Kathryn Hanson Celebrant (2025)

04/01/2025

My wedding year started off today with an absolutely perfect winter's day - a beautiful big blue sky reflected in an equally blue loch, a dusting of snow (but not enough snow to make the roads scary), dappled light coming through the trees, and two people very much in love celebrating 17 years of being together. One of those days where I can hardly believe that my job is the honour of marrying people in beautiful locations across Scotland.

If you're new here, here's a little about me as a celebrant:
- I'm licensed with Independent Humanist Ceremonies to conduct legal weddings anywhere in Scotland
- I've been a Humanist celebrant since 2018
- Humanism is a non-religious outlook on life, with the core belief that it is through our own morality that we should choose to look after the world and those around us. It allows couples to have ceremonies that are true to them, celebrating human connection at it's heart
- As a Humanist, I am proud beyond measure to be able to marry any two people who love each other. All are welcome here
- I'm here to guide you through the legal and practical, but also fun and emotional parts of putting together your wedding ceremony
- In Scotland, you can legally get married anywhere, with the land owner's permission

I currently take bookings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 12 months in advance. So as of January 2025, I am taking bookings up until January 2026. From February 2025, I'll be booking until February 2026, etc. I know lots of businesses in wedding-world book up years in advance, but that's never sat well in my brain. By booking a year at a time, I feel much more present for the couples in my diary.

Anyway, if you have any questions, give me a shout! Best bet is to send an email (as insta likes to put messages in my spam folder and I'd hate to miss your message). I'd love to hear your wedding plans 🌿✨❤️

21/12/2024

Nothing says Christmas to me more than taking on an elaborate craft project that I don't have the time or skills for! But I'm so pleased to have finished refurbishing my childhood dolls house to give to my little girl this year. Growing up, I always thought it was funny that Santa had used the same carpet in it as we had in our kitchen when I was wee, never realising that my dad had made it.

Scroll to see some before, during and afters. I definitely wanted to give up half way through (using a jigsaw was scarier than I anticipated!) It's by no means perfect, but I really hope that she loves it.

I've still got one more wedding before the year is out, but I'll be a bit slow to respond to messages over the next few weeks as we take a bit of time to chill. Wedding content will resume in the new year.

Have a good one, whatever you're doing! ###

15/12/2024

This day was a beaut! Larissa and Chris didn't want a big wedding, just a wee gathering of their closest family on the banks of Loch Leven. Simple, heartfelt, and very much theirs. They used to come to this beach when they first met, and it's somewhere they always come back to.

Scroll through for a very cute photo of Larissa's mum acting as the signing table! Always there to lean on.

Proof once again that there are so many incredible places you can hold your ceremony outdoors, without trekking up to Glencoe or Skye (which are also beautiful, but can be very busy). I've no doubt these two will always come back to this beach, which is now even more special in their story.

Photos by

18/11/2024

Photographer "do you want a photo with your celebrant?"
Chaz and Fraz "YEAHHHHHH!!!!"

I wasn't prepared for this - dropping to their knees and giving me a fanfare! You pair of absolute belters!! Much as I'm definitely not shy and actually really enjoy public speaking, I'm really not into being in the limelight. I get a bit awkward when I'm put centre stage - hence the daft giggling in the photo!

But standing in front of people conducting a ceremony is entirely different. I'm there to tell your stories, share your best bits, your highlights, adding heart, sincerity, laughter and warmth, including meaningful symbolism, bringing your guests into your world and sharing it with them. I'm by no means a stand-up comedian (although I'm occasionally witty), and your ceremony is never The Kathryn Show.

It's your ceremony, it's not mine

Thank you so much to photography for capturing the chaotic, hilarious laughter that went into Charlotte and Fraser's wedding 🍂

22/10/2024

Between every two pine trees, there is a door leading to a new way of life - John Muir

Abby and Stu tied the knot in the beautiful woodland of . In the dappled light under the immense trees they took the next step into their new life together. It was glorious!

Photos by the absolutely brilliant

22/09/2024

How dreamy is this incredible wild botanical ceremony set up at Beth and Gary's wedding?! created the most spectacular design which felt like it was growing straight out of the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. I loved the way it framed the space, creating curves and breaking up the traditional rows of seating.

Beth and Gary - what a beaut of a day! I'm obsessed!!

Photos by

08/08/2024

A decade as your wife! Happy 10th anniversary to us ❤️

30/07/2024

When your bestie gets her wedding photos back and you're giving "newly married couple" vibes rather than "bride and celebrant" vibes! What can I say, I love her ❤️

Thank you for capturing this moment!

09/07/2024

What to do with your bouquet after your wedding?

After conducting my lovely friend's wedding in May, she gifted me her bouquet and asked if I could press a few flowers for her as they were heading out of the country the day after her wedding.

A few weeks pressed in some books, and a bit of pritt-stick later, today I gifted her bouquet back to her.

02/07/2024

What an absolute scorcher this was back in May for Emily and Louis!! This day was just SO. MUCH. FUN! They laughed and smiled through the entire ceremony!

You might not consider it for a Scottish wedding, but make sure you pack suncream! And if you're getting your make up done, make sure you pop it on beforehand. On a sunny day, you could be outside for hours - mingling before we begin, the ceremony, photos, catching up with all your favourite people. You don't want to be a shiny beetroot in your photos!

