Welcome to the Humanists West website. Anyone is welcome to our meetings which take place once a month. This website hopes to answer some of the most common questions about Humanism. Of course, please get in touch if you don’t find your answer here.
More and more people are choosing Humanist ceremonies as they offer a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the milestones of life in a very personal and meaningful way.
A Humanist Wedding is a secular, inclusive wedding ceremony. Humanist weddings are legally recognised, as long as the couple are married by a Humanist Association of Ireland (HAI) accredited celebrant. Humanist weddings are open to same-sex couples. Many couples are now opting for Humanist weddings as they offer a beautiful opportunity to celebrate the couple’s union in a very personal way.
All Humanist ceremonies are created specifically for that particular occasion and are composed in close consultation between the celebrant and the people involved. There is an honesty and warmth about a Humanist ceremony as it marks the occasion in a well- structured and balanced way.
To enquire about a Humanist ceremony please get in touch with one of our accredited celebrants on the Contact a Celebrant page.
See our FAQ below for more information about how you can organise a Humanist Wedding and find an accredited celebrant.
The Humanist Association of Ireland (HAI) would like to clarify the difference between a celebrant accredited by the HAI and an “independent humanist celebrant” or other “humanist” celebrant.
All celebrants accredited by the HAI have successfully completed a rigorous training programme. The training programme is approved by the Registrar General and the Health Service Executive (HSE) and all HAI accredited celebrants are named on the HSE list of approved solemnisers of marriages.
So if you are looking for a legal Humanist wedding, you should look for a Humanist Association of Ireland (HAI) accredited celebrant. Otherwise, you may end up with a celebrant who cannot marry you legally, and you will have to go to the registry office for the legal component.
All Humanist ceremonies are created specifically for that particular occasion and are composed in close consultation between the HAI-accredited celebrant and the people involved. The ceremonies are designed to be meaningful, honest and inclusive, with a fine balance of solemnity, warmth and humour.
To enquire about a Humanist ceremony please get in touch with one of our accredited celebrants on the Contact a Celebrant page.
Updated November 2016
Disclaimer: Please note that these topics are for general information purposes only. The answers are correct to the best of our belief and knowledge at the present time, but are not definitive.
Different HAI accredited celebrants take slightly different approaches, so please speak to a celebrant if you have a particular query or concern.
A: Yes, if it is conducted according to the Civil Registration Act 2004, as amended in 2012 and 2015). This requires that the each part of the couple to be married must be:
The couple must give notice to a HSE Registrar’s Office – refer to http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/bdm/marriagesinireland/ . The notice period is 3 months unless exceptional circumstances apply.
The marriage must take place in a place open to the public especially on the day of the wedding. Your accredited celebrant will advise you about the suitability of your proposed venue. The couple must freely consent to be spouses in the presence of two named witnesses and a registered solemniser. Celebrants accredited by the HAI are all registered solemnisers and may legally solemnise the marriage without a separate registry office wedding.
A: Humanist weddings are wonderful and personal ceremonies. One of the tenets of humanism is a tolerance for others who hold different belief systems. Therefore everyone feels included during a humanist ceremony.
However, humanists have no belief in a god or the supernatural, relying on scientific evidence and appreciation of the world around us and the achievements of humans. So our ceremonies are secular and non-religious occasions. They are designed to be a positive option for those who share the same philosophical belief system as humanists whether you wish to call yourself a humanist or not, and even whether you are a member of any humanist association or not.
Please think carefully about this choice. If you think you don’t share the same philosophy, or you actually believe in a god or the supernatural, then perhaps a humanist ceremony is not the right choice for you. There are many other organisations out there that would be a more appropriate vehicle for your special day.
If you wish to discuss this more, please contact your celebrant. Celebrants’ contact details: http://humanism.ie/ceremonies-2/celebrant-profiles/
A: Yes you can. On May 22nd, 2015, the citizens of Ireland voted to amend the Constitution by inserting the following text: “Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” Same-sex couples must comply with the standard legal requirements of marriage, as outlined on the HSE’s website: http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/bdm/marriagesinireland/
Humanists believe in equality for all and our celebrants are delighted to now be able to assist all couples to celebrate marriage without distinction as to their sex. Our celebrants have now conducted many same-sex wedding ceremonies and we look forward to discuss wedding formats and ideas with you.
A: Firstly, you as a couple should consider when and where you wish to get married, and contact a humanist celebrant as close as possible to that area to check their availability. We recommend that you only provisionally book a venue until you have secured a celebrant’s services.
