one another and the life you’ve built since.
It might be your sister, who has watched the whole relationship unfold from day one. Your best friend, who introduced you. A parent or grandparent whose relationship has shaped your own. Or simply the person who makes you both feel settled, understood and completely yourselves.
There is history in the room. There is trust. There is a different kind of intimacy.
And your person doesn’t need to become a registered marriage celebrant to make it happen.
Enter: your legal wingwoman
If you already know exactly who you want standing at the front with you, I can take care of the official side of things.
Your chosen person can hold the heart of the ceremony: welcoming everyone, sharing your story, guiding the meaningful moments and bringing all the warmth, humour and familiarity that only they can.
I’ll work quietly alongside them as your authorised marriage celebrant. I’ll manage the legal paperwork, make sure all requirements are met, guide your facilitator through the ceremony flow and step forward briefly for the words and moments that legally need to involve me.
Then I’ll happily dip back out and let your favourite person take centre stage.
Before the wedding, we’ll have a Zoom session with your chosen facilitator to walk through the ceremony together. I can offer practical guidance on structure, timing, transitions and all those small details that help a ceremony feel calm and seamless. They’ll know what happens when, where I need to step in and how we’ll work together on the day.
They get to focus on loving you and holding the room. I take care of the legalities and keep everything safely on track.
All the meaning, none of the paperwork panic
This option is perfect if:
You already have someone meaningful in mind to lead your ceremony
You want your wedding to feel deeply personal and connected
Your chosen person would appreciate some guidance behind the scenes
You want the legal elements handled properly without them taking over the ceremony
You love the idea of including one of your favourite people in a genuinely significant way
Your person doesn’t need performance experience, a booming microphone voice or a secret side career in public speaking. They simply need to care about you, be willing to prepare and feel comfortable holding the moment.
I’ll help with the rest.
So, if you’ve always imagined your best friend, sibling, parent or treasured person welcoming everyone into your marriage story, let them.
They can hold the ceremony.
I’ll be right beside them (clipboard metaphorically in hand, paperwork very literally in hand) as your legal wingwoman.
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