When you’re planning your wedding, one of the most important things of all is the time the ceremony starts. And almost everyone who asks me to conduct their wedding is really clear from the outset that their ceremony absolutely has to start at X o’ clock, because they’ve got a tight timetable, and everything else … Continue Reading
Archives
Humanist Weddings – They’re a Guy Thing…
OK I lied. Weddings really aren’t a guy thing.Men don’t grow up in The Cinderella Complex.We don’t lie in bed at the age of nine thinking, “One day, when I get married, I’m going to wear…”Or even, “One day, when I get married, all the table favours are going to match my team’s football strip.” … Continue Reading
How To Save Money on Your Humanist Wedding
hardly a day goes by without someone in public life deploring the soaring cost of weddings. Canon Giles Fraser was moaning about it on Thought for The Day, with Andrew Brown lining up behind him in The Guardian. One of their complaints is that wedding ceremonies focus on the egos of the individuals, rather than … Continue Reading
Multi-lingual Weddings
I’ve just had a call from a lady whose daughter is marrying her French boyfriend, and it occurred to me that I haven’t written anything yet specifically about ceremonies in other languages than English.In the first place, the whole ceremony could be conducted in a different language (including Gaelic or old Scots) as long as … Continue Reading
The Way I Work
A humanist wedding is is the only form of legal marriage ceremony where two people are free to say in their own words why they are getting married, what their hopes are for the future and what they want to promise to one another. This is a wonderful privilege, but it’s also a terrifying responsibility. … Continue Reading
Volcanic Eruptions….
I’ve just had my second phone call from a couple whose wedding plans have been blown sky high by the Eyjafjallajokull volcano – thankfully in both cases, their marriage will go ahead, but there are parents and friends stranded all over the world at the moment, and lots of anxious brides to be. In the … Continue Reading
Planning your Humanist Wedding -a Useful Timeline
My guess is that you’ve already chosen your venue, and your photographer, hired a band, bought the dress, booked the makeup artist, drawn up the guest list and designed the invitations. Now it’s time to decide what kind of ceremony you want, and who should conduct it. With luck, you may already have had recommendations from … Continue Reading
Some Things to Think About Before You Meet a Celebrant
Are you having entrance music? If it’s live, what instruments will be used and where will the musicians be? If it’s pre-recorded, will there be a CD player and a PA system at the venue, and who will operate it? Are you having an Order of Ceremony?It’s not essential but is a good idea, as … Continue Reading
Can I Marry You?
This isn’t as dumb a question as it may at first appear. This week, I’ve been tracking the enquiries I’ve had from couples who wanted me to marry them at some point over the next 12 months, and I’ve had to apologise to two thirds because I am already fully committed on the date in … Continue Reading
What is Humanism? A Definitive Definition
This old chestnut comes up time and time again, but I haven’t seen a better set of answers than are given here by Stephen Law in the draft introduction to his new book. His seven key definitions are as follows: First, humanists are either atheists or at least agnostic. They are sceptical about the claim … Continue Reading