If you cannot find a celebrant based locally, then try celebrants further away. Many celebrants are happy to travel across the country to conduct your wedding, but will charge travel expenses. Your celebrant will be happy to explain all the processes involved, including the possible content of your ceremony.
Some celebrants will travel abroad to conduct wedding or commitment ceremonies, but this would not be legally valid unless somehow the celebrant can meet the local legal requirements for a valid marriage ceremony.
A: Yes, provided that the ceremony takes place in a venue open to the public and clearly identifiable by an address. Your celebrant will advise you as to the suitability of your proposed venue.
A: A humanist ceremony that includes the act of solemnisation of the marriage cannot take place in a private location. If the house is a private home and not usually open to the public, then the wedding may not take place there. Your HAI accredited humanist celebrant will advise you about the suitability of your venue.
A: One of the tenets of humanism is a tolerance for others who hold different belief systems, therefore everyone feels included during a humanist ceremony.
A: Typically you can expect a guideline fee in the region of €470-€500 (this includes a €70 contribution to the HAI). Fees may vary from celebrant to celebrant, particularly if the venue is some distance away, as the celebrant will need to add expenses such as travel, and possibly accommodation, costs.
Please note that some of our celebrants, who exceed the VAT turnover threshold set by the Revenue Commissioners, are required to charge VAT at the standard rate of 23% in addition to their fees.
A: All days. Humanist celebrants are not restricted as regards time of day, or day of the week, month or year.
A: You should try to decide on a venue and date and then contact a celebrant, as discussed above.
You can obtain a form from a registry office which allows you to give notice of your intent to marry by post –http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/bdm/MarriagesinIreland/Marriage%20Postal%20Notification,%20couples%20living%20outside%20of%20the%20state.html
We recommend that you only provisionally book a venue until you have secured a celebrant’s services. It is advisable to check if a celebrant is available for a particular date before you confirm the venue booking.
A: The duration of the ceremony will depend on the amount of content you choose to include. The more readings, music, and other elements you include can increase the duration, but it typically lasts about 25-35 minutes. If in doubt, please discuss the duration with your celebrant.
A:A humanist wedding ceremony is typically made up of an introduction (traditional entrance if you wish), words on love and marriage, music, readings, a symbolic ritual or two, vows, marriage declaration, exchange of rings, signing of the register and closing words – you can personalise your ceremony to suit you. In essence, you have a great deal of control as to how your unique ceremony can proceed.
A:Yes, it is quite common to acknowledge early on in the ceremony that there are loved ones who are no longer with us and to have a short pause to remember them with love. Some couples light a remembrance candle. Please discuss this with your celebrant because different celebrants will have different approaches.
A:Yes, but it must be made clear at the ceremony that you are already married and that this is a symbolic ceremony only. In this case the HAI-accredited humanist celebrant cannot make a pronouncement of marriage (declare you to be spouses).
More and more people today are choosing Humanist ceremonies as they offer a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the milestones of life in a very personal and meaningful way.
All Humanist ceremonies are created specifically for that particular occasion and are composed in close consultation between the celebrant and the people involved. There is an honesty and warmth about a Humanist ceremony as it marks the occasion in a well- structured and balanced way.
To enquire about a Humanist ceremony please get in touch with one of our accredited celebrants on the Contact a Celebrant page.
In the interests of ensuring that Humanist celebrants provide a quality service we would appreciate any comments, critiques, commendations, criticisms or complaints regarding any aspect of Humanist ceremonies or celebrants. Please address your e.mails to admin@humanism.ie and in the subject box put ‘FAO / CMC’. Please provide your name and a day time phone number.
The Ceremonies Management Committee (CMC) is a volunteer group of 3 experienced celebrants and a non-celebrant Director of HAI. They are the people who will attend to your correspondence.
Click on the pictures below and the links to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to find out more about the different types of ceremonies.
Naming & Welcoming Ceremonies FAQ
Weddings
Naming & Welcoming Ceremonies
Funerals
Humanist Association of Ireland | Registered Charity CHY16550
34B Royal Terrace West, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin | T: 086 088 7744 | E: admin@humanism.ie
Models shown in photographs are for illustrative purposes only and are not members of the Humanist Association of Ireland. | WordPress Expert Design from econcepts.ie.ie – Copyright 2017
Welcome to the Humanists West website. Anyone is welcome to our meetings which take place once a month. This website hopes to answer some of the most common questions about Humanism. Of course, please get in touch if you don’t find your answer here.
Humanists West