Congratulations on your engagement and thanks for looking at my blog!

Congratulations on your engagement and thanks for looking at my blog!

How to use this blog

PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOW COMPLETELY RETIRED, SO I'M NO LONGER TAKING ANY WEDDING BOOKINGS. I'M LEAVING THIS BLOG ONLINE IN CASE IT'S OF ANY HELP TO YOU IN PLANNING YOUR WEDDING, BUT I WON'T BE MAINTAINING IT, SO APOLOGIES FOR BROKEN LINKS OR OUT OF DATE INFORMATION! This blog is structured as a series of questions and under each posting, I've provided what I hope will be helpful advice for you in planning your humanist wedding. All of the posts are on one page, but each one has been condensed in size, so to read the full details, just click on the post title or 'read more'. When you get to the end of the post, just click on 'home' to get back to the full page of posts or 'older post' to move on to the next post. If you're interested in a particular subject, you can also click on the list to the right or you can do your own search by using the box below.

I've started with a wee video, so happy viewing, happy reading and happy wedding planning!



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How do I choose a celebrant?



The Celebrant is an important part of your big day and you need to feel happy, relaxed and comfortable with the person who is going to marry you, not to mention confident about their professional expertise! So here are a few tips for choosing a celebrant to suit you:

  • Go on personal recommendations from friends and family and from venues and other wedding suppliers (especially photographers and videographers who witness the whole ceremony)
  • Look at their profile on the Humanist Society Scotland website - you can search for a Celebrant via a date or location and you'll get a list of everyone available, with a profile. In addition to a photo, you'll also find a bit of detail about each person and possibly a video clip and/or a link to a blog or FaceBook page.
  • Click on any links to Celebrant blogs like this one - they give you a good feel for the kind of ceremony they'll provide and an insight into their approach to weddings
  • See if your Celebrant has a Facebook or Instagram presence. A lot of us communicate mainly on social media these days and you'll find that many Celebrants have an Instagram and/or Facebook presence. I'm usually happy to accept friend requests on my personal page, but you can of course send a direct message to someone without being a friend. Many of us also have a business page and you can like and follow us in that way too. By the way, you'll often find helpful reviews from other couples on business FB pages.
  • It's always worth googling your Celebrant's name - and it's sometimes surprising what pops up!
  • If you want further details or would like a chat, just FB message, text or email your Celebrant - or you could even go old style and phone for a chat!
  • If you don't feel you have enough information, ask to meet your Celebrant informally before you make a booking. We're all happy to do this of course, but it's best to arrange the meetings one at a time and then to move on to the next Celebrant if you're not sure, rather than to line up several at once. Personally, I'm not keen on being in competition with my lovely colleagues and I'd actually rather withdraw gracefully than go through a selection process, if you know what I mean! :)  Having said that, I'm very happy to meet you before you book!

One thing to bear in mind is that we are all trained to the same professional standards and in order to do this work, it's essential to be able to establish rapport with people. We're an approachable and friendly bunch, we love what we do and we enjoy working with couples to help make their big day really special! So the chances are that you'll love your Celebrant whoever you pick!


By the way, my own contact details are:

Phone: Landline - 01786 842239 or Mobile - 07968 666432.
(My mobile is often switched onto silent mode if I'm in meetings or conducting ceremonies, but just leave a message or text me and I'll get back to you ASAP!)
Email: mary.wallace@humanism.scot
FaceBook: humanistmary
Instagram: humanistmary


To return to the full page of posts, click on 'home' below or to move on to the next post, click 'older post': 

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