Planning your wedding ceremony is an exciting journey and, if you’re opting for a non-religious celebration, you have the wonderful opportunity to create a truly personal and meaningful experience. To help you navigate the process, here’s your ultimate wedding planning checklist for a non-religious ceremony:
Pick a Date and Book Key Suppliers Early!
Decide on your wedding date early in your planning, you can plan some of the other elements around the season and send out a save the date. Summer is still associated with weddings but autumn and winter weddings are increasing in popularity. A wonderful wedding can happen any time of the year, choose a date that feels right for you both. Popular times, especially summer and weekends, mean suppliers book up quickly. This includes your venue and your celebrant. Once you have a date, start contacting your preferred suppliers to ensure their availability to help you create your perfect personal wedding ceremony.
Find a Venue
Start looking for venues! Consider the kind of wedding you’d like to have and then reflect that with your venue.
Do you envision something lighthearted and relaxed, or perhaps a more formal and reflective atmosphere? You may also want to consider physical access for guests with mobility issues and facilities that cater to different needs, like having a quiet space for neurodiverse guests to be able to take a break. Consider the experience during the ceremony itself. Will seating be provided? If it’s outdoors, will there be shade? If the weather is unpredictable, do you have a backup plan?
Choosing a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant can give you the flexibility to have the wedding you want on your preferred date for your wedding. With a popular venue, such a hotel or country house, there is no need to be limited by the availability of the registrar: if your humanist celebrant is available, you can have the your dream ceremony on your chosen day, and complete the legal paperwork separately at the register office.
And remember – humanist weddings can take place anywhere, indoors or outside, and are not limited to a space that is licensed for a registrar marriage. This means that you can have your ceremony on a beach, in a woodland, in a favourite pub, or in your garden – wherever is most meaningful to you.
Find a Celebrant that Aligns with Your Values
Your celebrant will be central to your ceremony, guiding you and your guests through this special moment. Selecting someone who understands and aligns with your beliefs and values is important. This is where Humanist Ceremonies celebrants truly shine. Trained by Humanists UK, they’re experts in crafting and leading authentic humanist wedding ceremonies and are dedicated to creating a ceremony that is non-religious, personal, and really meaningful. Your celebrant will work closely with you to understand both of you, the story of your relationship, and your vision for your wedding day, ensuring a warm, professional, and truly “You” celebration. Finding a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant near you is an easy first step, and remember to book them early!
Find a wedding celebrant here.
Why choose a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant?
You can trust a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant. We’ve been delivering humanist, non-religious ceremonies for more than 125 years and are committed to delivering the very best service to the families we work with.
Humanist Ceremonies celebrants offer:
- High level of training and ongoing CPD
- Annually accredited by respected national charity, Humanists UK
- DBS checked, and fully insured (public liability and professional indemnity)
- Transparent complaints process, in the rare cases it’s needed
- Work as part of local, regional and national networks for support, sharing best practice, and emergency back-up
Choose Readings and Music
Now that you have a sense of the tone, start thinking about the readings and music that resonate with you as a couple. Readings can be poems, excerpts from literature, song lyrics, or even short personal stories. Music can be instrumental or vocal and should reflect your tastes and the emotions you want to evoke during different parts of the ceremony. Maybe a family member or friend would like to write something especially for the day, or play or sing a favourite piece of music? Your celebrant will have lots of suggestions.
Consider Symbolic Gestures or Rituals
Your celebrant will also have ideas for symbolic gestures, which can be a moving and memorable way to bring everyone together in the ceremony. Popular rituals include: handfasting, which involves tying together ribbons or cords; sand blending, where sand of different colours is poured into a glass vessel; or a unity candle, where one or more candles are lit during the ceremony.
Plan Your Guest List and Consider How to Involve Your Guests
Start planning your guest list. Will you be having a micro wedding or a larger event? In a humanist wedding there is no set way of doing traditions so it’s easy to involve your guests in your ceremony. The size of your wedding will influence how many people you can realistically involve in your wedding ceremony. Think about who you’d like to ask to do readings, share anecdotes, or take on roles like ring bearer or flower person. Deciding on your guest list early helps you consider these roles and means that those involved have plenty of time to prepare for their special part in your celebration.
Writing and Practising Your Own Vows
One of the most beautiful aspects of a humanist wedding is the opportunity to write your own vows. This allows you to express your love and commitment in your own words, straight from the heart. Instead of traditional or prescribed phrases, your personal wedding vows can focus on mutual respect, shared values, and the promises you want to make to each other for your future together. This is your chance to create a truly unique and deeply meaningful expression of your love and dedication. While it’s lovely to be spontaneous, most couples feel more comfortable writing down their words and practising their vows aloud beforehand. This can help ease any nerves on the day.
Create a Ceremony Order/Running Sheet and Communicate with Your Suppliers
Although not usual at wedding ceremonies, it can be really helpful for your guests to have a detailed order of events, or a running sheet, to let them know what to expect. Your celebrant will work with you to create it. An order of ceremony will outline everything from the entrance music, what happens during the ceremony itself, and where to go once the couple exit at the end, helping to create a smooth flow. It’s a good idea also to share a running order with all your wedding suppliers (photographer, videographer, musicians etc.) to make sure that everyone is aware of the ceremony’s structure and can capture all the important moments – the key beats – seamlessly. Clear communication with your suppliers about your non-religious wedding ceremony plans is key.
Finalise Your Ceremony Script with Your Celebrant
In the months and weeks leading up to your wedding, you’ll work closely with your Humanist Ceremonies celebrant to finalise the script. This is your opportunity to review everything, make any final tweaks, and ensure you are completely happy with how your ceremony will unfold.
The Legal Side in England and Wales
It’s important to be aware that, while your humanist wedding ceremony will be deeply meaningful and may be the day you choose to celebrate as your wedding day,, in England and Wales currently the legalities are separate. To be married legally you’ll also need to arrange a civil ceremony at a registry office. This can be in a simple ‘2 + 2’ ceremony, which means the couple and two witnesses only: there is no need to have a bigger event, in a more expensive room, as many register offices encourage you to do. Couples usually choose to do the legal paperwork a few days before or a few days after their personal humanist wedding ceremony. This makes sure that you have both the deeply personal celebration you desire and the legal recognition of your union. Keep this in mind as you plan your timeline – you might want to check availability with the register office
By considering all these points, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a truly unique and meaningful personal wedding ceremony that reflects your love story and values perfectly, ensuring all your guests feel welcome and involved throughout the celebration! Remember, securing your date and key suppliers, especially your Humanist Ceremonies celebrant, early is key!
