Recommendations for a humanist Celebrant

b743k

We'd like to do the legal bit during the week with just our parents and then have a humanist ceremony with everyone on the Saturday in the hotel as we're not religious.

Has anyone had or been to a humanist wedding with a celebrant that they'd recommend? We don't want anything hippy dippy, not our style and older relations are coming to terms with no church and we don't want to alienate anyone. Someone who is professional, warm, friendly and would make it personal would be great but none of our friends have gone down this road so we don't know any celebrants.

Any recommendations or avoidances?

lazygal

We had a humanist service conducted by Brian Whiteside of the Irish Humanist Association. I've not got the details here with me but could pm them to you on Monday if you like! I can also send you the readings, format we used!

b743k

Thanks lazygal, that'd be great!

lazygal

Cool, I'll have the info Monday so I can send it on then! I can highly recommend this type of ceremony, we married a week before our big day and made a nice day of it. We got a lot of comments on how personal and different our service was. It's worth putting your own stamp on proceedings and Brian is very open to ideas.

krankykitty

Hi Lazygal,

Could you also PM me the readings, if you don't mind? Just trying to find some good ones now

dori_dormer

Hi,

My husband and I did exactly what you are planning, in June this year. We contacted The Humanist Association of Ireland http://http://www.humanism.ie/ceremonies/wedding-ceremonies

I think the email is a direct link to Brian Whiteside. We put in our expected wedding date and location and he let us know if he was available. They have about 10 celebrants around the country I think, so if Brians not free there will be others!
All are very professional and none are hippy dippy at all!

We made a beautiful ceremony together with Brian. They give you a sample template, which you can change as much as you like, and also about 20 suggested readings but again you can have whatever you like. Everyone says that the Humanist ceremonies are beautiful and personal.

As an aside - we did the simple legal ceremony on a friday, and the big Humanist wedding on the Sat with all the family. Something I saw later which I would have considered cos the way we did it was a very long weekend - was to see if the registrar will come out after your Humanist ceremony on a fri.
i.e. Fri say 2 o clock, have your humanist ceremony in your hotel ( or wherever) say 3 o clock, after ceremony and recieving line etc ( but before pictures) have the registrar meet you for 15 min in the hotels office (only bring witnesses) and sign the legal docs. Then off for pics and party and noones the wiser!
I know you would have to pay for the registrar to come out and that would be extra, and the 2 ceremonies have to be completely seperate, but worth considering!
If anyone wants my ceremony or list of readings just PM!

Sorry for the long post!

b743k

dori_dormer wrote: »

Hi,

My husband and I did exactly what you are planning, in June this year. We contacted The Humanist Association of Ireland http://http://www.humanism.ie/ceremonies/wedding-ceremonies

I think the email is a direct link to Brian Whiteside. We put in our expected wedding date and location and he let us know if he was available. They have about 10 celebrants around the country I think, so if Brians not free there will be others!
All are very professional and none are hippy dippy at all!

We made a beautiful ceremony together with Brian. They give you a sample template, which you can change as much as you like, and also about 20 suggested readings but again you can have whatever you like. Everyone says that the Humanist ceremonies are beautiful and personal.

As an aside - we did the simple legal ceremony on a friday, and the big Humanist wedding on the Sat with all the family. Something I saw later which I would have considered cos the way we did it was a very long weekend - was to see if the registrar will come out after your Humanist ceremony on a fri.
i.e. Fri say 2 o clock, have your humanist ceremony in your hotel ( or wherever) say 3 o clock, after ceremony and recieving line etc ( but before pictures) have the registrar meet you for 15 min in the hotels office (only bring witnesses) and sign the legal docs. Then off for pics and party and noones the wiser!
I know you would have to pay for the registrar to come out and that would be extra, and the 2 ceremonies have to be completely seperate, but worth considering!
If anyone wants my ceremony or list of readings just PM!

Sorry for the long post!

Thanks for the info. No need to apologise for a long post, all and any info is greatly received.

We were thinking about doing it all on the one day but most of our friends and relative have Monday to Friday jobs so we'd rather have it on a Saturday so that people won't need time off work.

I think that it would be a very long weekend though, good point. We're leaning towards a Monday or Tuesday legal bit and then the big one on the Saturday for a bit of breathing space.