With six adult children between them, Neil and Suzanne knew they wanted to find special ways to involve them in their ceremony. Read all about their romantic humanist wedding, complete with hand fasting ceremony.

A wedding ceremony with a special welcome included. A great example of how to blend different traditions and make a ceremony that suits you perfectly.

Lauren and Chris chose to tie the knot outdoors in Northern Ireland in November. Read about how hiking poles and hand fasting were part of their special day.

Holly takes us through how she discovered she was a humanist and shares her favourite things about weddings.

Thinking you’d like to get married outdoors in the forest or a woodland? Check out our guide to humanist woodland weddings.

Lewis and Imanina knew they wanted to get married, what they didn’t know was how stressful it would get. Their solution? A beautiful and simple outdoor elopement in Derbyshire.

Hannah is a member of our network of humanist celebrants. Learn more about her story and how she came to be part of Humanists UK.

Make sure your wedding is welcoming to all by checking out these tips for making it inclusive and accessible.

Read about this beautiful wedding in the Derbyshire countryside and how a humanist ceremony chimed with the brides’ values.

If you want to get married in 2022, you’ll need to get your skates on! Most wedding venues and celebrants take the majority of bookings between January and March. 

In recent years, you might have found yourself hearing more and more about ‘humanist weddings’. But what are they? Why are they more popular than religious weddings in Scotland? And what is the link between humanist weddings and long, happy marriages? So, just what is a humanist wedding? A humanist wedding is a non-religious ceremony […]

Humanist weddings are on the rise. And it’s little wonder. People fall in love all over the world and despite our differences, love wins. Focusing the entire wedding day on the celebration of a couple’s love, humanist ceremonies are religion-free, creative, meaningful, and extraordinarily memorable. With a humanist wedding ceremony, gone are the days of […]

A gorgeous garden wedding can include both spectacular daytime elements such as flowers, fragrance, and far-reaching views — and romantic mood lighting with twinkling lights and candles – and a few sparklers for good measure!

James and Amie knew that as well as a DIY wedding on home soil, they also wanted a personalised ceremony, so they called upon the services of humanist celebrant Caroline Lambie. Amie shares her (pre-Covid) wedding story with us… 

A humanist wedding ceremony tells the personal love story of a couple, and so each one is unique. Some couples have favourite poems that they’d like to read or have read at their wedding, but what if you like the idea of including a poem but don’t know which to choose? That’s where your humanist […]

Handfasting is a symbolic act that takes place during a wedding ceremony, where the hands of the happy couple are bound together with ribbon or cord, to represent their commitment to each other.

As part of our series on symbolic acts chosen by couples who’ve had humanist weddings, we’re looking at the act of ‘tying the knot’. To many people, the expression ‘tying the knot’ means to get married, but did you know that the expression originates from a Celtic, pre-Christian tradition that literally saw a couple bound […]

Lighting a unity candle symbolises two becoming one. Bringing a moment of ritual into your wedding can add depth and emotion to the ceremony.

With a humanist wedding from Humanist Ceremonies, you can have your wedding ceremony wherever you choose – even in a woodland glade. You can also write your own vows and choose your own symbolic acts. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be featuring a range of symbolic acts chosen by some couples as […]

Humanist wedding ceremonies are flexible and can incorporate a range of wedding traditions from around the world – and that includes the throwing of confetti.

Humanist ceremonies are a popular choice for couples planning a fusion wedding — a multicultural wedding ceremony marrying together elements of each of the couple’s cultures and traditions. If, like Jaspal and Lucy, you’re planning a fusion wedding, our celebrants will have ideas on how to include and combine different customs and traditions seamlessly into your ceremony.  

When couples aren’t religious and don’t want a traditional church wedding, preferring instead something that reflects them and their values, a humanist ceremony is often the perfect fit. That was the case for Paul and Mark. Paul shares their wedding story with us in his own words.

