Lara Celini

17/05/2026

Guess the venue! We've not played this for a while. This collection of corkscrews and bottle openers adorns the entrance wall of the venue that leads to a courtyard, the venue for yesterday's beautiful wedding ceremony.

Clue: It's a boutique hotel, housed in a building rich in history that once serving as a poorhouse, an asylum, and a science lab, and now opens its doors as a luxury hotel nestled in the heart of the city of Edinburgh's historic Old Town, just a whisper away from the lively Royal Mile.

04/05/2026

Recording your funeral wishes is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for your friends and family, giving them the freedom to celebrate your life instead of the stress and uncertainty of planning around your death without your input. Knowing that your funeral plans will be honoured when the time comes can also give peace of mind and be incredibly empowering.

'These Are My Wishes' aims to support individuals to start important discussions with loved ones and encourage more open conversations around death and our wishes after we die.

Our online form enables and encourages people at any stage of their life to record practical decisions about what they would like to happen after they die.

It’s designed to help you make your wishes known, easing the burden on your loved ones, and ensuring that your life is celebrated in the way you want it to be.

This week, we join communities across Scotland in observing Demystifying Death Week, an initiative by Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief which aims to encourage open conversations about death, dying, and bereavement, helping individuals feel more prepared and supported during these challenging times.

It's an opportunity to reflect on how we can best support each other through serious illness, death, and grief, and to consider the importance of planning ahead. By fostering open discussions, we can reduce the discomfort and uncertainty often associated with end-of-life matters.

Share your wishes and make a difference. Humanist Society Scotland's online form is free to access and will guide you through some questions, prompting you to create a plan that makes your wishes clear, and when you’ve finished completing the form, you can submit it and will be able to download a PDF copy of your answers that you can share with your solicitor and next of kin. Find it on Humanist Society Scotland's website or message me for the link.

Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies

03/05/2026

Day 3 of - What is humanism?

Humanism is a secular worldview.

"My humanist ethos is rooted in empathy and compassion. A belief that we make sense of the world through reason and experience, and that people should be able to live full and free lives so long as they don’t harm others"

https://medium.com//my-humanism-052e88ee4adf

02/05/2026

Day 2 of - How did I get started?

My journey to becoming a Celebrant began in 2008 when I spoke at my best friend Rachel's funeral. Immersed in grief, writing and delivering part of the tribute was a cathartic experience. This was my first contact with the charity Humanist Society Scotland, and led to me volunteering for Edinburgh Humanists and joining as a member.

When the call went out for new Celebrants it occurred to me that I had done this for one of my dearest friends, and it gave me the confidence to feel that this was something I could do for others.

So in 2011 I trained to become a Funeral Celebrant, and that marked the beginning of an amazing journey helping couples and families to celebrate life and love.

Now I conduct weddings, civil partnerships, renewal of vows, baby namings, child welcoming ceremonies, funerals and memorial ceremonies.

I have Rachel to thank for this.

The month of May is a chance to get to know me and my Celebrant friends and colleagues a bit better.

Tune in tomorrow to find out more.

Image description: Rachel wearing blue with the blue sea and sky behind her.

02/05/2026

Small grants available to help mark and celebrate World Humanist Day.

01/05/2026

Happy 1st of May! It’s time for Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies 'HuMayNist' - a month where you can get to know our Celebrants a bit better, including me!

Day 1 - Who Am I?

I am a registered celebrant with the charity Humanist Society Scotland, Scotland’s largest provider Humanist ceremonies. I have been celebrating life and love by conducting humanist ceremonies since 2011.

I am also …
A mum to a brilliant human
A tender of plants
A baker of cakes
A reader of books
A book group member (and a book that publishes in the Human Library)
A lover of nature, fresh air, sunlight and moonlight
An appreciator of family, friends, food, and fun!

23/04/2026

We are currently digitising archives left to us by the daughter of John McMillan, a founder member of Glasgow Humanist Society. Humanist Society Scotland was founded in 1989 from the amalgamation of lots of regional groups including the Glasgow group, so members like John were pioneers.

This 1950–51 lecture programme shows people hungry for reason and information in open discussions. This shows the people of Scotland noticing the environment they were living in. This shows a strong side of Scotland’s humanist heritage.

21/04/2026

04/04/2026

Dreich (pronounced dreech, with a guttural 'ch') is a Scots word commonly used to describe cold, damp, overcast, and miserable weather. And today was pretty dreich, but when love is in the air, it doesn't matter what the weather is doing. What a beautiful, joyful day!

26/03/2026

From debates on science and the Bible to talks on scepticism, this programme from the 1948-49 session for Glasgow humanist group shows humanist activity in Scotland long before Humanist Society Scotland was formed in 1989.

With thanks to our volunteer Skye for dipping into our archive to bring you this post, and to the daughter of John McMillan, a founder member of Glasgow Humanist Society for sharing these archive papers with us.