Marilyn Jackson - Humanist Celebrant

16/02/2025

Esme Jane really stole the show at her Naming ceremony yesterday, a real charmer! Hayleigh and Gary chose to celebrate Esme’s arrival in a uniquely personal way, combining her first birthday with a Naming Day. The event was held at Bainfield Bowling Club, which Hayleigh and Gary had decorated beautifully. They decided on the poem “Welcome Wee One”, read by young Macy; wrote Esme’s story; picked four guide parents who accepted a commitment to their daughter; and made their own promises to her. Music before the ceremony and for the party after was provided by Finbar Horgan.

Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
https://www.facebook.com/share/19uvbtXzDH/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/01/2025

Come and say hello!

Calling all engaged couples! We've got FREE TICKETS to give away for The Edinburgh Wedding Exhibition on Sat 25th and Sun 26th January 2025. To get your hands on them simply like and share this post, make sure you’re following our page and then send us a DM with your full name and email address, and the first 5 to do so will get them. Each ticket permits entry for a group of 4 people. Grab ‘em while you can!

📍 Murrayfield Stadium
📅 25th and 26th Jan 2025
⏰ 11.30am - 4.00pm

Our fabulous celebrants David The Humanist Celebrant Marilyn Jackson - Humanist Celebrant Sarah Morrison Humanist Celebrant and Mary Kane will be on hand for a blether all about humanist ceremonies and to help you secure your date!

09/12/2024

Laura and Connor came up from Newcastle to marry at the Cheval Edinburgh Grand Hotel yesterday.
Their very special reading was a poem written by Laura’s late Granda Neil titled “First Love” written for her Gran Mary on their 60th wedding anniversary and was beautifully read by Mary herself.
Live music was provided by David of the Capella String Quartet. Laura entered to Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect”, during the signing it was “Love” by Taylor Swift and the exit music was Coldplay’s “Sky Full of Stars”.
May you have many many happy years together, Mr & Mrs Thomson!

Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
Cheval The Edinburgh Grand
Capella String Quartet

08/12/2024

Raining outside yesterday but a warm atmosphere inside, at the Pavilion at Dundas Castle, for the wedding of Steph and Gavin. Steph entered to “Christmas Wedding” by Fiona Joy Hawkins and the newly weds walked back up to “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles. The readings were “He’s Not Perfect” by Bob Marley and a wonderfully original reading which was an amalgamation of an extract from Steph’s diary before she met Gavin and a quote from a TV series, great idea! At the start of the ceremony they lit three candles – two to symbolise their separate lives before their union (since they were both single for so long!) and one for the joining of their lives in marriage.
Although candles don’t last forever, may the light of your love last throughout your lives together – Mr & Mrs Black!
Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
Dundas Castle

03/12/2024

Do go and see this beautiful tapestry ….

This is a photo of a tapestry ceated with 16 amateur tapestry weaving friends during Lockdown THe tapestry Golden Threads Reawakened uses golden threads that were collected by a refugee after she fled Germany in 1941. The threads did not see the light of day for some 70 years until they were given to me by her grandaughter in January 2021. We used the hreads to make this modern secular tapestry with a continuing concern for refugees and all victims of conflict and a theme of building brigdes and breaking through barriers in the hope of making the world a better place.
Courtesy of the Jigsaw Art Foundation, the tapestry is curently on show at the Jigsaw shop, 48 George St, Edinburgh. We continue to show the tapestry because whilst the world is increasingly troubled and cruel, it is important to hold on to that hope.

27/10/2024

Naming ceremonies are such a lovely way to welcome children into the lives of their family and friends, and such fun! I was delighted to conduct a naming at the Kingsknowe Roadhouse yesterday for Natash and Sarah, beloved daughters of Mica. These lucky girls now have five guide parents: they all, plus Mica and the girls, all added some coloured sand into little bottles – creating unique patterns and symbolising all the kindness and support they have received and all the love and friendship to come.
Natasha and Sarah we wish you much happiness and may your days be filled with peace, joy, love and laughter!
Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies

07/10/2024

It was a pleasure to marry Sarah and Clark at Surgeon's Hall on Saturday - and isn't her dress amazing! They entered to "A Thousand Years" by The Piano Guys; during the signing had “Lonely Day” by System of a Down, performed by Vitamin String Quartet; and walked up the aisle to “Caverns of Isengard” from Lord of the Rings. They exchanged vows in a handfasting and sealed their promises with a shared drink from a lovely quaich.
Here's to your happy ever after, Mr & Mrs McMenemy!
Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
Surgeons' Hall Museums

26/09/2024

I’ll be there on Sunday ….

Planning your wedding in Edinburgh? We've got FREE TICKETS to give away for The Edinburgh Wedding Exhibition this weekend. To get your hands on them simply like and share this post, make sure you’re following our page and then send us a direct message including your email address, and the first 5 to do so will get them. Each ticket permits entry for a group of 4 people. Grab ‘em while you can!

📍 Murrayfield Stadium
📅 28th & 29th September 2024
⏰ 11.30am - 4.00pm

Our fabulous celebrants including David The Humanist Celebrant, Claire Watt Humanist Celebrant Marilyn Jackson - Humanist Celebrant and Sarah Morrison Humanist Celebrant will be on hand for a blether all about humanist ceremonies and to help you secure your date!

