Frequently Asked Questions

My recommendation is to find a venue and celebrant at the same time if at all possible.

If you can select a few dates with venues, do that, and make them provisional bookings. If you are lucky, this may be with one venue or even a few venues. The more choices you create for yourself, the better chances you have to find the celebrant that suits you.

Then search for the celebrant straight away, giving them the date options. Ideally, the closer the celebrant is to the venue, the better, but this might not always be possible.

Every celebrant works slightly differently, so they will advise you of how they work when you contact them.

Make sure you let them know the name of the venue/s if you know them, and the date/s.

Ask them for their fee and what the process of booking them will be. We are only too delighted to be able to share this information to help.

Usually, you will have a meeting with the celebrant before booking. This is how I work, but other celebrants may work differently.

Pro tip: One-sentence enquiries are not nearly as effective as one that shows you have checked out the celebrant’s profile.

A Humanist ceremony is right for you if you tick any or all of these boxes:

If you seek a ceremony that does not have a religious focus.

Or a ceremony with rich content of warmth, inclusiveness and gravitas, mixed with natural humour and fun, if that is what you hope for.

If you seek rituals and family and friend participation.

If you want to include the legal component on your day.

A Humanist ceremony is not for you if you tick any or all of these boxes:

You only want to do the legal component for a quick turnaround ceremony. (A civil ceremony with a registrar is, therefore, your best option)

You want lots of religious elements and perhaps prayers in your ceremony.

You want your big day to be within a church setting. (Although it is worth noting that many venues emulate the atmosphere and visual look of a church setting.)

You want to get married in a private location, local beach, or open random public area. (while you can do this and have a Humanist ceremony, it cannot be a legally binding marriage.)

Indeed they are, as long as you give your notice to marry to the Registry offices within the proper time and bring the licence on the day of the ceremony. Your chosen celebrant will advise and guide you on all this. It is also worth perusing the HSE website for detailed information.

However, if you are already married. For example, if you married in another country, you can have a symbolic Humanist ceremony (provided your celebrant agrees). It would have to be made clear to all guests that you were previously married, as we cannot ‘pretend’ to legally marry you on the day.

Absolutely! The process is precisely the same, and Billy would be delighted to be able to help you. There may be slight variations in the wording of the script than cisgender or heterosexual couples, of course, but you have much say about this, so you end up with the language that suits you best. As you work with Billy, he will guide you and be guided by you on this.

It sure is possible—as long as the weather agrees. It is always best to ask your celebrant this as soon as possible in the booking process. Some celebrants may not be so keen depending on the time of year or the venue.

From a legal point of view, the outdoor area must be on the grounds of the chosen venue. This is usually the garden, patio area, or marquee.

Important note: Outdoor ceremonies cannot be legally binding if you want to get married on a cliff edge, mountain, public or private beach, local beach, public park, or garden of a private house.

The short answer is no. To have a legally binding marriage, the venue must be deemed ‘open to the public’ with an identifiable address. Venues include hotels, dedicated wedding venues, civic buildings like Dublin City Hall, castles/country houses approved by the HSE, museums, art galleries, restaurants, cafes, and even pubs, as long as the general public is allowed unfettered access.

Not at all. It is indeed helpful if the HSE approves it, but for a Humanist ceremony, it is not vital. It is usually fine as long as the venue has an identifiable address and is generally open to the public.

I would ensure you are both accommodated as best I can and would not be prescriptive. As long as whatever was wanted is not too heavily religious, there are many options to respect both values.

Elements within your ceremony can include things like unity candles or reflective readings of a religious nature. I myself cannot read such readings, but I see no problem with others reading them.

How I officiate and perform your ceremony ensures that everyone feels included.

But it is very important to discuss your wishes before booking any celebrant, as some will be less comfortable with including anything of a religious nature.

Every celebrant manages their own fee structure, so it is essential to ask about the costs in the opening communication. Some celebrants must include 23% vat if they exceed the turnover threshold, affecting the total cost. The guideline basic rate is €470 to €500, with additionals for travel and expenses if long distance is involved. I have to add 23% vat. (The Humanist Association also requires a separately paid fee of €90.)

Yes, you can. Weekends, bank holidays, even Christmas day if you want, although to my knowledge, this has never happened.

Try having a few date options to give your celebrant if possible.

That’s a big question, indeed. It is certainly harder to do but by no means impossible. Here are some thoughts and tips:

You could engage the services of a wedding planner.

Get recommendations from suppliers for other suppliers and make a few choices based on trust and what you find on suppliers’ websites.

Online video meetings are now almost the norm, especially since the pandemic. The Zoom app, for example, works very well.

I find online video meetings very successful, and everything can be discussed using this method with relative ease.

Obtaining your legal marriage licence is also possible from overseas. You are best to view the information on how to do this on the HSE website.

There are additional legal considerations if you are not an Irish citizen, like having your birth certificate authenticated. Please review the HSE website for the complete information.

Whatever length you would like is the cheap answer to that. In truth, though, they average around 30 to 35 minutes. I have timed my ceremonies over the past years and found 30-35 minutes to be the average length. Not too long, not too short.

That being said, I have no fear of 40 or 45 minutes. It depends on what you seek and what content you want to be included.

The ceremonies I conduct are not dull, so frequently, they seem far shorter than they are. Time flies when you are having fun. While that may sound somewhat conceited, I say that with confidence due to the sheer volume of highly positive feedback and testimonials I receive.

On the other scale, 25 minutes is starting to get quick; indeed, times below 25 minutes will feel like a flash. Again, it all depends on what you seek, so discuss this with your celebrant when you meet them.

A considerable amount of things, to be honest. In short: readings, rituals, meaningful words, musical backgrounds and interludes, vows, legal elements, rings, a memorial for deceased family members, and even a baby-naming if you so wish! I will go into all of this in great detail at a meeting.

I work with an open mind, so if you want to include ideas, never be afraid to present them to me for discussion.

Yes, you can. Usually, this is best done near the beginning of the ceremony. Sometimes natural sadness may occur amongst family and friends, so we want time to pass before the vow exchange.

This can take the form of the following ideas:

A few words from the celebrant or perhaps a family member.

A few words from the celebrant with someone lighting a candle to represent the deceased.

Simply a table to one side with candles and photos and no words said during the ceremony.

A reading or poem could also be done.

A song could be played while we remember the deceased family member/s.

Yes, this is possible. It would have to be made clear to all guests that you were previously married, as we cannot ‘pretend’ to legally marry you on the day.

A few changes need to be made to the exchange of vows wording, but nothing dramatic.

The symbolic ceremonies I have conducted have always been considered warm, rich and meaningful. I make them equally vital and momentous a ceremony as legally binding occasions.