Humanist marriages are not yet legally recognized in England, Wales, and the Isle of Man. This means that couples need to have the ceremony separately from the legal “signing of the register,” which is usually done at a local register office. Thousands of couples in the UK choose humanist weddings, which intertwine unique love stories with timeless human values. Humanist ceremonies are legally recognized in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Jersey, and Guernsey, making it easy to get married in one perfect, heartfelt humanist ceremony.
Currently, humanist couples need to have a civil marriage with a registrar to gain legal recognition. In a debate, MPs said such couples were treated like second-class citizens. Humanist weddings are legally recognized in Northern Ireland, which means couples can get married in a humanist ceremony and complete legal documentation at the same time.
Humanist weddings are legally recognized in Scotland, and humanist celebrants may be authorized to solemnize civil marriages in Northern Ireland. However, in England, Wales, and the Isle of Man, humanist marriages are not legally recognized. An independent celebrant can perform a wedding for couples of any faith and none, and happily include any religious content or rituals.
📹 Humanist marriage legal case on BBC Breakfast
Humanist couple Megan Cooper-Colvin and Jamie Colvin had a humanist wedding last year, but had to also have a civil marriage …
Is a humanist legal?
People often ask if humanist weddings are legal. All Humanist Society Scotland marriages are legally recognized.
Just a heads-up. Not all outside celebrants can legally solemnize marriage. If your ceremony is conducted by a non-Humanist Society celebrant, it would be a celebration of your love or a commitment ceremony. You’d have to do the legal stuff before or after the ceremony.
Is a humanist wedding religious?
What is a humanist wedding? A humanist wedding is a non-religious ceremony that is welcoming and tailored to you. A humanist wedding is led by a celebrant and focuses on your love story.
A humanist wedding celebrant conducts the ceremony. They get to know you and write and deliver a meaningful ceremony just for you. It can be whatever you want. Your day can include rituals, singing, pets, traditions, and anything else that makes it feel right for you.
Thinking of a humanist wedding ceremony? Find a wedding celebrant near you on our map.
What are the rules for a humanist wedding?
Your wedding day is important, and you should have it your way. Your ceremony can include traditional rituals like exchanging rings or a handfasting. It will reflect your beliefs and be conducted by someone who shares them. Your humanist celebrant will help you create a unique, non-religious ceremony. Our weddings are about you as a couple and what you find meaningful. My humanist ceremony was the best day of my life. My family was amazed. My parents said it was the most personal and heartfelt wedding they’d ever been to. Many couples in the UK choose humanist weddings. Humanist ceremonies combine unique love stories with timeless values.
What is the easiest country to get legally married in?
Denmark is the easiest place in Europe for couples to get married. The documents needed to get married in Denmark vary from couple to couple. Every couple is different! Why do Germans choose to get married in Denmark? If you’re a German couple, a German citizen marrying a non-German citizen, or two non-Germans living in Germany, the answer is… Denmark is the easiest place in Europe for foreign couples to get married. Couples who live in Germany and want to get married say it’s too difficult.
Are humanist weddings legal in the US?
The Universal Life Church has ordained over 20 million people, including many famous people. Many people choose to become ordained by the Church because it lets them perform marriages in most states and has few rules. The Humanist Society has registered over 100 celebrants in 33 states. The Humanist Society has worked with the American Humanist Association since 1991. In November 2014, it was endorsed by the Board Chaplaincy Certification Inc., an affiliate of the Association of Professional Chaplains. Not all Humanists support registering as a religion. In 2012, the Center of Inquiry (CFI) sued the state of Indiana, arguing that allowing religious leaders to sign marriage certificates but not secular celebrants violates the Establishment Clause. They also said it’s not fair to allow religions to choose who can perform weddings but not allow CFI.
Which countries recognise humanist marriages?
As of 2021, humanist celebrants can conduct legally binding marriage ceremonies in many countries.
