WORDS OF WISDOM I’m having an outdoor ceremony. I don’t know whether to book a humanist or an independent celebrant. Can you help? A celebrant led wedding ceremony is meaningful, relaxed, fun, totally personalised and engaging. Both humanist and independent celebrants write and conduct celebratory wedding ceremonies that focus on the couple and their story. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Isles, the ceremonies that humanist celebrants conduct are legally recognised. Right now, the national human rights charity, Humanists UK is fighting for legal recognition of all humanist weddings, to bring England and Wales in line with the rest of the UK. There is a Law Commission Review due out in summer 2022, that will hopefully help to realise this long overdue change in law. Until laws are changed, couples having any celebrant led wedding ceremony will need to arrange the legal documentation of their marriage with the Registrar, and this can be done for around £50. The main difference between humanist and independent celebrants is that humanist celebrants are trained and regulated by Humanists UK, which has been delivering non-religious, inclusive, bespoke ceremonies for around 100 years. Budding celebrants are interviewed for their skill set and values, and trained and mentored by other humanist celebrants in the network. They’re accredited shortly after delivering their first ceremony and once up and running, are subject to regular peer reviews and annual CPD. The national network of humanist celebrants works together to assure quality and reliability of all celebrants and all celebrants must be accredited and a part of the national Humanist Ceremonies network in order to operate. Ceremonies are meaningful, but non-religious and inclusive. If you choose a celebrant to conduct your wedding, you’re already on the right path to having an amazing wedding day with the ceremony as its beating heart! If you’re not sure whether to book a humanist or an independent celebrant – please don’t just go on price. Draw on reputation, word of mouth or do some online research. Go onto a celebrant’s website and social media – or ask your wedding venue if they’ve seen celebrants in action. Online, look at a celebrant’s style of writing, photos of weddings they’ve carried out, watch any videos they’ve posted, and most importantly, read their reviews. If you like their style, give them a call or set up a Zoom meeting before you book! Rachael Meyer | Humanist Celebrant www.rachaelmeyer.com MUM’S THE WORD What gift could I purchase for Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom? I think it’s really lovely when couples give presents together and make both mums feel special. A lovely note as a thank you and some anecdotes and stories written down is a lovely touch and would be sure to pull on their heart strings – a great way to start bonding as a new family. My Billet Doux makes cushions with antique and vintage fabrics and ribbons with a secret pocket for a notebook which could contain such words – a one-of-a-kind gift to celebrate and remember the beautiful wedding day. Natalia Willmott | My Billet Doux https://mybilletdoux.com https://photo.shuttergoclick.com https://tamsynmorgans.com SAVE THE FIRST DANCE I want lovely photos of my first dance. What tips can you suggest? First things first, those disco lights your DJ is providing might bring a vibe to the party but you don’t want to be shades of green, red and blue in your photos therefore I recommend asking the DJ to hold fire on any coloured lights till after the first dance. Secondly, don’t feel like you need to pick a song that’s ‘traditional’ pick something that has meaning to the both of you. Songs have such an amazing nostalgia, pick something that takes you both back to a moment. Thirdly, confetti cannons during the first dance are epic! My next tip would be to make the next couple of songs after the first dance bangers! People tend to save their best songs till later on in the night but put on the songs that are guaranteed to get everyone up and dancing and start the party like you mean to go on. Lastly, embrace your moment, no elaborate dance routines required (unless you want to!) don’t overthink it, enjoy your moment and soak up all the feelings of the day. Francesca McCarthy | Love Francesca www.lovefrancescaphotography.com www.lovefrancescaphotography.com 80
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