David and Tara’s Wedding in Squirrel’s Wood, Kent: making the most of nature

Why have a humanist wedding?  Because you deserve it.

“Your wedding, your way” is the phrase which sums it up.

You can have your ceremony where you want it, when you want it, and in the style which suits you.  That might be completely traditional or breaking new ground.

My ceremonies are Humanist or non-religious.  They are also centred on you and your story, so they are completely personalised and meaningful.  A Humanist wedding is based on your thoughts, your stories, and your hopes for the future.

You can have it in a place which is important to you – your family garden, the place where the proposal happened, a nature reserve, an arts venue, anywhere.  Which means you don’t have to have the expense of booking a registered venue or fitting in with a one-size fits all package.

A humanist wedding allows you to share the story of your love with those who mean most to you.

Yosef and Olivia’s Handfasting, Spen Cama Memorial Cricket Ground,  Fulking

What might a ceremony be like?

A typical ceremony might contain any or all of the following elements:

• the story of how you met, how you feel about each other, and your hopes for the future;
• your commitments and promises to each other;
• the exchange of rings, and the speaking of vows;
• readings of prose or poetry which is important to you.  This can be done by yourselves, by family and friends, or by me as celebrant;
• music, either recorded or live, chosen because it means something to both of you;
• various symbolic acts, like lighting candles, or “handfasting” (an ancient tradition from which the term “tying the knot” comes).  Your could ask your guests to “warm” your rings with their hopes for you.  Or you can do anything else which is meaningful for you.;
• the active involvement of the guests in whatever you – or they – want

How would I work with you?

I can give you advice on all these elements, sharing examples of how other couples have approached their ceremonies.  But in the end, we will be creating something entirely new. I can suggest creative ways to make your ceremony special.  Perhaps it’s about the use of the space.  Or maybe it’s about using words or themes which are special to you in the ceremony.  I can help you to find readings.  Sometimes, if you talk to me early enough in your planning, I can help you find venues and other suppliers.

Next Steps

If you are interested in having me conduct your wedding ceremony, see the ‘about me’ page for details – https://www.felicityharvestcelebrant.co.uk/about-me/.  If you like what I can offer and want to make a commitment to using me, we would set up a longer meeting.  Then I can find out more about you, and what kind of ceremony you want. I would then develop a script as the basis for making amendments and developing ideas, until it is just right.  I’d recommend a rehearsal the night before if at all possible.  And of course, I’d conduct the ceremony on the day and give you a copy afterwards to keep.

My fee for a wedding in 2023 is £750, payable in 3 instalments.  If this is a problem for you, do get in touch to discuss how I can help.

Remember – it’s your wedding – make sure you do it your way!

  Judith and Chris’s legal wedding near North Berwick, Scotland

Legal recognition

As humanist ceremonies are not yet legally recognised in England, in order for your wedding or civil partnership to be legally recognised you would need to have a civil ceremony. In my own case, we made a virtue out of necessity.  We had a small register office ceremony in the Midlands near to elderly family members who would not have wanted to travel.  Then we had a humanist ceremony combined with a party in the function room of a restaurant on the beach in Brighton. Humanist weddings are legally recognised in Scotland, Jersey, the Republic of Ireland and many other countries around the world.  We are hopeful that they will be in England and Wales soon too, after a recent High Court hearing.

What they said:

“Felicity was such a lovely person to celebrate with – she cared about our story and made it a real part of the ceremony. She listened to what we wanted and was very understanding even when we were very tardy with our responses! I loved having her conduct our ceremony – I feel we were very lucky to have her, and so many people told us what a lovely and personal service it was. I would recommend her to anyone!” Becks and Joel, Shoreditch

“Felicity delivered an excellent, personal and warm-hearted ceremony that had everyone (bride and groom included!) laughing and crying throughout. Despite the terrible weather and the outdoor setting Felicity was jolly and upbeat, a consummate professional even though I’m told there was rain dripping on her during the proceedings. Every single guest commented on what a moving and personal experience the whole ceremony was and many said it was the best they had ever attended! I would wholeheartedly recommend Felicity to anyone considering a ceremony who wants a very personal and particular type of tone for their wedding. It couldn’t have been better!” Maia and Will, Horsham, West Sussex

“Felicity was amazing, not just for the ceremony but all the prep behind it that took so much stress away from us. We were completely at ease from the moment we met Felicity and came away from our initial meeting knowing that we’d made the right choice. We’ve had so many positive comments about the ceremony and I think that it was my favorite part of the day!” Jasmine and Kai, Robertsbridge, East Sussex.