If you need some on your wedding day, I am part of the Factor 50 Club and will always have some in my bag that you can pinch. On the flip side, I also always have my massive brolly with me. You never know.

Photos by the very lovely
At the beautiful

21/06/2024

Happy 4 weeks married to my beautiful friend, Alicia and the very lovely Kevin.

To conduct the wedding of someone you know is truly such a privilege - even in the absolute peeing rain!! We found a sheltered spot, just off the Royal Mile to hold their tiny ceremony and make it all official.

As long as I've known you, Alicia, it was clear that you and Kevin were meant to be. You two are just made for each other, and it means so much to have been at your side, to hear the beautiful things you had to say about each other, your promises for the future, and to pronounce you husband and wife.

Lots of love to you both ❤️

Photos by

14/06/2024

Today I married my best friend... To her lovely husband, Jamie.

18 years of friendship, from sitting together on our very first day of uni, sharing flats together, being young and drunk and silly. All the big chats over the years, being there through sh*tty situations, figuring out who we were and what on earth we wanted to be. Fancy dress parties, trying to teach you how to do handstand in the pool, laughing until we cry, the time you got stuck in a window. To motherhood - sharing highs, lows, wisdom and confusion, having someone to message at 3am, being in amazement at the little humans we've brought into the world.

But today, after all these years of friendship, standing at your side as you marry someone who loves you and makes you so happy - that's my favourite memory we've shared.

To Emma, I love you so much! And to Jamie, I'm so happy you're in her life ###

23/04/2024

On Sunday I had one of those days where I had to pinch myself to remind myself that this is truly what I do for my job.

I left a grey and miserable Edinburgh, to drive up to Glencoe - only to be greeted by glorious sunshine and a roasting 17 degrees! I met the hilarious and very loved-up couple, their family and two very cute dogs in a layby, then we took a hike into the hills. We followed the path of waterfalls, passing crystal clear freezing pools, surrounded by breath-taking views to arrive at the place they'd chosen for their wedding. Somewhere they'd visited before and dreamt of returning to for their wedding day. It was glorious!

To say that I love what I do, really is an understatement!

23/02/2024

This is the tale of a tiny snail, and a great big grey-blue humpback whale.

I'm so excited about this weekend! A lovely community project to brighten up the last of these winter evenings, where people decorate their windows. Here's my piece, The Snail and the Whale, since I've read this book about 7000 times with my wee girl and know it by heart.

If you're near the West of Edinburgh this weekend, pop around Corstorphine for a wander 6-9pm on Saturday and Sunday. There's some beauties

Wedding content will resume soon!

18/02/2024

This might be my favourite photo from 2023! Lauren and Neale got married in September just off the iconic Royal Mile in Edinburgh. They headed up to the Mile for their photos after the ceremony and walked into the middle of a huge Scottish Indy referendum march - which stopped in its tracks for everyone to cheer and go wild for our newly married couple!!

And it was such a special day in my celebrant career, marking my 200th wedding!! It doesn't get better than this! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Thank you so much to the brilliant for capturing it x

09/02/2024

Tying the knot as a family

When Kirstin and Richard got married in November, a huge part of their story was Kirstin joining Team Turnbull, with Richard and the kids. During the ceremony, it wasn't just Kirstin and Richard that tied the knot in a handfasting, we added in a length of ribbon for each of the kids too. A strong knot, held together by the love that the 5 of them have for each other ❤️

Photo by at The Rowantree

07/02/2024

EXCITING NEWS!!

Over the last year or so, I've only been available for weddings on Saturdays and Sundays... But has anyone got that Friday feeling??? I'm now taking bookings on Fridays too!!! 🎉❤️✨

Fridays are a great day for a wedding - a long weekend of celebrating, an extra day off to recover for your guests, your favourite suppliers are more likely to be available than on a Saturday. Plus I got married on a Friday so I reckon it's a great day for a wedding!

So if you're getting married in the next 12 months, and looking for a Friday date, give me a shout! I still have some Saturday and plenty of Sunday availability throughout the year too, so get in touch ☺️

(Currently only taking bookings up to 12 months in advance, so I can still plan life around my beautiful wild wee toddler)

Throwback photo from the wonderful wedding of Giada and Mike at , taken by the amazing ❤️

29/01/2024

The serious bit - the legal stuff!

With a Humanist wedding, there is no set content and each ceremony is written to reflect each couple. The only bit of the ceremony that you MUST include is that you each state that you want to marry each other ("I [name] accept you [name] in marriage") and you must sign the paperwork, along with two witnesses. That's what makes it legally binding.

Beyond that legal part, I'd create a ceremony that suits you both - whether you're super romantic, absolutely not romantic at all, love taking the mick out of each other, want loads of tradition, want something unconventional and modern, something sincere and heartfelt, full of your mad stories, simple and stripped back... I always tell couples, it's your ceremony, not mine.

We're very lucky in Scotland, as it's one of the small handful of places in the world where you can have a legally binding Humanist wedding. So you get the freedom that comes with a Humanist ceremony to have a wedding that is meaningful to you. But it's also legal!

As you can see from this photo at Angela and Ryan's wedding by .photo, I take this paperwork very seriously... I actually do, but it's the most fun legal document you'll probably ever sign!

Kathryn Hanson Celebrant