Weddings
What is a humanist wedding?
The humanist wedding is a non-religious wedding and therefore represents the only alternative for all those couples who wish to have a ceremony unrelated to any faith. You do not have to be a humanist to have a humanist ceremony, a humanist ceremony is focused on the couple and their relationship and what they value.
”Traditional” marriages often impose strict guidelines on text, spaces and moments.
On the contrary, a humanist wedding can be celebrated anywhere and allows you to make very personal choices about the text to be adopted and the words to be used.
A humanist wedding ceremony is always unique and original as it is written together with the spouses and tells about them and their love story. No ceremony will ever be the same.
The text of a humanist ceremony also includes “traditional” parts, such as the presentation of the bride, the exchange of vows and rings, the presentation of witnesses and the conclusion, but formulated in a different way. Newlyweds are often invited to write their vows and often choose to add marriage unity rituals, such as the sand ritual, the roses ritual, the love letter & wine and many others. Guests can also participate with greetings, poems and readings. The ceremony usually ends with words of well-wishing between music and applause.
Some couples who are shyer or who have already had occasion to marry in the past prefer a simpler and more intimate ritual for two, without the participation of guests, which is called elopement.
Note: At the moment Humanist marriages do not yet have any legal value in Italy; therefore those who want to formalize the marriage must legally marry at the Registry Office or in the Church.
How do the humanist wedding ceremony works?
Love, romance and ritual make this mysterious and magical event one of the most exciting and memorable experiences of your life. So what kind of ceremony will be chosen?
The best way to get started is to ask yourself a lot of questions such as:
Remember that your ceremony is the heart of your day. It’s the reason for all the celebration that follows.
But above all it is about you: what you mean to each other, what you hope your life together will be like, what strengths you bring to support each other. There may be ethnic or family traditions that you want to build into your ceremony. There may be special people, who you would like to include, or special readings, poems, or memories. Since no two couples are alike, no two wedding ceremonies should be alike either. That is why I develop each wedding ceremony for the couple I am working with.
