Humanist or Celebrant?

One of the most common questions I am asked is ‘are you a humanist?’

It is often usually presumed that I am.

But I’m not.

I’m a Civil Celebrant.

There is often the misconception that all non-religious weddings and funerals are humanist-but this is not the case. Yes, humanist and civil ceremonies share many similarities, but ideologically they are not the same thing. So I thought it would be good to explain the differences.

Humanists are trained by the humanist society who hold the philosophical stance affirming that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It is not theistic and eschews all forms and expressions of any religion.

Celebrants are trained by a professional organisation in the art and practice of scripting and delivering ceremonies to suit the needs and tastes of anyone who wishes a wedding, funeral, naming ceremony or vow renewal that is essentially secular in tone.

A Humanist Celebrant will not include any religious content; that means that no hymns, prayers or mention of God (or other faiths) may be made in your ceremony. A Civil Celebrant will work with their wedding couples and funeral families to include as much, or as little, religious or spiritual content as required, irrelevant of their own opinions and beliefs.

In Scotland however there is also one larger difference. Although humanism is not theistic it is considered an ideology by the government, and so humanists have been granted the power to perform legally binding wedding services. Civil celebrants, as yet, have not. So if you wanted me to marry you, and let’s face it, why wouldn’t you as I would give you the most outrageously fabulous ceremony, you would still need to have the ‘legal bit’ done at a registry office first. This is common practice in England and Wales, but in Scotland many people opt for a humanist wedding because it avoids the third party. But remember you wouldn’t be able to have any religious content – and that means from ANY religion, not just Christianity.

So why am I not a humanist? It’s simple really- I don’t subscribe to anyone’s ideology except my own- I’ve always been an independent soul. Nor do I wish to impose any ideology on my clients. Whatever you want-you can have.