British Sign Language interpreter and humanist wedding celebrant Audrey Simmons tell us how she hopes to bring these roles together to conduct the first Humanist Ceremonies wedding ceremony entirely using BSL.

Sinead and Hayley-Jane wanted a non-traditional wedding, so they chose a humanist ceremony, which meant they could have their wedding their way: non-religious, personally tailored to telling their love story, and representative of their values.

What happens if your wedding celebrant is too ill to conduct your ceremony?

Humanist weddings are all about individuality. At Humanist Ceremonies, we say, ‘It’s your wedding, your way’, and if your dog is a huge part of your life and you want them at your wedding, then they should be at your wedding! It’s already quite common for humanist weddings to include a couple’s children – which […]

Humanist weddings are personal, meaningful, and unique. Each ceremony is individually created specifically for the couple to tell their love story. No two ceremonies are ever the same!

As you’d imagine, here at Humanist Ceremonies, we love a good wedding so we were delighted when Bekka and Gareth agreed to share their story with us. Getting together We met online via Tinder. Our first date was in a local pub and we obviously got on well. We share a passion for travel and […]

We love a good wedding story, so we were delighted when Katie offered to tell us all about her weddings to Will – both of them! Getting together We met teaching sailing on the Isle of Scilly and by the second season, we were a couple. We had a long distance relationship for a couple […]

Marriage law is different in parts of the UK and crown dependencies. Let’s take a look at each region: Humanist marriage in Scotland Humanist marriages have been legally recognised in Scotland since 2005 and are performed by celebrants trained by Humanist Society Scotland. Recent figures show that humanist marriages are now the number one choice […]

Humanist weddings are legally recognised in Northern Ireland.

Same-sex weddings are no different to opposite-sex weddings in that both are about the love two people have for one another and involve making a public commitment in front of friends and family. We know that love is love — and we celebrate it!

If you’re having an outdoor wedding, you’ll need a focal point — somewhere to stand to say your vows — and nothing says ‘focal point’ like a beautifully decorated wedding arch.

Creative couple Rachel and Harvey wanted a rustic wedding on the family farm and the freedom to make their vows personal and sentimental. As a non-religious couple, a humanist ceremony fitted the bill perfectly! Harvey tells us all about their big day and working with humanist wedding celebrant Hannah Bryant. About us We both work […]

Humanist wedding celebrant Ginny Collins shares her top ten tips for an outdoor wedding, to help make sure your big day goes smoothly.

On 17 May 2021,  England moves into Step 3 of the lifting of restrictions. But what does that mean for you and your wedding? And what further restrictions will be lifted on weddings and receptions in June in England – and elsewhere in the UK?

Oh, we do love to be beside the seaside — and so do Janice and Darren! They like being by the sea so much, that they chose a beachside hotel for their humanist wedding ceremony. Janice tells us how she and Darren met and why they chose a humanist wedding.

Many couples are trying to future-proof their wedding plans as much as possible by opting for a small, intimate, outdoor wedding which adheres to social distancing rules — and the easiest way to do this is to have a humanist wedding at home in the garden.

Stars of our billboard campaign in Northern Ireland, Danny and Andy had plans for a Winter Wonderland humanist wedding, but the weather had other ideas. Danny McKeown tells us all about their big day. We booked the wedding in March 2017, giving us just under two years for planning – and that was the best […]

In early December, celebrant Julie Watkins had a phone call asking if she would conduct a surprise wedding on Christmas Eve. Here was a groom with a dream! And Julie was about to do everything in her power to help him make his dream come true…

The flexibility of a humanist wedding meant Alba and Steve’s outdoor ceremony could be safe, socially distanced – and beamed live to guests in Spain.

No matter where – or how – you propose, it will be one of the most memorable moments of your life!

Four funny poems to read at your humanist wedding vow renewal ceremony

If you’ve faced serious illness, time apart, or other stressful situations as a couple, and are now wanting to celebrate your relationship with a renewal ceremony, your humanist celebrant can help you find a poem or reading that expresses how you are feeling about renewing your vows and what you mean to one another.

