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 respectively.
Isabel Russo, Head of Ceremonies at Humanists UK said:
‘We set the highest standards for our celebrants and this is being reflected in the number of top wedding industry awards being presented to members of our network this year.
‘Humanist weddings are personal reflections of individual love stories and our celebrants strive to make sure that each ceremony is special and unique.’
Laura was shortlisted along with four other celebrants, including fellow Humanist Ceremonies celebrant Rachael Meyer.
The shortlist was decided by an expert panel from Hitched and the editors from You And Your Wedding magazine. The winner was decided by a public vote.
Laura said:
‘I was so touched by how many of my couples messaged me to tell me they’d voted! But not just couples – their guests, venues, photographers and fellow celebrants all gave their support. It was completely overwhelming!
‘Winning felt like such a good way to fly the flag for Humanist Ceremonies weddings. That’s a hat-trick, right? The Northern Ireland Wedding Awards, the Wedding Industry Awards and the UK Wedding Awards celebrant categories all won by Humanist Ceremonies celebrants! What a credit to our amazing network!’
Humanist Ceremonies Celebrant Network
The Humanist Ceremonies Celebrant Network consists of qualified, accredited celebrants in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands.
Ginny Collins, Ceremonies Training and Development Manager for Humanists UK said:
‘When we consider applications to become a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant, we select for truly remarkable and talented individuals who have:
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- A clear understanding of, and a strong commitment to the underlying principles of humanism
- Highly developed interpersonal skills
- Excellent interviewing and writing skills
- Good organisational skills, punctuality, and excellent time management skills
- Excellent presentation skills and the ability to be an assured and confident public speaker
- IT skills and the ability to produce beautifully presented scripts
‘The training starts with a one-day induction, followed by two further two-day sessions, with each session roughly a month apart. Training to become an accredited humanist celebrant takes place in various locations throughout the year.’
Further information
To find out more about our training programme, visit our page, Become a humanist celebrant and read our training information guidelines. If you would like to apply, you can download an application form today.
To contact Laura Gimson, go to www.lauragimsonceremonies.co.uk.
Your wedding
If you’re thinking of a humanist wedding you can find a celebrant near you via our online map.