United Kingdom: The charity Humanists UK (formerly the British Humanist Association) started offering humanist ceremonies. It now has a network of celebrants in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. A similar network exists in Scotland. In June 2005, the Registrar General ruled that celebrants from approved humanist associations could conduct legal wedding ceremonies. In 2017, Humanists UK celebrants in Northern Ireland were given the same rights after a court case. In England and Wales, a humanist wedding or partnership ceremony must be supplemented by obtaining a civil marriage or partnership certificate through a Register Office. In December 2014, it was reported that the Prime Minister’s Office was blocking the implementation of a change to give legal force to humanist weddings in England and Wales. That same year, in Scotland, the First Minister of Scotland attended the legal humanist marriage of a same-sex couple. In 2015, more people in Scotland chose humanist weddings than Church of Scotland weddings or weddings of any other religion. The Humanist Society of Scotland was recognized as a provider of humanist marriages in Scotland starting in 2017.
Are humanist marriages legal in the UK?
England and Wales. In England and Wales, you can get married in a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony. But there’s no law for non-religious marriages. Currently, it is not possible to have a legally binding humanist marriage in England and Wales. To make a humanist marriage legally valid, the couple must have an additional ceremony at a register office. Humanists UK has campaigned for equal treatment for humanists and religious people and for the law to be changed to allow humanist celebrants to conduct legal marriages.
Coalition Government consultation. After calls for legislation to facilitate humanist marriage, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 said that the law should be changed to allow marriage according to the beliefs of non-religious organizations. It also said that a public consultation would be held and that the results would be published by the end of 2014. This Act also lets the Secretary of State make rules to allow marriages according to the beliefs of organizations.
What is the difference between a humanist and a celebrant wedding?
A humanist celebrant does non-religious ceremonies, while other celebrants may do religious ones. Humanist Society Scotland ceremonies are humanist and based on our legal authorisation. No religious acts can be included. However, some religious readings and music can be included if they are used in a non-religious way. The “Love is patient, love is kind” Bible reading is a good example. Our ceremonies are inclusive and respectful of all faiths.
Is a humanist wedding secular?
People often call non-civil ceremonies humanist because humanist ceremonies are one of the first non-religious and non-civil ceremonies. Secular is the term. Humanist weddings are secular. Secular weddings are non-religious ceremonies held in a similar way to civil weddings, but they are not state-sponsored.
In the past, people usually got married in a religious or civil ceremony. Religious marriages happen in a place of worship with a religious figure who is also a registered solemniser. Then the religious ceremony is followed by the legal paperwork. You can also choose a secular option. We will look at the two secular groups in Ireland.
Can you have a non-religious wedding?
A wedding ceremony for two. You can plan your non-religious ceremony from scratch. You don’t have to include religious elements, but you may need to follow legal requirements. (These legal requirements also apply to religious ceremonies.) Non-religious wedding officiants listen. They focus on you and create a ceremony with your love as the main focus. That approach gives you freedom. Your secular wedding ceremony will focus on what’s meaningful to you. Nonreligious wedding officiants won’t care about your shoes. Be yourselves!
03 Acceptance, dignity, celebration. Some couples and wedding professionals ask if I work with same-sex couples. It’s sad this question has to be asked. As a Humanist Celebrant, I treat everyone with respect, regardless of their beliefs, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ability, age, etc. Inclusivity is my starting point and my goal. This shouldn’t earn anyone extra appreciation. Every couple should be celebrated on their wedding day. I honor two consenting adults in love who want to marry.
📹 Kent couple battle to have humanist weddings legally recognised In England – ITV Meridian News
You can read more about the case at: …
The majority of people in UK have no religion and yet are treated with contempt by English law who say you can only have a religious wedding or get your local registry office to do it. If Scotland, NI, jersey (and soon Guernsey) have caught up with modern times then it is high time England did too. I am sure the Church of England has lobbied hard to block this in a desperate bid to cling on to power. However, the tide is against them and their investment firm. If they were good Christians they would be encouraging more people to come together in marriage. Thank you to Humanists UK and all the couples making the case for the rest of us. I hope my wedding next year can be a proper legal humanist ceremony.
