What is a Humanist Wedding?
A couple hold hands as they exchange vows during their Humanist Wedding at The Ritz London
A humanist wedding ceremony is created to be entirely unique to every couple.
A humanist wedding ceremony can step away from the ‘standard ceremony structure’, but that doesn’t mean it has to be ‘alternative’ for the sake of it.
A humanist wedding will be a wedding ceremony that reflects the real you!
Your wedding ceremony can be relaxed and informal, more offbeat, or simply a classic wedding ceremony with a joy-filled twist! These kinds of wedding ceremonies are my speciality, they are meaningful, warm and relaxed wedding ceremonies. With that little added sparkle to make them entirely yours!
How is a Humanist Wedding different to a Civil or Religious Ceremony?
A Humanist wedding ceremony is different to both faith-based and civil ceremonies. It puts you, the couple at the centre of it. When you choose to get married in a religious setting, the wedding ceremony is centred on your faith, when you choose a civil ceremony, it's about meeting the requirements of the law of the land. A humanist wedding is centred on you and those who are important to you.
You might be wondering how, as a humanist wedding celebrant, I’m different to a registrar. This starts right from when you get in touch for the first time. The first thing I will do is have a chat with both of you so you can find out a bit about me. We get to know each other, and I hear a little bit about your exciting wedding plans! Ultimately, it’s for you to make sure we're a good fit. I'm always fascinated by people, or as Mr Celebrant Kathryn puts it, I’m ‘always making friends on the bus’. I love that this is part of being a celebrant! When you book a registrar-led wedding, you’ll be allocated whoever is working on your wedding date, and you’re unlikely to meet them beforehand. As your wedding celebrant, I’ll have become someone friendly and familiar to you, and I’ll be so excited for your day.
A registrar-based ceremony will be delivered using one of a couple of set scripts. These are rarely customisable and there are lots of rules and restrictions on what can & can’t be said. When I create your personal wedding ceremony, it can be as offbeat, unusual or as ‘traditional’ as you like. Every word will be uniquely chosen to reflect you both! I’ll structure your humanist wedding ceremony to be perfectly paced and you can choose to include your friends, family and/or fur-babies as much or as little as you like. As your wedding celebrant, I’ll weave this all together into a feel-good fabulous, meaningful wedding ceremony that is a completely unique, made just for you both.
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What is Humanism?
Humanism is a non-religious belief system built upon being guided by compassion and reason with a respect for the natural world. The word humanist has come to mean someone who:
Trusts science and fact when seeking to understand how the universe was created and works, rejecting the idea of the supernatural (Sometimes called an atheist or an agnostic).
Makes ethical decisions based on reason, empathy, and a concern for human beings and other living things, including animals and the environment.
Believes that we each have one life to live, and that human beings can act to give their own lives meaning by seeking happiness in this life and helping others to do the same. (adapted from Humanists UK where you can find out more about Humanism)
Kathryn leads a humanist wedding ceremony for a couple in Asylum Chapel.
Do we have to be Humanist to have a Humanist Wedding Ceremony?
You may have stumbled across me because you googled weddings that are non-religious, or unique weddings. You may not think of yourself as a ‘humanist’ and that is totally fine. Essentially, Humanism is about being guided by compassion and reason with a respect for the natural world, things lots of people identify with. You can find out more at Humanists UK. A Humanist Wedding Ceremony is inclusive to everyone - you and your guests!
Are there restrictions on what can happen at our Humanist Wedding ceremony?
I’m passionate about animals and our environment. In light of this, I’d personally rather not take part in Humanist Wedding Ceremonies that involve ‘releasing things’; doves, butterflies or lanterns for example. I am (of course!) completely cool with assistance & therapy animals, canine ring-bearers or feline wedding friends! If in doubt, please just give me a shout.
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Are Humanist weddings legally recognised in England?
At the moment, celebrant-led ceremonies in England are sadly not legally recognised. Don’t despair! You can still have a fab personalised wedding ceremony!
You’ll need to pop to a registry office and say the 'legally required words' at some point. I can help advise on what feels best for you both, but the easiest and cheapest(!) way is a statutory legal registration ceremony from the local registry office for around £50. You’ll say the legally required words with two witnesses, but without most of the usual ‘wedding-y’ bits. You can choose to do this before or after your Humanist wedding ceremony. I’m happy to help you figure out the right plan for you both. Why not check out my blog post on how to combine your ‘legal bit’ with your Humanist wedding?
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