Lifestyle | The Guardian

Humanist weddings are deeply personal and meaningful | Letters

Guardian Staff — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 16:12:27 GMT

Mair Garland responds to an article by Rachel Connolly on what makes a good ceremony these days

As a humanist celebrant, I was saddened by Rachel Connolly’s conclusion about humanist weddings (What makes a good wedding these days? I say flirting and chaos, but not three days in a French castle, 29 July). She writes: “The idea of being married in a humanist service by someone wearing, say, skinny jeans and a black T-shirt gives me willies.” I must disclose my ownership of several pairs of skinny jeans, but I have not worn these in my role as a celebrant (though never say never – I’m always guided by couples’ dress codes).

Ms Connolly seems to have the impression that a humanist ceremony represents a compromise to the formal and ceremonial rituals we’d traditionally associate with a religious wedding. On the contrary, humanist celebrants are knowledgable, passionate and unashamedly geeky about creating meaningful non-religious ceremonies that are deeply personal to couples and their families.

Lifestyle | The Guardian

Humanist weddings are deeply personal and meaningful | Letters

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