Frequently Asked Questions - GENERAL

To call yourself a humanist celebrant (which I do), you have to be trained by Humanists UK. As part of that training, potential celebrants' beliefs are explored quite extensively. Most non-religious people are humanists - even if they don't use or acknowledge the term. You can take this quick quiz to see if you are a humanist. Humanist ceremonies include no religious content. 

Independent celebrants are less fussy about religious content. 

As a humanist celebrant, I don't include religious content in my ceremonies. If that's important to you, you might want to look elsewhere.  

I do. It's provided under a group policy by Humanists UK, because the standard of our training and continuing professional development is so high. The insurance policy includes £5,000,000 of public liability and £250,000 of professional indemnity cover. 

Yes. All celebrants accredited by Humanists UK have a current DBS certificate. 

I tend to find that couples want me to write the ceremony, but you can absolutely write it if you want and get me to conduct the celebration. Most couples I work with want to write their own vows, but I can help you out with that too. I've written a blog post about that here. 

Of course. After we spend time understanding exactly what it is your after, I create the entire script. 

Absolutely! 

I am currently taking bookings for 2024, and into 2025. If you have a date in mind - even if it's fairly short notice, it's always worth contacting me to ask. 

A celebrant is a person trained and accredited by a celebrant-training organisation to preside over a range of ceremonies and celebrations, such as: weddings, vow renewals, baby naming, funerals and memorials.

A registrar is a local government employee who performs ceremonies in venues licensed for marriages, using specified contractual wording to legalise a marriage. Registrar weddings are necessary in England (along with religious leaders, they are the only people who can legally marry you (although that might be changing soon)). My couples tend to do a 'quick in and out' at a registry office for the legal bit and then use me to officiate their ceremony in the manner and place of their choice.

Only with a celebrant will you have the ability to create a completely tailored ceremony and conduct it anywhere, at any time. 

I've explored this topic more in this blog post.

Absolutely! Most funeral directors in my area will know of me, even if they haven't worked with me before. It's a pretty close-knit professional community.

A funeral has a coffin present. This could either be at a crematorium or a burial ground/cemetery. 

A memorial ceremony and a celebration of life are synonymous. I discuss them further here.

I am currently taking bookings for 2024. If you have a date in mind - even if it's fairly short notice, it's always worth contacting me to ask. 

Absolutely! A naming ceremony is a lovely way to welcome a newly-adopted child into the family.