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MATTHEW
SIMPSON |
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Humanist Wedding Ceremony Humanist wedding ceremonies are beautiful, moving and very enjoyable occasions. Each one is different – and personal to you. The ceremony is created by the couple working closely with me over some months until it is exactly as you want it to be.. It is very flexible and can be as elaborate or simple as you wish.You don’t have to have a Humanist wedding ceremony in any particular place; it does not need to be premises with a licence for civil ceremonies. I am happy to conduct ceremonies outside, on hilltops, in gardens, hotels or any other place that you feel is appropriate..
As you may know, the old fashioned law in England (unlike Scotland and elsewhere) means that this ceremony does not have full legal status, so you will still have to do that at a Register Office. But couples always see the Humanist ceremony as the time when they truly commit themselves to marriage in front of family and friends – and have an exciting and memorable time.
My ceremonies usually include music and readings, and visually satisfying things like hand-fastings, exchanging rings and so on. I can help you with suggestions about those. But all that is optional. The element you definitely must have is your vows – the promises you are making to each other in front of everyone there. That can be traditional or highly individual, and again it is my role to help you with your choices. I will be able to advise you on what works and what may pose something of a problem. I have experience to draw on both individually and across a national network. The fee I normally charge for a wedding is £400. (2011 rate) This is the total cost with no other extras assuming we can get together locally for all face-to-face meetings. The fee covers all my travel within a 30-mile radius of my home, and includes: - a meeting (usually lasting about 3 hours) where I glean lots of information from you about your histories, what you love about each other, what you hope from the future (and what you hope to offer your partner), and where we also discuss matters like music, readings, what kind of ceremonial elements you want; - my creating the first draft and sending it to you for comment; - my revising that in the light of any changes and additions you want (this make take several exchanges of emails, phone-calls or another meeting as you prefer; - my drafting an Order of Ceremony for your guests, usually including a photo of you both and the words to any songs to be sung; - the dress rehearsal; - the ceremony itself; - a presentation copy of the whole ceremony. I can also offer advice on venues, photographers and other practicalities. But before I accept a commission from a couple, I always ask them to meet me in person first, so that you can be sure I am the right kind of person to be involved in your special day. We spend half an hour or so in which I get an understanding of the kind of ceremony you want, and I outline the sorts of things I could offer. That meeting is without charge and without commitment. (I'm delighted to say everyone has always gone ahead and booked me!) I conduct about 6 weddings per year. I would not want to do more than that, because I want each one to be special and different. And that takes a lot of work! Securing the venue is definitely your first task, as good ones get booked up well in advance. Other matters - including getting a celebrant like me on board, and organising catering etc. - are much more straight forward, and can be left until after you've sorted the venue. The British Humanist Association can send you a booklet entitled ‘Sharing The Future’ that will go some way to answering any questions about the ceremony; just call 0207 079 3580 or email ceremonies@humanism.co.uk I hope this is helpful, and look forward to hearing from you again soon, but whatever you choose, very best wishes for your wedding. Matthew Simpson
07957 536248 matthew@mjsimpson.plus.com |
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In
a Humanist wedding, the focus is on the humans – you both, and the
people there. Because it has no religious content, there is more
time to look at the story of how you came together, your hopes and
expectations, how you and your friends view the nature of a long
term commitment. Humanists believe that our problems can only be
solved by humans, and we live our one life without religion. That
said, we appreciate that many of the people at our ceremonies do
believe in God, and so I usually include a moment or two of
reflection during the ceremony where guests with a religious belief
are invited to say a private prayer.