Humanist wedding

I did a wedding last year in someone's garden. They had a humanist ceremony having got legally married earlier in the week. It seemed just like a normal wedding. If it's what you want I say go for it

I think I remember your old post.

To answer your question from my experience of shooting a humanist wedding. They are very relaxed and informal. It opens up lot's of creative and beautiful locations as possibilities.

The guests will definitely think it's a little different from what they are used to, but in a good way. In fact they are my favourite weddings to shoot.

For invitations ect, just do the same as it were any other kind of wedding, you might just want to add the words 'humanist ceremony' somewhere so people can google it...

And what did you tell people when they ask? Like do I just explain we're actually getting married day before??!!

I think I'll just say getting married in a field, if people query this I'll say the truth! And on my invites I can't really put join us in a ceremony in a field!?

ahh so many questions! Xx

We are having a Humanist wedding in August. We love this idea as we can get married wherever we want (outside in a beautiful part of the grounds of our Wiltshire hotel), the ceremony is much more personal to us and can include whatever we want, with no restrictions that you may have in a civil or church wedding.

We are having our wedding conducted by a lovely lady from the Humanist association. We are doing the bare minimum at the registry office the day before to make us legal, with no rings, dressing up, no kiss the bride or doing anything to mark that, to us its just paperwork too. The Humanist wedding is our proper wedding and that date will be our wedding anniversary

Yes I'd just treat your Humanist wedding as your wedding. Most won't even question it. This one was in Scotland so legal to do it outside. Couple were from London.

Hi, we are having an independant celebrant to conduct our ceremony, so not a Humanist wedding but still the same issues around getting the legal paperwork signed and what /how/if to tell guests. I want to be upfront with everyone but don't want to endure 20 questions from each guest about the whys and wherefores of UK marriage laws. So I am thinking to put a section in my additional information card which will go out with the invites. It will say who our officiant is and that she is a member of the Fellowship of Independant Celebrants, than briefly explain that the signing of the marriage register still needs to be done by a registrar and that this will be done privately. I may also express our disappointment that we can't share this element of the ceremony and say we hope it does not mar the occassion for anyone.

This tells everyone what to expect and for those who are interested they can google further information!

This is exactly what we are doing in May....

To us the legal bit is just paperwork, our real ceremony will be written around us and our personalities and will involve everyone.

I just wish we could follow Scotland's lead and make Humanist ceremonies legal here too!

I am getting married in France in September next year, and have exactly the same issue. In France you have to be a resident for 30+ days for the wedding to be legal. We are doing the registry office bit in the UK a couple of days before we fly out. I didn't mention anything on the invites about having the registry office bit in the UK, to us - as others have said - it is just paperwork, and we will not be exchanging rings etc.

A celebrant in France is 350-400, so we are actually considering asking a friend / family member to do the ceremony for us, and have others do readings etc. We also have a band for the day, who can play music for the ceremony and also do a strolling minstrel set after the ceremony for the drinks reception. We hope it will be a relaxed feel for everyone to enjoy. I did initially feel a bit of a fraud asking folk to go to France for our 'wedding', but the more I think about it, it is more than just the exchanging of vows (which we will still do in France), it is about the whole day, and spending time with your family and friends. OHs parents live there which is why we chose to have it in France.

I think if you treat the registry office as just that, registering your marriage, it won't feel like you are already married, that is what I am hoping anyway!

No this is quite commonly done as it has to be that way until they change the laws. I think they are planning to legalise humanist weddings in a year or two, so if you're willing to hold on a bit longer...

My sister did a similar thing for her civil partnership.

Her and her wife went to a registry office in the morning with only very close family and did the legal part. They just went in jeans and a t-shirt... Nothing fancy.

Then in the afternoon they had a humanist ceremony in The London Irish Centre. It was lovely as it was so personal. This is when my sis and her wife wore their dresses and got all flamed up.

Everyone who came to the afternoon ceremony treated it like it was the most important part and regarded that ceremony as when they became legal partners.