Well, the first thing to say is that they are very personal! There is nothing set or standard or business-like about a humanist ceremony. Basically, I tailor-make each ceremony for each couple and that makes your day very special and my job an absolute joy!
Couples sometimes ask me, "Do we have to write our own ceremony?" And the answer is simple:
Yes, if you want to!Couples sometimes ask me, "Do we have to write our own ceremony?" And the answer is simple:
No, if you don't want to!
In my experience, I have found that many couples haven't got a clue where to begin and the way I usually work is to meet with you for a chat about what's important to you. I'll help you to decide on readings, music, symbolic gestures (such as candle lighting, hand fasting and so on) your vows and lots of the practical things you need to think about (where to stand, how to enter, how to set the room out etc..) It's also good to get to know a bit about you too and this all helps me to design a ceremony that is sincere, meaningful and completely unique to you. After our first meeting, I will draft the ceremony for you and email it to you so that you can make any changes to it - and I always stress that it's very much a first draft, that you can make ANY amendments, additions and deletions you want to! The most important thing is that it is YOUR big day!
Another thing that people often remark on after a humanist ceremony is how relaxed and comfortable it felt. There is so much scope for fun and laughter in our ceremonies! Yes, they can be very formal and traditional, but if you want a bit of laughter and informality, that's no problem!
This photo of Lisa Ann and Jonas at the Dunkeld House Hotel was taken by the excellent Perthshire based wedding photographer, Neil Fordyce
Humanist weddings are also inclusive and because they concentrate on the things we all have in common, they tend to appeal to everyone, regardless of their individual beliefs. If your granny is a church goer, she might be a bit bemused (or even concerned) about what a humanist ceremony involves, but you can reassure her that she'll probably love it! People who haven't been to one of our ceremonies before don't always 'get it' beforehand - but I can almost guarantee that they will 'get it' afterwards. Even people with strong religious beliefs have often remarked afterwards on how much they enjoyed the ceremony. I should stress that there is NEVER anything anti-religious in our ceremonies - they are simply non-religious!
At the end of the day, your humanist wedding ceremony will be distinctive because you are distinctive!
Another thing that people often remark on after a humanist ceremony is how relaxed and comfortable it felt. There is so much scope for fun and laughter in our ceremonies! Yes, they can be very formal and traditional, but if you want a bit of laughter and informality, that's no problem!
This photo of Lisa Ann and Jonas at the Dunkeld House Hotel was taken by the excellent Perthshire based wedding photographer, Neil Fordyce
Humanist weddings are also inclusive and because they concentrate on the things we all have in common, they tend to appeal to everyone, regardless of their individual beliefs. If your granny is a church goer, she might be a bit bemused (or even concerned) about what a humanist ceremony involves, but you can reassure her that she'll probably love it! People who haven't been to one of our ceremonies before don't always 'get it' beforehand - but I can almost guarantee that they will 'get it' afterwards. Even people with strong religious beliefs have often remarked afterwards on how much they enjoyed the ceremony. I should stress that there is NEVER anything anti-religious in our ceremonies - they are simply non-religious!
At the end of the day, your humanist wedding ceremony will be distinctive because you are distinctive!
1 comments:
Your point about humanist weddings being inclusive is a good one, Mary. I usually say something along these lines at my weddings, 'that although this ceremony is not religious, it is entirely legal, mostly civil and there will be time for quiet contemplation later, during which those of you who wish to may say your own private prayer".
Whatever the beliefs or lack of them of the couple getting married, there are always friends and relatives in the audience who belong to one faith or another and I feel it's important to include them in an 'active' way.
I don't know about you, but I often find that the first people to come up afterwards and say how much they enjoyed the ceremony turn out to be members of a church, so maybe that has something to do with it!
Post a Comment