Jen and Graeme celebrated in style in the Leith Theatre in Thomas Morton Hall. Their ceremony was beautifully personal and they incorporated a hand-fasting and jumped the broom to seal their vows at the end of the ceremony. They took a DIY approach to decoration and the building was adorned with amazing personal touches. Here is what Jen thought about the experience of having a humanist wedding:
“So there I was standing at the top of the stairs and I was ready…FINALLY I was ready. Time stood still as everyone around me fussed and flapped and for the very first time I felt calm and the nerves melted away. For the last 8 months I had been wedding planner, project manager, mediator crafting wizard and online bargain hunter. I had lived eaten breathed our big budget DIY wedding and finally the madness was over. I never set out to be that kind of bride but at times I probably was! Right from the beginning we knew we wanted our day to be personal to us. We wanted the opportunity to make every little detail our own and for our day to be special and meaningful – to represent our personalities just as much as our beliefs. As a staunch atheist, it was really important for Graeme to have a non-religious ceremony; and as a strong Christian it was really important for me to have one that didn’t conflict with my beliefs. So we decided we would have a secular wedding and a church blessing later. The social values of humanism held true for us – being good honest people; living our lives to the fullest, and taking care of those around us – and the humanist celebrations we had been to before had been so warm and personal so picking a humanist ceremony was really easy.
We found a big list of celebrants online who all seemed really great but we chose Caroline because we felt we probably had the most in common. We were right – it was an instant click! Right from the start Caroline instinctively knew what we needed and how best to help us. There are lots of choices for a humanist ceremony, which is just what we wanted, but that also means that there can a lot of decisions to make and readings to pick! Caroline had options to help us see how it could hang together with a fabulous pick-and-mix library of options and readings and she was just as happy to let me come up with my own ideas. To say we felt safe in her hands from that day onwards was an understatement. Over the following months Caroline and I met emailed and spoke over the phone. She was always understanding, organised and supportive but she was also great fun to work with which was just perfect for us! She was always excited to hear about our plans and ideas and see how it was all coming together.
On the day, Caroline worked with our other suppliers; welcomed our guests and kept us all in place and running to plan. Our ceremony was filled with chuckles, stories and quirky touches, including a ring warming and jumping the broom. Somehow, all of the words we shared and the promises we made had managed to perfectly sum us up and how we felt about each other – it had all come together perfectly and it felt great. We just couldn’t stop grinning!
It’s so important to have someone on the journey with you all that time that you trust and connect with. It makes the planning more enjoyable, the day less stressful, and the moments somehow more special. It was great working with Caroline – we are so glad we chose her and we will never forget the magical day she helped us create.
Stunning images courtesy of David McNeill