What’s it all about?

​Humanist weddings are ceremonies focused on expressing the wishes, sentiments, love, humour, quirks and character of the couple as they declare their commitment to each other. They are non-religious ceremonies but inclusive; they are warm and personal moments of meaning that can incorporate traditional or cultural ritual elements too – they are, simply, just very human.

 

Here, There and Everywhere…

Unlike civil ceremonies that must take place at registered venues, humanist weddings can be conducted anywhere; indoors, outdoors, in your garden, in a field, on a hill, somewhere that is special to you (and if it happens to belong to someone else, with their permission of course!)

​I have conducted weddings in grand stately homes and historic buildings, in parent’s back gardens, in hotels, in town halls, in beautiful barns, in a pub garden, on an airfield, next to a river, on a jetty on a lake, in a university and in a woodland. Ceremonies can be as formal or casual or as a funny as you want them to be – it’s all about you and no two ceremonies are the same!

 

Wrestling it all Together…

It can be quite overwhelming to imagine everything in the ceremony all at once. Thankfully, this is not how it works in reality, as ceremonies take time and care to develop. They grow and evolve and take a life of their own; your wishes and ideas are explored fully and I can help to make the best use of these ideas in the context of a ceremony. There really are no rules. I’ve had weddings with singing, dancing, live music, llamas, children performing, friends reading their own poetry, multi-lingual translations, meaningful rituals, surprises, funny moments, poignant moments and vow-giving moments where you can hear a pin drop! There are as many ways to celebrate a wedding as there are people to marry – each one is so different – and this, for me, is the joy of being a celebrant.

 

The Finishing Touches…

The final touches to making it very special could be to keep some of the ceremony secret from the couple, so the day itself has some surprises to bear. This could be coordinated between friends and family and myself, or maybe the couple’s story, that I would write and be heard by the couple for the first time during the ceremony. I tend to attract couples who are open to good-natured fun, but as I tell my couples: if you are not comfortable with this and want to read it all before, don’t panic, that’s also fine! I can provide some examples of my writing style upon request, just get in touch and we can start a conversation.

 

Writing & Delivering the Ceremony

With all of the above, some couples look to me to write the whole ceremony, whilst others take a more active role in providing content, from small verses to whole chapters. I am happy either way, as it is my role in your wedding to be a facilitator and ensure it flows together beautifully, is delivered professionally and, ultimately, hits the spot!

What really counts for me is that each ceremony is authentic and written and delivered with integrity – this is what I believe delivers the real meaning to our defining moments.

I would describe my delivery style as very relaxed and natural, good-humoured and sensitive to creating the right tone and is presented with much the same bearing as I am normally. My writing style is straight-forward, easy-going and relaxed.