Spiritualist verses Humanist

Mountain girl

Hi there I'm looking for a recommendation for a spiritualist or humanist to carry out a wedding ceremony. We are from Dublin but getting married in Meath. Any feedback on experiences dealing with either would be appreciated.

Gatica

Had ceremony before humanists were legal, so had the SU. Was happy with it, got to personalise it, have it outside and add little bits of our own...

conf101

I've recently booked a humanist ceremony but looked into spiritualist too. They both seem very similar in that both are very flexible in writing your own ceremony and personalising it, adding in or removing elements as you like. The main difference to me was that spiritualists believe in some sort of higher power and afterlife. I don't, which is why I chose humanism.

However, I came across people who had a spiritualist ceremony but had no mention of god/higher power/afterlife/etc in the ceremony so even though that's what spiritualists believe it seems it is possible to have a ceremony without it.

All depends on what you yourself believe I guess.

If you do go with a humanist ceremony be sure and book a celebrant as far in advance as possible. We had considerable difficulty booking one. Now that humanist ceremonies are legal the demand for them has shot through the roof and they still only have a small number of celebrants. Joe Armstrong is based in Meath but any of the Dublin celebrants would travel to there as well. Have a look at the celebrants here: http://humanism.ie/ceremonies-2/celebrant-profiles/

John Mason

we used the spiritualist as the humanist were not allowed to the service at the time.

we found the spiritualists great. we had no mention of god or any higher power.

we completely worth our own service and they are more than happy to do whether we wanted.


I have been to a number of spiritualists and found the same the true for all the services.

i cant comment on the humanists, as i havent been to one of their services

Mountain girl

Thanks guys I think a Spiritual ceremony is for us. My fiancé doesn't believe in God but I do so I think this will be a happy medium. I am going to see if I can get a priest to do an old Irish blessing at the end. We have an indoor and outdoor option if the weather holds up for us. I just want the actual running order to go smoothly as I've been to a few that have been a bit all over the place and unorganised.

Is it case that you can ask to meet a few different spiritualist and pick one that's right for you or are you expected to just take the one they assign you?

LisaLee

We had a Spiritualist wedding ceremony earlier this month and it was wonderful. One thing that so many of our guests remarked on was how personal and heartfelt it was.

We were assigned a woman who we met with and discussed how we would like our ceremony to be. She was an absolute dream to deal with. We emailed her ideas for songs and readings and she drafted up the wedding ceremony around our personalities and interests. In the end, we had two drafts done up and there was no mention of God or religion. We opted to include an invocation, which basically remembers loved ones who had passed on, but that was optional. I'd have no qualms in recommending the Spiritualists based on our experience with them.

Feel free to PM me for more info if you like?

tatli_lokma

Mountain girl wrote: »

I think this will be a happy medium.

baboom-tish...I see what you did there! :P

sarah1987

LisaLee wrote: »

We had a Spiritualist wedding ceremony earlier this month and it was wonderful. One thing that so many of our guests remarked on was how personal and heartfelt it was.

We were assigned a woman who we met with and discussed how we would like our ceremony to be. She was an absolute dream to deal with. We emailed her ideas for songs and readings and she drafted up the wedding ceremony around our personalities and interests. In the end, we had two drafts done up and there was no mention of God or religion. We opted to include an invocation, which basically remembers loved ones who had passed on, but that was optional. I'd have no qualms in recommending the Spiritualists based on our experience with them.

Feel free to PM me for more info if you like?

Hi lisa just seen your post here and was wondering could you pm me with your spiritualist details thanks😊

fits

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/irish-medium-faces-trial-over-alleged-theft-of-322k-30257240.html

Since convicted.

Another interesting link about it. http://www.michaelnugent.com/2012/12/31/psychic-mediums-people-who-lie-to-state-inquiries-and-debt-defaulters-can-solemnise-irish-marriages-but-not-atheists/

lazygal

One of many reasons I didn't hand over money to the Spiritualist Union. As whacky an organization as they come.

fits

Not just wacky, but complete and utter shysters by the sounds of it.

(Link describes one of them being charged with robbing 300,000 euro from an elderly couple and he was convicted)

Gatica

aw.. that's awful.
at least people who paid for their ceremonies were just paying for a service rendered.

stargazer 68

We are looking to get married on a Saturday. Are humanist or spiritualist our only options? Can't seem to find any concrete information

Gatica

yes, that's right. There's also Unitarian Church or any other religious institution...
(that's only if they're willing to marry you, e.g. Catholic Church if you're Catholic, etc...)

PhoenixParker

Dovies wrote: »

We are looking to get married on a Saturday. Are humanist or spiritualist our only options? Can't seem to find any concrete information

Civil is out for a Saturday.
Religious & Secular are your options.
Unless you're affiliated to a particular religion then Humanists (the only secular organisation that can register celebrants) & Spiritualists (fall under religious) are your main options.

You could also do a civil ceremony in advance and have a fake ceremony hosted by anybody on the day.

stargazer 68

Gatica wrote: »

yes, that's right. There's also Unitarian Church or any other religious institution...
(that's only if they're willing to marry you, e.g. Catholic Church if you're Catholic, etc...)

Hmm may need a rethink then!

An Bhanríon

Dovies wrote: »

Hmm may need a rethink then!

It would be worth checking with your venue also if they have any religious solemnisers who do weddings in their venue. Was at a wedding a few years ago and the celebrant was from some evangelical church. Really nice and didn't go over the top with the religious thing. As far as I know the bride and groom found him through their venue. They are not members of his church but he was happy to do their ceremony and he was able to do the legal bit too because he is on the register of solemnisers (which I have to say makes a fascinating read!)

PhoenixParker

An Bhanríon wrote: »

It would be worth checking with your venue also if they have any religious solemnisers who do weddings in their venue. Was at a wedding a few years ago and the celebrant was from some evangelical church. Really nice and didn't go over the top with the religious thing. As far as I know the bride and groom found him through their venue. They are not members of his church but he was happy to do their ceremony and he was able to do the legal bit too because he is on the register of solemnisers (which I have to say makes a fascinating read!)

A comment on this. The register & rules are a bit odd.

To get on the register you need to be part of a religious, civil or secular organisation who are authorised to register people. There's one civil, one secular and hundreds of religious organisations.

However once you're on the register, there are few legal restrictions on the performance of the ceremony. There's no legal requirement for a catholic priest to follow catholic marriage rituals when they solemnise your marriage for instance, and the same for other religions. Their own conscience may preclude it, but there's no legal barrier. Similarly, while the civil registrars only work Monday - Friday, I have heard rumours of them solemnising marriages for friends on the weekend.

I have heard of couples who've found a solemniser that way, but you probably need a personal connection.

fannymagee

You could also try a One Spirit Interfaith Minister. They're non-conformist, so all religions & none. (Including Jedi & FSM) ;-)