I am Zena Birch, a Humanist celebrant, who was inspired to train as a celebrant after being asked to marry two dear friends of mine in California. They asked me to both write and conduct a ceremony for them. The fact they trusted me with such a free reign for something so important and meaningful to them was daunting, but indeed a great honour. It proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life to date.Z

After the ceremony so many of the guests thanked me and commented on what a wonderful job it must be to be able to help make somebody’s important day so special. Which was when I realised, that yes, indeed it was an important job and one that I very much wished I had. Eight years later, more than 520 individual peoples’ stories have been celebrated and I can now more than happily declare that this is not just my job, but my vocation. I feel extremely lucky that it is.

Humanist ceremonies have the unique ability to be about the people themselves. The ceremony can be as formal or informal as you like, they can be held in any venue from the traditional (a registered venue) to the imaginative (a forest/beach/back garden/theatre) to the absurd (a hot air balloon) and it can be as long or as short as the proverbial piece of string. What Humanist ceremonies have in common is the personal touch. The ceremony whilst never isolating those with a religious belief unites everyone in a common goal, to celebrate and to witness the occasion of those involved.

I offer to create a ceremony that is personal and friendly. Whether you require the light hearted touch and humour that your guests would expect from you or a solemnity of service to honour the seriousness of the occasion, I will be happy to deliver a ceremony that sits best with your approach to life.