Whether planning a traditional weekend or an increasingly popular weekday wedding, your ceremony will be a key part of the proceedings. As the ritual behind that all-important marital contract, your ceremony is one essential that can’t be skipped. But, as you’ll discover when organising your wedding ceremony, there is more than one option for couples to make their unions official.
The humanist wedding ceremony has become particularly popular in recent years. Here we detail the ins and outs of a humanist ceremony, why this ceremony format is so popular, and the top tips that will help you plan a humanist ceremony you can proudly look back on for the rest of your days.
What is a humanist wedding ceremony?
Humanists believe in living a good life without any influence from religion or superstition. Unlike a traditional, religious ceremony that’s conducted by a priest or vicar, a humanist wedding ceremony is a non-religious celebration of your love and union.
Instead of using religion as the basis for the ceremony, a humanist celebration is inclusive and can be adapted to suit your specific preferences as a couple.
Who conducts humanist ceremonies?
Humanist ceremonies are conducted by celebrants. We’ll let the United Kingdom Society of Celebrants (UKSOC) explain more about the role of a wedding celebrant:
“Constructs and leads completely personalised weddings, commitment and renewal of vows ceremonies based on the choices and requirements of each couple… No scripts, no templated words, each one is unique. UKSOC Wedding Celebrants are trained to write and lead weddings, renewal of vows and commitment ceremonies. It’s all about them.”
The use of celebrants isn’t unique to humanist wedding ceremonies. Celebrants are increasingly used at funerals and other occasions, including naming ceremonies, adoptions, family blendings, engagements and even divorce parties.
Why choose a humanist wedding ceremony?
A humanist wedding ceremony is entirely personal to you and your journey as a couple, which is great news for marrying couples looking to add their own unique touches to their special days.
This personalisation factor is leading an increasing number of couples to take a humanist approach on their wedding days. According to this survey by Humanists UK, the use of humanist celebrants saw a 240% increase between 2004 and 2015.
Unlike religious and civil ceremonies, there are no restrictions in terms of the words or music that make the wedding ceremony what it is. A humanist ceremony can be anything you want it to be, with the ceremony able to reflect the couple’s feelings and personalities as a result. The couple can even write their own wedding vows free from any limitations.
With a humanist ceremony, you can be just as creative with the location of your wedding. Humanist ceremonies can be conducted anywhere at any time of the day, including in the great outdoors. Humanist wedding ceremonies can be conducted in any language too, including British Sign Language. There are also no limitations in terms of the couple’s gender, race, sexual orientation, circumstances or abilities.
How do I plan a humanist ceremony?
Humanist wedding ceremonies are not yet legally recognised in England and Wales, however, for marrying couples looking to reap the rewards of a humanist wedding, making things legal is as simple as registering your marriage or civil partnership at a local registry office. You can register your marriage or partnership before or after your humanist ceremony.
You may also want to check out sample humanist wedding timelines to get a clearer idea of how to structure your ceremony. With a humanist wedding ceremony, however, you can be as imaginative as you like to make your union extra special.
Looking to book the perfect venue for your humanist wedding? Get in touch with our team today to find out more about our beautiful, inclusive wedding venue.
