Congratulations to Meghan Markle! As the first bride who isn’t promising to ‘obey’ her royal husband, she’s made headlines around the world, as in this story from The Guardian. It’s no small thing, in the context of a traditional Church of England wedding, but it did make me smile. Since 2005, I’ve conducted more than twelve hundred … Continue Reading
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Speaking your vows
Speaking your wedding vows that you have thought about for so long, and written in your own words, is perhaps the ultimate expression of your love. It’s what humanists in Scotland campaigned for more than twenty years to allow you to do, and they are the perfect expression of what your wedding is all about, … Continue Reading
Lauren and Danny’s Humanist Wedding at Edinburgh Zoo
I remember when I arrived at the Mansion House at the Zoo, Danny was looking especially nervous. He and Lauren had chosen to speak their vows to one another directly and without sharing them beforehand, so I suggested he take a moment to sit and read them over, so he was composed when the time came. Danny spent a … 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
Speaking from the Heart
What language does your heart speak? More and more I find it’s not English. But that’s not a problem. One of the good things about getting married in Scotland is that the ceremony can be conducted in any language, as long as all parties (including the celebrant) understand what’s being said. You can … Continue Reading
Jenni and Rich’s Humanist Wedding at Edinburgh Zoo
Some weddings were just meant to happen. How could a Birrell meet a Burrell and not fall in love? Jenni and Rich wrote a wonderful ceremony. It was short on story but big on meaning. As they said, “We have put a lot of thought into what marriage means to thus and we’ve had many … Continue Reading
Katie and Ross’s Humanist Wedding at The Signet Library
You gave us everything we wanted from a celebrant, and we loved every minute of it!
Take, choose, accept: what do you want to promise?
Couples often ask if they can use the word ‘take’ rather than ‘accept’ when they make the legal declaration at the climax of their wedding ceremony. It’s a good question. The Registrar General of Scotland’s web site says “There is no legally prescribed form of words to be used in relation to ‘marriage vows’ in … Continue Reading
Vicky and Mat’s Humanist Wedding at The Glen Pavilion
We would definitely recommend a humanist ceremony to anyone we know and we have done so on a few occasions since our wedding.
Kirsty & Euan’s Tips on How To Make Your Humanist Wedding Unique
I married this lovely couple three years ago now, but as We Fell In Love decided to feature them today as an inspiring example of how to throw an autumn wedding, it prompted me to look back at a few of the things Euan and Kirsty did to make their day extra special. First of … Continue Reading