Humanist Ceremonies

Most of us want to celebrate important events in our lives such as births, marriages and partnerships, as well as to commemorate people we have loved when they die. It’s important that we are able to mark these occasions with honesty, warmth and affection, using words and music appropriate to the lives and the people involved.

For those of us without religious beliefs, Humanist celebrants are available to plan your ceremony in close consultation with you to make sure it’s exactly what you and your family want. Click here for more information about Humanist ceremonies.

Dorset Humanists’ celebrant partners
Our BHA Accredited celebrant partners are Simon Bull from Bournemouth, and David Hewitt from Christchurch. David and Simon both offer the full range of non-religious ceremonies including weddings, funerals and baby-namings. Between them they are available to conduct ceremonies across the South-West including Bournemouth, Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Poole, Southampton, Wiltshire and elsewhere by arrangement. Their contact details are available on their respective webpages at:

http://humanist.org.uk/davidhewitt and

http://humanist.org.uk/simonbull/

Weddings
David Hewitt writes, “A Humanist wedding ceremony is focussed not on God, but on you as a couple, and the family and friends you will gather around you, to share in and witness your public statement of commitment to each other. The ceremonies I conduct are very flexible and can be as simple or as elaborate, in venues as formal or unusual, as you wish. Having met with you to understand more about you both as individuals and as a couple, I will write and lead a ceremony that is meaningful and dignified, yet warm and romantic and above all personal, reflecting your hopes and aspirations for a stable, lifelong relationship together”

Funerals and Memorial Services
As human beings we’re all different and we all believe different things… but one thing we can all believe is that every life is special; every person matters. So a funeral ceremony must be proper and appropriate, both for the person who has died and for those who have loved them. The death of someone close to us is really an intensely private affair. And yet it is at this very time, when we feel at our least rational and capable, that we have to create exactly the right farewell; because this will be our only chance to do so. Whatever the circumstances, a Humanist ceremony can provide just that, and our Humanist celebrants will help you design a unique and fitting tribute for the crematorium, or burial location of your choice. The ceremony can be as grand or as simple as you wish, and may also be held in a hall, hotel or other non-religious venue.  We are always prepared to visit you at home at a time convenient to you, and we’re also happy to help you make an informed choice for the future, or just answer your questions. 

Baby Namings
Simon Bull says, “as I father I understand the importance of family and of celebrating the arrival of children. There’s no set script for a humanist naming ceremony – it’s too personal an occasion for that. Instead, every naming is tailored to meet the particular family’s requirements. Working with you I will craft a ceremony that is right for your child(ren) and for your family. Naming ceremonies are not just for babies, indeed many take place on first birthdays or later. It is not unusual to have double or even triple ceremonies where older siblings are celebrated along with more recent arrivals.

Further Information
For more general information about Humanist Ceremonies, or to find a celebrant outside of the Bournemouth and New Forest areas, please contact Simon Bull or David Hewitt or visit https://humanism.org.uk/ceremonies/.

Humanist Celebrant Leads Dorset’s First Secular Civic Service

We are delighted to report that local Humanist Celebrant David Hewitt (pictured) officiated at Ferndown’s first fully inclusive Civil Service on Friday July 11^th 2014.

Having recognised that church-based thanksgiving services exclude a significant number of the area’s increasingly secular population, Ferndown’s town council recently took the commendable decision to break with tradition and host a non-religious outdoor service that would celebrate the town and its facilities.

In its coverage of the event, Blackmore Vale Magazine reported that Mayor of Ferndown, Councillor Mike Parkes and Town Clerk, Vanessa Ricketts were “delighted with the positive response from around 200 attendees”.

In the following article written for Dorset Humanists’ forthcoming August Bulletin, David Hewitt shares his recollections of the service, and describes the circumstances that led to this very welcome development.

A Humanist ‘Civic Ceremony’ by David Hewitt

On a quiet Friday lunchtime in May I received an intriguing email from the Town Clerk at Ferndown Town Council. She wrote: “Every year mayoral towns hold Civic Services which normally take the form of a church service of re-dedication and involve a few hymns, normally ‘I vow to thee my Country’ and ‘Jerusalem’, a sermon from the Vicar followed by tea and cake. The mayor, the youngest in the town’s history, and I want to bring this event into the 21^st century!”

And so the idea was born of holding a fully inclusive Civic Service; one that would avoid alienating all those in the community who are not CofE, as so many previous services had done, by focussing more on celebration and less on thanksgiving. As I say in all my different ceremonies, if Humanism is about anything it is about leading ethical lives based on rationality and our common humanity. What better foundation then, what more apposite sentiments could there be for a ceremony to celebrate the high ethical standards and secular service that this lively and diverse community expects and enjoys?

