Many of us who aren’t religious are looking for a wedding that is more flexible and personal than a civil or registry office ceremony.

In normal circumstances, a non-religious wedding ceremony allows you to marry where you want when you want, and how you want - we think that our woodland wedding venue is the perfect location for your special day! There’s no set script: it’s too personal an occasion for that. Instead, each wedding is unique. You can set the tone that’s right for you and choose your own words and music.

A non-religious wedding; more often referred to as a Humanist wedding are perfect for couples who would like:

- A meaningful ceremony that isn’t religious

- To marry outdoors or at a location that isn’t licensed for civil weddings

- The flexibility to create a personal ceremony that is unique to them

- To get to know the person who will be conducting their wedding

- To celebrate their marriage with family and friends but without legally registering – for example, when the formalities have already been conducted abroad.

- Have their wedding span a couple of days, so that is more of a festival wedding event so that you can spend quality time with your family and friends.

The person who conducts your wedding ceremony is called a Celebrant. Co-founder of Endeavour Woodland Weddings is an Accredited Humanist UK Celebrant which like other Accredited Celebrants means he is trained, friendly, and experienced. Someone who will guide you through the process of creating a wedding ceremony that’s perfect for you.

They will:

- Get to know you and what you want from the occasion

- Share their ideas and draw on their experience

- Write a unique ceremony tailored just for you

- Edit the script in response to your feedback

- Conduct the ceremony

The legal status of humanist weddings in the UK

In the UK, marriage is a devolved issue: humanist marriages enjoy legal recognition in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, but not yet in England and Wales. Humanist weddings have been legally recognised in Northern Ireland since 2018 and in Jersey in the Channel Islands since 2019. In Scotland, Humanist weddings gained legal recognition in 2005. The Government is conducting a review regarding England and Wales so we hope this situation will change so that there is fairness with the rest of the UK.

So currently in England and Wales, couples who want to have a non-religious wedding will often go to the registry office to take care of the legal formalities in the days before or after their ceremony. In Milton Keynes, this normally takes place on a Tuesday and lasts approximately 40 minutes.

The fees for the registry office are broken into two stages; Notice to get married and Marriage or Civil Partnership.

Notice to enter marriage or civil partnership; £35 per person.

Marriage or civil partnership at Register Office offered on fixed days; £46. Always check with your local Registry Office for the most up to date fees and requirements. These are normally reviewed once a year in April.

How much does a humanist wedding ceremony cost?

Fees vary according to the distance travelled and what is wanted from the occasion. Humanist Ceremonies™ ( www.humanism.org.uk ) provides recommended fee bands, but always check fees with the individual celebrant.

At Endeavour Woodland Weddings we are here to make sure that you have the woodland wedding of your dreams. If there is anything that you are not sure about our maybe want to chat through ideas; please do not hesitate to contact us.