Ceremonies
Marriage
Humanist weddings truly celebrate the uniqueness of each couple and their love story. It’s all about crafting a ceremony that reflects your values, beliefs, and personalities. Whether you want to include pets, symbolic gestures or any other personal touches, a humanist wedding allows you to create a meaningful and memorable experience that is authentically yours. Humanist weddings are non-religious and have been legal since 2018.
Elopement
Elopement weddings have evolved from secretive affairs to intimate celebrations focused on the couple’s preferences. It’s all about prioritising the experience on location that resonate most with a couple rather than conforming to traditional wedding norms. This can happen almost anywhere; in a park, your garden, at the top of a mountain or on the edge of a cliff. YOU decide.
Commitment or Vow Renewal
Having a commitment ceremony or a vow renewal is a beautiful way to reaffirm your love and commitment to each other, surrounded by those who matter most. It’s an opportunity to reflect on your journey together and celebrate your accomplishments. With a humanist ceremony celebrant, I can craft a ceremony that is deeply personal and meaningful. It is a chance to create a day that honours your unique story and relationship exactly the way you want it.
Same sex weddings
Do I do them? Of course I do! What’s the difference between a same sex wedding or any other wedding? Absolutely nothing bar your story! Same sex weddings are just as valid and beautiful as any other kind of wedding. There should be no difference in how they are approached or celebrated. My ceremonies provide a safe and inclusive space where couples can express their love and commitment to each other regardless of gender or sexual orientation. It’s all about honouring the unique bond between two people and creating a ceremony that reflects their love and values.
A Humanist Wedding Ceremony
Opening words
Welcome, introduction and housekeeping
Welcome of the bridal party
Thoughts on love and marriage
Celebrant reads excerpts from relevant scripts on love and marriage or can be written by the couple
Humanist Values in marriage (optional)
Couple can reflect why they picked a Humanist ceremony
Readings
1 – 2 readings conducted by friends / family
Reading can be song lyrics / poems / written by the couple i.e. to include children / family / the importance of marriage / love etc
3 things I love about you
Email me separately and I’ll read out on the day what you love about each other without each knowing prior to the ceremony.
The Couple’s Story
How did you meet
What you love about each other (email separately)
Vows
Samples available
Couple can write their own
Statements of commitments – couple can read ‘why I love…’ (do not disclose until ceremony)
Exchanging of rings (optional)
Exchange of gifts / flowers
Symbolic actions (optional)
Candle lighting – can be in memory of someone or for families to be united in lighting a candle symbolising the couple’s roots.
Drinking from one cup (Quaich) – traditional in Scotland. The Quaich is often referred to as the love cup as you each take a handle to take a drink, showing you trust one another to share the cup / to celebrate a bond.
Handfasting – After the bride and groom both declare their intent to enter into a binding union, the hands of the couple are clasped and fastened together with a cord or cords just before, just after, or during their vows to one another. The wrapping of the cord forms an infinity symbol. The handfasting knot that is tied is a symbolic representation of oneness between the couple. In a show of unity, they become bound to each other.
Sand mixing – a symbol of union. Coloured sand can be used. The couple and their families can add to this to form the union of two to one.
Ring Warming – Incorporating a ring warming into your wedding is such a special way to involve all of your guests in your ceremony. A ring warming is when you give your loved ones the opportunity to hold and imbue your wedding bands with a wish, blessing or prayer for your marriage. By the time your rings make it on to your fingers they will be saturated with the love of your friends and family. I also think that this is a fantastic option for couples having a non-religious ceremony but want to consider their religious loved ones. With a ring warming everyone will be welcome to take a moment to bring their own beliefs into your ceremony in a private but meaningful way.
Pronouncement of marriage
Signing of the Register
Closing words
Best wishes for the future
Informing guests of ceremony end and guide next steps.