I’m a Humanist. I’m a Celebrant. So, why am I not a Humanist Celebrant?
Many people refer to the brilliant officiants that conducted their sister’s wedding or their uncle’s funeral as ‘A Humanist’. Now, they very well may be, but they would have been either a Humanist Celebrant or an Independent Celebrant.
You see ‘Humanist’ is a belief system, ‘Celebrant’ is their job title. A lot of the time, those ‘Humanists’ were in fact independent celebrants not affiliated with Humanists UK at all!
A major reason that I decided to become a celebrant is that I want to be able to support people by offering them a ceremony that truly reflects who they are, and honours all the aspects that they would like to include.
As a Humanist, I do not subscribe to any religion, and feel strongly within myself that this is right for me. My mum was a humanist, and we had a strong bond over our shared views on the world - my beliefs are core to the relationship I had with her and the legacy that she left us with when she passed away last spring.
I know some absolutely fantastic Humanist Celebrants, and I keenly explored whether I should undertake my celebrancy training with Humanists UK - however something stopped me. With so many wonderful celebrants available to deliver entirely non-religious ceremonies here in England, I didn’t feel I would be doing myself and future clients justice if I was unable to take all of their wishes into consideration.
For example, many of us are not religious but have perhaps taken comfort from spiritual beliefs about the universe and fate, in the idea that we are reincarnated or that we live on in some way after death. Another example is those who have been brought up in religious, or semi-religious households, and have a connection with certain prayers and hymns, that link them to their families in the way that my humanist beliefs have bound me with mine.
As an independent celebrant, I am able to include spiritual and religious aspects in my services. Despite my personal beliefs, I respect and honour the beliefs of others, and recognise the importance of weaving these threads into the tapestry of the stories told at weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies.
The fabulous bit about the networks I’ve built both in the North East means that if my approach isn’t quite right for you, I can personally recommend other independent celebrants who offer the flexibility described above, or alternatively put you in touch with lovely Humanist Celebrants if that’s what you’re after, or even an ordained minister who offers beautiful celebrant services too!
