In the modern world, many people are turning away from religion yet are still looking for a way to infuse their wedding day with meaning and deep values. A Humanist wedding may be the perfect answer for couples looking for a meaningful, personalised wedding ceremony.
What is a humanist wedding?
A Humanist wedding involves crafting a wedding that reflects your values. A trained officiant will guide you through the process, helping you to design a wedding is meaningful for you and your partner.
What are the benefits of a humanist wedding?
The website Humanism, breaks down the attractions of this approach:
Humanist weddings are perfect for couples who would like:
- A meaningful ceremony that isn’t religious.
- The flexibility to create a personal ceremony that is unique to them.
- To get to know the person who will be conducting their wedding.
- To celebrate their marriage with family and friends but without legally registering it – perhaps they have already undertaken the formalities overseas, for example.
A Humanist wedding allows you to bring your own quirks to your wedding; for example, you can write your own vows, include family members in your wedding ceremony, or share a drink of your choice at the end of the ceremony. Humanist weddings have a unique charm and make for a memorable ceremony.
Writer Louise Ridley, explains why she decided to hold a Humanist wedding ceremony, “In our case, a humanist wedding meant a tailor-made ceremony, keeping the traditions we liked and tweaking or ditching those we didn’t. The first ‘homework’ was filling out a lengthy questionnaire about how we saw marriage, what our families and friends were like, what we liked about each other, and what we wanted from the day and the future.”
Bringing in the family
Humanist weddings are a great choice if you are close to your family members, or if you both have children who you will be bringing into the family and you wish to include them in the ceremony.
Lauren, of Rock My Wedding describes how Humanist weddings can be tailored to suit you, and how you can bring your family into the ceremony, “Hannah, James and I scribed every word of the ceremony taking inspiration from around the web. It was hugely personal and also recognised the contribution that our friends and family had made to nurture our relationship. Leading up to the vows we integrated an adaptation of Robert Fulgham’s ‘The Union’ and our friend Melissa read ‘We will Not Wish You Joy’ by Brian Zouch on behalf of all our guests.”
The legalities
However, when considering a Humanist wedding it’s important to take into account that it is not yet recognised legally in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, unlike in Scotland. As such, it’s important to get the legal formalities sorted at a register office, either before or after your wedding.
The charms of a humanist wedding ceremony
A Humanist wedding ceremony provides you with thoughtful preparation for your marriage, allows you to embrace individualism, and is a meaningful way of celebrating your marriage with your family and friends.
