Humanist celebrants

What is a humanist celebrant?

A humanist celebrant provides an alternative to religious ceremonies for people wishing to celebrate or commemorate key life events — such as weddings, namings, and funerals — in a non-religious way.

What does a humanist celebrant do?

A humanist wedding celebrant gets to know the love story of the couple the ceremony is for. They spend time with the bride and groom-to-be before their wedding, learning how they met and what makes them work as a couple. A humanist funeral celebrant talks to the family and friends of the person who has died, learning about their life and legacy. A humanist naming celebrant meets the family looking to welcome a new person into the fold and discusses their hopes and wishes for the child’s future.

This preparation then allows them to write and conduct unique, meaningful, non-religious ceremonies for the most important times in our lives:

• Welcoming a child into a family
• Celebrating a wedding
• Planning a funeral or memorial ceremony.

Find a celebrant near me

Go to our easy-to-use map to find a wedding celebrant, funeral celebrant or naming ceremony celebrant near you.

How do you become a humanist celebrant?

To become a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant, you must be trained and accredited by Humanists UK to conduct ceremonies of the highest professional standard.

If you are a humanist, you can apply to train to become a celebrant with Humanist Ceremonies™. If you’re an existing celebrant outside our network, and identify as a humanist, you can also apply to train with us and become an accredited member of our network.

The Humanist Ceremonies network of accredited celebrants are all members of Humanists UK, and support the aims of the organisation with a monthly accreditation fee.

How do I know if I am a humanist?

Humanists are non-religious people who believe that this life is the only life we have, and who make sense of the world through logic, reason, and evidence. Humanists place human welfare and happiness at the centre of their ethical decision-making.

You can find out how closely your values align with the humanist approach to life by taking our quick quiz.

Photo credit: Emma Kenny