Wait, is a religious marriage enough, or do you still have to accomplish a civil procedure after that? As a humanist, I would feel content with a civil “signature” and a humanist party that reflects my thoughts and tastes. If a religious marriage does have to be accompanied by the civil procedure, why would the humanist one have the same weight as the civil procedure?
I would very much like to see a very simple wedding everywhere in the whole world. No need for those decorations, jewellery, dowry or those fancy bridesmaids or anything that would cause spendthrift Weddings are meant to be a ceremony and not competition of wealth or eye appealing It’s just whatever bride, groom and guests could wear whatever they like. And of course retain food and music. Keep it simple! Think of the range within the line of budget! I wish weddings were simple like this both civil and religious.
Why do some people have to make things so complicated? If you are not religious I totally understand that you might not want a church wedding. But you can have a civil ceremony in a place of your choice. Marriage is a legally binding contract that must be registered. There has to be two witnesses and needs to take place with someone licensed to perform this legal act. The officiant can be a member of the clergy, a judge, justice of the peace, or government appointed official.. If it is a civil ceremony you can write your own vows and include balloons, or doves, or whatever you want. But the person declaring the marriage as legal, must be licensed to do so. Surely making a commitment to your partner, is more important than orchestrating your own production.
I don’t understand this properly. At some level I consider my values similar to humanist values so I’m interested to learn. As a reference, my wife is Catholic and I’m not. She wanted us to get married in her regular church, which happened to be uncharacteristically small for a Catholic church, much like a scout hut and similarly hidden away from the road, between some garages and houses. Her mum was horrified how unglamorous it was, but there you go. We were the first to EVER get married there and they had no licence, so unlike normal Catholic churches the priest couldn’t marry us. So what we had to do was invite a registrar who sat invisibly by the side, we did all our vows and service with the priest, then went over to the registrar for 3 minutes to sign…the registry? So my question would be whether the people in the article cannot get what we had, or if they would be unsatisfied with what we had?
There still remains such little understanding of the difference between Humanist and Independent Celebrants. What this couple site as the difference between a Humanist and a Civil ceremony is the freedom to hold a personalised ceremony that reflects their beliefs. Independent Celebrants have been offering that for many years. We have long been arguing for the same right to conduct legally binding marriages as we believe it’s every couples’ human right to express their beliefs and values however they see fit – religious, spiritual, humanist or anything else. Unfortunately if Humanists UK win this case it could put independent celebrants out of work, still leaving couples with the polarised choice of totally religious or totally non-religious ceremonies.
there should be another option in this day and age as its getting so outdated to have to marry in a registers office which I find quiet depressing or a church with religion in the way to separate people and divide people views . I think a humanist wedding is much more personal !!!! why hasn’t this been allowed yet !
Ugly people got no business breeding. Don’t even try. Secular or religious existence shouldn’t matter. Don’t perpetuate less than ideal qualities. No substitute, sublimation, or trite emotional pleas. Just don’t. The most mature and responsible thing you can do for humanity. Vanity is indicative of high value and self esteem. It should be easy to love.
It won’t update for some reason but I DISLIKE this article. The whole idea of marriage is for two people and two people alone to declare their mutual love. Its not about making a statement to anyone about what personal beliefs one holds. I’m glad I’m the only one here who disagrees with this as it shows I’m clearly more cognitively advanced than the rest of you. I’m not religious but my partner is. So? Should that matter? Not one bit. I love her for everything she is including what she believes. If you get disturbed or offended by the religious aspect of marriage then you are sadly missing the point. Be it a church, a hotel, a field surrounded by ancient pagan stones I couldn’t care less! What matters is how we feel about each other, NOT how religious or non religious the day is.