30/08/2024

A return to the Stair Arms today, to marry Paula and Dode. Unusually, they told their story as a poem, brilliantly written by Paula and said their vows in a handfast, using a specially made tartan ribbon.
Their music was “Songbird” by Eva Cassidy for Paula’s entrance; “It Must Be Love” by Madness for the signing; and “My First, My Last, My Everything” by Barry White to exit. The pretty flower girl is Mia, daughter of Paula’s bridesmaid Denise and the handsome young ring bearer is Roman, son of her friend Shaz.
Warmest wishes to the new Mr & Mrs Robinson and may you live happily ever after!

Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
The Stair Arms Hotel

27/08/2024

Real ceremony stories: Rosa and Rory's joint naming ceremony

Parents Lisa and Doug share a bit about why they decided to have a humanist naming ceremony and what humanism means to them.

"Rosa was born in July 2020, so although we’d hoped to have a naming ceremony, we couldn’t due to covid restrictions. We didn’t think about it for a long time, until I was pregnant with Rory.

"Sadly Doug’s granny Betty passed away last year, and after attending her funeral we reflected on the importance of gatherings and marking milestone moments in life, both happy and sad. I was pregnant at the time and we decided we’d do a naming ceremony for the new baby when he arrived.

"We really appreciate the importance of gatherings, rituals, witnessing and ceremony, but we are atheists. We’re grateful that humanism provides a way to bring all these things into our life events. Making promises to our children felt powerful and important, just as our promises to each other were important on our wedding day.

We loved our humanist wedding and wanted to recreate that informal, personal and values-driven tone. As parents, and as people, we try to emphasize kindness and connectedness to other beings and the planet, so the humanist values really resonate with us."

Read more about their celebrations and humanist naming ceremony delivered by Jamie Innes Humanist Celebrant on our ceremonies blog.

24/08/2024

Such a nice couple that I took more photos than usual today, so one of Ann & Andy indoors and one outdoors with Edinburgh Castle in the background. Their wedding was at the Braid Hills Hotel, a lovely friendly venue, with great views in the sun!

Ann and Andy met back in 2010 through both being members of a Singles Club – and Ann only joined to meet new friends and definitely had NO interest in looking for a man (or so she says!). Right from the first date they both knew there was a spark between them and that they had something very special …

Ann wrote a super poem “Roll on the Wedding” for her daughter Jayne to read and they also included “The Smile” and “The One”. Legal declarations were made in a handfasting with cream and burgundy ribbons and they ended the ceremony by sharing a drink from their quaich – their first as Mr & Mrs Wardell.

Piper Glyn of scottishbagpipers.com provided the music – Caledonia for Ann’s entrance with her two daughters as bridesmaids; The Minguly Boat Song for signing; and Scotland the Brave for the newly weds to exit.

Love and best wishes to them both!

Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
Braid Hills Hotel

p.s. games to keep kiddies amused is a great idea!

12/08/2024

The rain that was forecast did not arrive (hurrah!) and it was a sunny-enough day for a wedding on the beach at the Glen Golf Club in North Berwick yesterday.
Ali and Tracy met online three years ago, both having swiped left countless times!
They chose some beautiful music for the ceremony, including “Better Place” by Rachel Platten for Tracy’s entrance; “Love Has Never Felt So Good” by Anakelly, Leo Portela for the signing; and the favourite exit music for so many weddings “Signed Sealed Delivered” by Stevie Wonder.
To symbolise their marriage, Tracy and Ali took turns pouring sand from France (Ali) and from North Berwick (Tracy) into a glass bottle – the grains of sand can never again be separated, as they will be in their marriage.
Congratulations to the newly weds and live happily ever after!
p.s. I remembered to take my Nana’s old flat iron to weigh down the marriage schedule, after having to chase after one a few years ago!
Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
golf club

14/07/2024

Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club yesterday, to marry Louise and Scott. A very simple ceremony, without poems or gestures, just as Louise and Scott wanted. The music they chose was “Highland Cathedral” for the bride’s entrance and “Sunshine on Leith” for the newlyweds’ exit, both played by Jordan the Piper; during the signing they had “Life with You” by The Proclaimers. Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs McBeath!
Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
Jordan The Piper

07/07/2024

A walk to Summerhall yesterday (super venue) to marry Naomi and Daniel. Their handfast had three tartan ribbons – green to represent Naomi’s love for Daniel; purple, Daniel’s love for Naomi; and blue, their love for daughter Robyn. Robyn stole the show, just a pity I didn’t catch her smiling in the signing photo, which includes witnesses Sean and Alex. The thousands of paper swans decorating the room were all made by Daniel’s family and looked just lovely!
Warmest wishes to the new Mr & Mrs Seaton!
Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
Summerhall

30/06/2024

My first wedding at Barnbougle Castle, South Queensferry, a super venue. It was a nice sunny day so Lyndsay and Murray were able to have their ceremony outdoors. They included a reading of the beautiful lyrics of Adele’s “Lovesong” and told the story of how they met online in August 2019 “neither looking for anything serious” …
It was also my first time working with wedding planner Anthony Esquire and piper Tony from Port Seton – hope to meet both of them again soon - and have a return to Barnbougle.
All the very best for the future, Mr and Mrs and young Ellis Davies!
Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
Rosebery Venues
Anthony Esquires

21/06/2024

A return to the Stair Arms Hotel today to marry Margaret and Scott in a very unique and personal ceremony. They wrote me their story to tell, from when they first met way back in 1994. Scott’s sister Anne and Margaret’s son Alan did readings (“Time Travellers” by Terah Cox and “A Vow” by Wendy Cope respectively) and they had a handfasting with green and red tartan ribbons to tie the knot.
May you have many happy years together Mr and Mrs McLennan, it was a real pleasure to be your celebrant!

Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies
The Stair Arms Hotel