Tag Archives: wedding celebrant

Humanist weddings by conviction

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One of the difficulties with the word ‘Humanist’ is that lots of people can claim that they are Humanist. I remember attending a funeral once and the celebrant  was ‘Humanist’ if the bereaved wanted a non-religious ceremony and he was religious if the bereaved wanted a religious ceremony. He was just an actor: all things to all men and women. He was whatever you wanted him to be. You want religion? He gave you religion. You want secular? He gave you secular.

I am Humanist by conviction. It is my philosophical stance. I do not believe in any god or deity or supernatural power.

This is our one and only life. Let us try to live it well. Let us be guided by reason and compassion. Let us be inclusive. And let us be true to ourselves.

 

 

 

Wedding celebrant / Humanist celebrant

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There is some confusion as to what is a Humanist celebrant. Recently a bride asked me if I was available to conduct her Humanist ceremony. Luckily, I was. They had booked someone else whom they thought was a Humanist celebrant but when they went to the HSE to give their three-month notification of their intention to marry (which everyone has to do) they discovered that their celebrant actually conducted religious ceremonies.

Humanist celebrants offer non-religious ceremonies. If they are accredited by the Humanist Association of Ireland (HAI) and the General Register Office (GRO) they can conduct legal non-religious weddings.

If you want a legally binding and legally recognized Humanist wedding ceremony be sure that your celebrant is accredited by both the Humanist Association of Ireland and the General Register Office (GRO).