True to the brief, we had no hymns, no prayers and definitely not a sermon. Instead the Mayor delivered a speech that talked about the past, present and future of Ferndown. We had a handful of readings, mostly delivered by youngsters from the community, and a period of reflection to appreciate what the council and community does for residents, and - paraphrasing JFK - what residents could do for the community. We even played some music: Lou Reed’s Perfect Day. It seemed the perfect song with those lyrics that talk about reaping what you will sow. The ceremony celebrated sowing the seeds of community spirit and encouraging community support, for doing so surely reaps countless rewards. Unfortunately, there was no ‘sangria in the park’, only Ringwood Best!

On-line coverage in the Blackmore Vale Magazine afterwards claimed it as a first for Dorset, but I suspect it might be the first anywhere in the country. How did it go down? The overall response was enthusiastic and positive, for at the heart of the ceremony was a ‘commendment’ that had as its theme a celebration of the wonderful ‘hard’ facilities the town enjoys, not least the spacious playing fields on which the open-air event took place, and the continuing ‘soft’ input that comes from the army of volunteers operating through - indeed bringing to life - the many organisations that serve the varied needs of this vibrant community. A truly Humanist celebration!

David Hewitt    BHA Accredited Naming, Wedding & Funeral Celebrant http://humanist.org.uk/davidhewitt/

 

For more about the services offered by Humanist Celebrants, please see our Ceremonies page and the links contained within at: http://dorset-humanists1.blogspot.co.uk/p/ceremonies.html

Humanist Ceremonies

13^th April 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

Humanist funerals, weddings, partnerships and baby-namings have seen a surge in popularity in recent years, as more people seek personalised non-religious ceremonies that honestly reflect their genuine beliefs and values with warmth and affection.

In a special event that will be of interest to everyone considering a Humanist ceremony, Maggie and David will answer all your questions and explain how they can help create and organise dignified and meaningful occasions that best encapsulate your feelings and wishes.

Join us to discover everything you need to know to create your perfect Humanist wedding, partnership or funeral.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

For more information on Humanist Ceremonies, please visit our Ceremonies page or the British Humanists Association’s Ceremonies page.

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Remembrance Sunday 2011

 A Humanist’s ‘Thought For The Day’

David Brittain, General Secretary of the UK Armed Forces Humanist Association (UKAFHA) has been invited by BBC Three Counties Radio to deliver a ‘Thought for the Day’ (TFTD) on Remembrance Sunday. This is the first time he has been invited by the BBC to make a broadcast on behalf of UKAFHA, and he hopes that a good number of Humanists will be able to listen in.

The programme begins early in the morning, and David expects his TFTD will be broadcast somewhere around 7.50am*. He very much hopes you will find his TFTD both moving and relevant. He will also be taking part in a two-hour debate on current religious/moral issues with a selection of religious representatives between 7.00am* and 9.00am*. 

Most Dorset Humanists will be outside the Three Counties broadcast network, but you can tune in by going to BBC Three Counties Programmes online. Near the bottom of the page under ‘Categories, and Genres’, click on ‘Religion and Ethics’, and if you see the name Toby Freidner, you've found the right place.You will be able to listen live if you get up early, or as a recording anytime during the following few days.

Dorset Humanists at Local Remembrance Service

Richard Scutt and Humanist celebrant Maggie Pepin will lay a wreath at the  Bournemouth War Memorial on 13th November as part of the Remembrance Service.  The wreath will state: “From Dorset Humanists on behalf of the United Kingdom Armed Forces Humanist Association. For those who gave their lives for us. We will remember them.”   

*Please note revised broadcast times

Humanist Funerals talk, 5th July, Sturminster Newton, Dorset

David Pack, Ceremonies Training Officer of British Humanist Association (BHA) will talk at the Martinsey Isle Trust Resource Centre at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton, Dorset at 2pm Tuesday July 5^th  2011. Types of celebrants available and funeral options, will be discussed. Everyone welcome.

David Pack

Further information - Martinsey Isle http://www.martinsey.org.uk/ and BHA Humanist Funerals and Memorials.

Humanist Weddings / Civil Partnership Celebrations

Contact Dorset Humanists for names of local Humanist celebrants who will conduct non-religious Humanist Weddings or Civil Partnership Celebrations.

Humanist Funerals

Humanist officiants offer a personal and dignified funeral ceremony for those who have chosen to live without religion. Contact Dorset Humanists (see right) for names of local celebrants.

Humanist Baby Namings

For a personal, unique and beautiful welcome for your child, Humanist celebrants can help. Contact Dorset Humanists for names of local celebrants.