humanist weddings
Humanist weddings are non-religious, personalised ceremonies. They put you at the forefront of your ceremony, focusing on you as a couple and all the brilliant unique details that make you you.
If you want a ceremony brimming with joy, love, tears, personality and laughter — you’ve come to the right place. You won’t find a more unique and deeply personal option on your wedding day. No two ceremonies are the same — there’s no “copy and paste” or “insert couples' names here”. The wedding script is tailor-made to reflect your dynamic and incorporate all the unique details about you and your love story.
Traditionally, we have only two wedding options: a religious ceremony or a registrar-led one. If you're not religious — like 37% of the UK population — a church wedding can feel inauthentic and out of line with your values.
The other traditional option is a legal, registrar-led ceremony. But they can sometimes feel a little lacking, with generic words and a feel that most people have seen many times before. Guests are invited to celebrate your day by listening to a quick 15-minute service with set legal wording. They contain little personal information and all sorts of restrictions and rules.
Imagine crafting your ceremony in the same way you have planned the rest of your day. Entirely personal, bespoke and tailored to who you both are as individuals and as a couple. That's where I come in...
As a humanist celebrant, I spend months getting to know you to create a ceremony that caters to your personality and values. With a humanist wedding, you have the freedom to choose any location, vows, readings and rituals. There are no strict guidelines to adhere to, so there is so much space to truly celebrate who you are.
You can get married at your favourite beach, barn, clifftop, garden, licensed or non-licensed venue. We can incorporate symbolic rituals such as handfasting, add a fun quiz, toast with a shot, make your dog a ringbearer, read your favourite film quotes, or get all your guests involved in a group singalong.
We can also look at which traditional elements you’d like to include — and those you want to bin.
After getting to know you, I'll create a completely bespoke wedding script. I can also help you write your vows. And I’m always on hand to help with any worries or thoughts in the lead up to your wedding.
With a bespoke ceremony from start to finish, your wedding will be more fun, meaningful, and original for you and your guests.
Do you have to be a humanist to have a humanist wedding?
Humanists generally believe in living an ethical life that embraces empathy and equality for people and the natural world. The ceremonies emphasise human connection and love, rather than religious teachings or rituals. My ceremonies have a humanist philosophy — as I'm a humanist celebrant — but you don't have to be a humanist to have a humanist wedding!
I'm also a celebrant for vow renewals and divorce ceremonies.
Here are some guides to learn more about humanist weddings. Otherwise, scroll down and find out about the steps to working with me as your humanist wedding celebrant.
“Roxy is so warm and sincere, she created the perfect ceremony. She made everyone feel included and really made it unique. I loved every minute!”
— Anna
So how does it all actually work??
It might feel overwhelming and like there’s TOO many choices. But fear not! This is new information for most people. We will work together closely from start to end and I can fill in all the blanks.
At the start...
If you like the sound of me and how I work, get in touch for an initial exploratory call and we can have a chat and get to know each other a little. This is a great opportunity for you to tell me all about your vision for the day and for me to answer any questions you might have. This is normally over Zoom, but if you live locally this is ideal as we can meet IRL for a cuppa (or in the pub!) and discuss.
After that, if you decide you’d like to go ahead and book me for your wedding, I’ll take a deposit to hold your date.
Getting to know you…
Then around 5 months from the big day, I’ll send you some questions across to start to ponder (both together and by yourselves) which will allow me to really get to know you both as individuals as well as all of the key things that make your partnership special.
Then we will meet again and get into ALLLL the detail. This meeting is important, what we talk about and all of the stories and background you give me will form the backbone of your wedding script. I will listen to what you want and can make suggestions about things I know work really well, from rituals to readings and everything in between. The sky’s the limit!
I’ll use what I gather in this meeting to put together a totally bespoke draft wedding script for you. We can then pass this draft back and fourth a little and redraft as needed (...I’m not precious and openly welcome feedback and any changes you’d like to make!)
Throughout, I’ll be available as you need me. For some couples it takes several meetings to nail down all the important information. We will do as many as required. My job is to fly alongside you and get to know you as we co-create something that is totally original and fits you both perfectly.
Some couples choose to have a pre-wedding rehearsal - others don’t. I have my own thoughts on this that I can share with you, but we can decide nearer the time what works for you both best.
On the day….
I will be there nice and early to make sure everything is ship shape. I’ll liaise with whoever is doing music, gather anyone playing a key part in the ceremony and coordinate everything so that you don’t need to worry about a thing, bar getting down the aisle!
Got a practical question about Humanist weddings?
Check out my FAQs where I’ve answered some of the most common queries