Ceremonies: Baby Naming - Funerals - Weddings
We all want to mark important events in our lives – new arrivals in the family, weddings and partnerships – and, of course, to commemorate those we have loved when they die. For those with no religious beliefs, it’s important to mark these occasions in ways that are consistent with their principles. Please click below to go to the relevant page:
Baby Namings - Funerals - Weddings
Humanist ceremonies mark these special occasions
with honesty, warmth and shared love and affection.
They are not generic. They are unique and personal,
appropriate to the lives of the people involved.
They are created especially for each occasion by an
individual or a family, along with a humanist
celebrant, who helps guide the process of creating
the ceremony. Beyond the appropriate legal
requirements, there are no special rules or
particular things that need to be observed.
Humanist ceremonies celebrate all that is
encompassed in the definition of Humanism used by
the British Humanist Association: ‘Humanism is the
view that we can make sense of the world using
reason, experience and shared human values and that
we can live good lives without religious or
superstitious beliefs. Humanists seek to make the
best of the one life we have by creating meaning and
purpose for ourselves. We choose to take
responsibility for our actions and work with others
for the common good.’
Families and groups of people with mixed religious
beliefs often choose humanist ceremonies because
they can all agree on the non-religious and
personalised content.
BHA accredited celebrants will be happy to conduct
non-religious ceremonies for funerals and memorials;
for births and adoptions; for weddings, including
civil partnerships for same-sex couples; and for
general civic occasions.
The following local celebrants and members of
Birmingham Humanists will be happy to discuss your
needs and assist with your humanist ceremony:
Victoria
Denning
To enquire about celebrants in other areas, contact
the BHA on: 020 7079 3582 or email
ceremonies@humanism.co.uk.
The BHA publishes practical guidelines about the
three main ceremonies, to help families and
inexperienced practitioners: ‘New Arrivals’,
‘Sharing the Future’ and ‘Funerals Without God’.
These can be ordered from the BHA office – email
info@humanism.org.uk or ring 020 7079 3580.
