Huge congratulations to you both and thank you for considering a humanist celebrant to share in your special day. My name is Gillian and I am wedding celebrant, trained and accredited by Humanists UK. I am able to offer a bespoke humanist wedding ceremony that is crafted around you and which will celebrate your relationship and commitment to one another. Your wedding ceremony will reflect you as a couple and it will tell your love story in the way that you want it told - the day is uniquely about you and what makes you both happy. It can be full of laughter or romantic serenity but preferably a mix of the two! It can include music or readings that are special to you whether that be classic jazz or Winnie the Pooh quotes! It is the story of you both and that is how I will tell it.
So, a little about myself. I took early retirement from a long career in wildlife conservation to venture onto a new path and become a wedding celebrant with Humanists UK. Although this is has been a change in career, I guess I've always held humanist values - connecting all living things; championing human rights; supporting humans to thrive and respecting the living world. I care about people and the natural world. Being in nature, or even just observing it from your window, helps to connect us to something of which we are all a part. It also calms us and brings some serenity into our busy modern lives. Your ceremony can be planned with trees providing your gazebo or bird song as your backing track. I'm sure nature would very happily welcome you on your most special of days. (Although she does sometimes have a trick up her sleeve so best to have a wet weather alternative!)
I also recognise the importance of traditions and folklore within our different cultures. These form part of our daily lives and many have been used for centuries as a way of marking important junctions in life. It has been fun researching the symbolism behind wedding rituals - hand fasting, jumping the broom and of course here in Wales, exchanging love spoons. Each of them carry their own meaning and gesture to demonstrate love and unity and can, if you wish, be part of your wedding ceremony, like many couples have done throughout history.
It also goes without saying that I am an LGBTQ+ ally and friend.
Being your wedding celebrant is my privilege. It is a joy to work with couples to develop ideas and hopes for their wedding ceremony. I will ensure that yours holds you both at its heart.