Many classic romantic poems, such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s ‘How Do I Love Thee’ and ‘Love’s Philosophy’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley, feature religious references and may, therefore, not be first choice for humanists for their vow renewal poetry reading. However, fear not because our celebrants have a selection of classic and modern love poems for you to peruse. Here are a few for you to consider…

‘A Red, Red Rose’ by Robert Burns, ‘Love is Giving’ (Anon), and ‘Fidelity’ by DH Lawrence.

Find the ideal modern love poem or reading for a wedding vow renewal ceremony. Whether you’re looking for something traditional, or more unusual, you’ll find it here.

A wedding vow renewal ceremony is an ideal way to celebrate your marriage — and you get to say ‘I do’ all over again. Renewing your marriage vows means declaring your love and making a commitment to one another in front of those you hold dear. 

Just what is a vow renewal ceremony? And how can you do it your way? Humanist celebrant Dawn Rees shares her top ten tips for renewing your wedding vows in memorable and meaningful style.

What motivates a couple to renew their wedding vows inevitably varies from couple to couple. Celebrant of the Year, humanist wedding celebrant Jane Blackman looks at the many and varied reasons for couples to renew their wedding vows. 

After ten or twenty years or more, maybe a couple kids, several house moves – and everything that life throws at you in between – your wedding may seem like a distant memory. Your wedding photos might look dated, and perhaps it wasn’t the kind of ceremony you’d choose today. Maybe you don’t like the dress anymore, and some of the guests you hardly see at all these days. Don’t worry! One of the great joys of life is that we continue making fond memories – and that’s why at Humanist Ceremonies we think couples should continue to celebrate enduring love.

Humanist wedding celebrant Lauren Stone is here to tell us what happens at a humanist wedding vow renewal ceremony.

A wedding anniversary is the perfect time to reflect on the years you’ve spent together as a couple and to remember the vows you made to one another on your wedding day. And what better way to combine the past, present, and future than with a wedding vow renewal ceremony on your wedding anniversary?

We all know that traditionally, each wedding anniversary has a different gift associated with it, but did you know that there are also different flowers associated with each anniversary?

If you’re thinking of combining your wedding anniversary with a wedding vow renewal ceremony and are interested in learning about the tradition of flowers for different anniversaries, our handy (lighthearted)  guide will help! 

After 21 years of marriage, Steve Parry wanted to renew his wedding vows to Tracey as a public demonstration of his love for her. To make it all the more special, he planned the vow renewal ceremony in secret and held the ceremony as a surprise, enlisting the help of humanist celebrant Dawn Davies to help plan the renewal of vows. 

After the first legal same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland, Laura Wylie reflects on what legal marriage means to her and her partner, Erica. When we first think of marriage, I guess we think of all the lovely things that go along with it – making pancakes on a Sunday, watching our children take their first […]

Saturday 11 April 2020 was meant to be the wedding day of Hannah Broadbridge and Matt Saleh, who had been planning for two years to have their humanist wedding at the beautiful Ufton Court in Reading. Humanist wedding celebrant Lauren Stone was meant to be marrying them, however, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, they had to […]

Imagine the disappointment of having to postpone your wedding because of the coronavirus pandemic. What are you meant to do with yourselves when the date you had planned comes around?

With civil partnerships becoming legal for opposite-sex couples across the UK, a lot of couples have been wondering on social media ‘Can I make it a humanist ceremony?’ In the UK and crown dependencies, there are different laws governing civil partnerships in different countries. There are also different laws covering the legality of humanist ceremonies. […]

Humanist Ceremonies wedding celebrant Laura Gimson was named ‘Best Celebrant’ at the UK Wedding Awards last week. That’s three in a row for Humanist Ceremonies celebrants, as this win comes hot on the heels of Emma Bailie and Jane Blackham each winning best celebrant at The Northern Ireland Wedding Awards and The Wedding Industry Awards […]