Humanist Weddings
Humanist Weddings
A Humanist approach to weddings is one that centers you and your story as a couple. As a Humanist Celebrant, weddings are one of the joyful traditions we get to partake in. Speaking of traditions, because I am not tied to a religion which often dictates "what a wedding should look like", I am able to help you create a ceremony that is unique, deeply meaningful for you, and memorable for your guests. Please explore the questions and topics below and if you feel we might be a good fit to work together crafting your ceremony, please reach out using the form below! I am happy to schedule a free conversation for us to get to know each other a little and learn more about your needs.
Common Questions:
I am an endorsed Humanist Celebrant, trained to help craft meaningful, unique, secular ceremonies.
I have great passion around supporting my LGBTQIA2S+ community and as a queer trans woman connect deeply with the struggle our community continues to fight to this day for the simple right to have our love legally recognized.
As a secular humanist, I enjoy working outside the box of what a “traditional” wedding might look like. Old school wedding formula not your thing? Neat, let’s make something unique and special together!
I was first endorsed as a Humanist Celebrant by The Humanist Society in 2020 and joined the board of directors not long after. My initial foray into this world was with the approach that I would gladly officiate weddings if friends asked and when they did, I found that I really enjoyed serving in this role.
Prior to 2020, I did a little bit of everything from being a Talk Radio Producer (now Podcast Producer and Host) to being a front-line leader at Walt Disney World. This vast array of experiences are very “people service” oriented, which I draw upon as I work with clients.
As I am currently building my celebrant work into a business, my calendar does have availability. If we are creating a ceremony from the ground up, the earlier the better. I am also a good choice to reach out to with little notice or to schedule an elopement or certificate signing ceremony.
I am available for traditional weddings small and large as well as elopements and certificate signings. Whatever your wedding looks like: you and your witnesses or hundreds of guests, my role is to deliver a ceremony you and your guests can treasure for years to come.
What's the process?
First, reach out using the form below. Our first step is a free initial conversation that gives us both an opportunity to get to know each other, learn what your specific needs are, and help you determine if we are a good fit. I am happy to do this over the phone, zoom, or meet up for coffee!
My rates vary but typically run $300-500. As each ceremony is unique, once we discuss your specific needs I will be able to narrow that quote down. I do have sample ceremony scripts you can choose to use as-is, choose to use with edits, or create something from scratch together. The level of personalization and travel are the primary drivers of my rate. My fee includes my time crafting and writing your ceremony and the ongoing collaboration we will have until you are pleased with the ceremony. My fee also includes my travel (up to approx 35 miles from my home in Brighton, CO which covers the Denver area foothills). Additional fees will apply to travel outside this radius.
Once you decide to book with me, I will require a signed agreement and 50% retainer to reserve the date on my calendar. The balance is due 14 days before the wedding date.
I have a questionaire to learn even more about you which will help me get started on writing your ceremony. From this point, we can continue discussing your ideas and wishes via email, text, zoom, etc. I will also provide drafts throughout the process for your review. The goal is to be as collaborative as you need us to be. Some couples are happy with the first draft, others want to continue tweaking. Either of these works for me, again, as I am here to center YOU not just during the ceremony itself, but in its creation as well.
I highly recommend a rehearsal for more structured ceremonies so that all the players are on the same page. This gives us an opportunity to test out any public address equipment we may be using, make sure all participants know where to be when, and go over the general order of operations. Are we having family members offer readings? Are there children or pets included in the ceremony? All of these things are worked out in rehearsal which can take around an hour, give or take. This is not usually necessary for elopements and certificate signing ceremonies.
On your special day, I will arrive at the venue early and touch base with any other participants I may need to connect with (wedding planner, photographer, venue, etc.) to ensure that everything is in place for the ceremony we created together.
We will also determine during our planning when you want to sign the legally binding marriage certificate. This is very important! Some couples choose to take care of this step prior to the ceremony, some choose to sign after, but remember that you will likely be pulled in several competing directions both before and after the ceremony (photographers, family, wedding planner, etc.), depending on your plans for the day.
After the ceremony, I will usually stay long enough to thank you and wish you well and do not typically stay for any reception activities.
My final task is to file your legal paperwork so that you can focus on celebrating together with family and friends and begin exploring this new chapter in your lives.