Graeme Ward

I am an accredited humanist celebrant specialising in weddings and funerals.  I am based on the Costa del Sol in Spain.

I am happy to take ceremonies anywhere in Spain and will travel to the UK and Jersey if requested.

My ceremonies are all held in English although I can also provide bi-lingual ceremonies English/Spanish, English/Nederlands (Dutch).

Weddings: We have a large English speaking ex-pat community here in Spain  and very many British, Irish and other nationalities like to come to our region to celebrate their weddings.  I provide an opportunity for them to have a very special, personal ceremony that is created to meet their exact needs and desires and to reflect the people they are.  A humanist ceremony lets you have your wedding in your way.  There are no hard and fast rules and, whilst some couples like a degree of formality, others want their imagination to run wild and create something really unique.

The law in Spain requires couples to have a civil marriage contract if they don’t want a religious ceremony.  This also applies to same sex marriages which are legal in Spain.  An application to get married in Spain usually involves a lot of bureaucracy and can be time-consuming.  When neither of the parties is a Spanish citizen one of them must usually be legally resident in Spain for the previous two years.  For this reason, most ex-pat couples choose to have their marriages legalised in the UK or in the Register Office in Gibraltar which has the same legal status as a UK office.  There is currently a six month waiting list for Gibraltar.  Please contact me for more advice or options.

Many couples love to have beach ceremonies or events in our beautiful mountains and lakeside settings.  Most major hotels and larger restaurants cater for weddings and there are even special buildings called Wedding Palaces.  Contact me if you want more information about venues that are particularly appropriate for a humanist celebration.

For every couple I have known and worked with, their humanist wedding has been their ‘real’ wedding.  The civil formalities are for the officials and the lawyers; their wedding is for their families and friends to join with them in witnessing this very special occasions in their lives.  Humanist weddings are very much about the creation of a family and I always ensure that any children are included in the celebrations.

We build a humanist celebration to a script and I am your script writer.  This gives you the opportunity to use your own words, to write your own very special promises to each other, to include music and readings that you love and which reflect your personalities.  As well as your guide to the perfect script, I am also a published poet and can provide special words for you if you so desire.   I am your stage director and will ensure that your wedding venue is staged exactly right for your ceremony including sound and lighting.

Funerals:  We provide  very special funeral ceremonies for occasions where religion is not appropriate because of the beliefs of the deceased or of the family. I conduct non-religious and humanist funerals, memorial services and interments of ashes for those seeking a deeply personal service that is dignified, relevant and meaningful.

I will work closely with you. If you wish to be involved in the preparation of the funeral script than you can be – many people find the process of carrying out research and writing down memories and anecdotes, comforting and helpful. But where you don’t feel able to talk about your loss, I can provide the words. I am here to help you mark and celebrate a person’s life, and I will do so with the utmost care and respect.  I can also advise you on the format of the ceremony and appropriate music and readings.

I will conduct funeral ceremonies in English throughout Spain.  I also offer advanced planning for those who wish to plan their own funeral.

Humanist Ceremonies™ celebrants

Humanist Ceremonies™ is part of Humanists UK.  Humanists UK is a charity which represents the needs and perspectives of non-religious people and Humanist Ceremonies has a growing network of around three hundred trained and accredited celebrants working across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and now in Spain.  As an accredited celebrant I have undergone extensive training, am subject to continuing quality control and am insured.  Like all humanist accredited celebrants I am deeply committed to my work and find it immensely rewarding.

I welcome informal enquiries and am very happy to provide information and advice about getting married in Spain, an upcoming funeral or humanism generally.  So please do get in touch.