It’s always good to hear from couples I’ve married, and catch up with their news. In Danielle and Scott’s ceremony I remember saying that, “they’ve had many exciting adventures in exotic countries already, but they have a long list of places that they hope to visit together in the future.” Well that didn’t take long … Continue Reading
Category
Universal Humanism
Are we mourning or celebrating?
I’ve been a celebrant for a dozen years now, and over that time, the character of funerals has undoubtedly changed. Two years ago, the BBC ran this story based on an ICM survey, in which it found that 54% of people wanted a ceremony that was ‘a celebration of life’. Almost as many wanted to … Continue Reading
Jaclyn and Stuart’s Humanist Wedding at The Vu
Stuart and Jaclyn first met at an NME Nominees gig in Glasgow, but it took Stuart a while to win Jaclyn’s heart because she thought he was ‘too sensible’! She also had to get over his fondness for Take That, but he got there in the end… via the university email system! Their first date was … Continue Reading
Rosa and David’s Humanist Wedding at Seton Collegiate Church
Doing the homework was a fantastic way to reflect upon our relationship, and both of us really took a lot away from that experience.
A celebration of the life of Dr. Gilbert Forsyth
One of the joys of my work is the relationship that comes from working with families over time. Our meetings may well take place in different places, but whether it’s the naming of a child, a marriage, or a funeral, we are always talking about the same subject: the importance of love in our lives. … Continue Reading
Lisa and Austin’s Humanist Wedding at Houstoun House
It really was the most perfect ceremony. I still feel like it was a bit of a dream!
Grieving: it’s time for Option B
I was very moved by this interview with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in The Observer, where she talks about how she coped with going to sleep beside her 47 year old husband, and waking up to discover that he was dead.Journalist Decca Aitkenhead is one of our best writers, and while she wasn’t entirely won … Continue Reading
Do you sleep next to your promises?
Jeanette Winterson is a writer whose work I’ve long admired. She’s gay, and she was always against the idea of getting married because, as the sub-headline in her Guardian article says,” Why conform to patriarchal ideas of monogamy?” She’s clearly changed her mind, because she has just got married, and I really liked her vows. I promise to look … Continue Reading
Distinguished Guests…
We all like to get dressed up for a wedding, and I was really impressed when I saw these gentlemen at Edinburgh Castle, where I was conducting the wedding of Mati and Kenny the other day. Mati hails from Spain, and her father is a member of La Fundación de la Orden de la Bienaventurada … Continue Reading
Can you spare 15 minutes?
The lovely people at the Scottish Wedding Directory came round this morning to do a Live Facebook Chat: as a former producer and director, it was fascinating to see what you can do with just an iPhone, a tripod and a microphone.Whether what I had to say about what makes humanist weddings so special is … Continue Reading