Looking for a Celebrant in the North East? A Guide to the Differences between Humanists and Independents
- Rachael Meyer
- 3 days ago
- 10 min read
Are you looking for a good wedding celebrant in the North East/Northumberland? Fantastic - you're already on track to experience the very best type of ceremony possible for your big day - one that's got you and your story at the front and centre of your wedding celebrations. If you're planning a non-religious ceremony around Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyneside, Alnwick, Hexham, Corbridge, Durham or Middlesborough, you may be wondering whether to choose a Humanist celebrant or an independent celebrant and what the difference is. The general rule of thumb is that if you want a non religious ceremony, you will probably work with a Humanist celebrant. If you want a ceremony with some religious content, you might choose an independent celebrant.
This blog post concentrates on Humanist Celebrants and the ceremonies they conduct across the North East, Northumberland, County Durham and Teesside. In our fabulous neck of the woods - and coast, it can be quite confusing, trawling through websites. There are accredited Humanist celebrants who are trained and regulated by the national charity Humanists UK/Humanist Ceremonies. But there are also other organisations and individuals who advertise humanist ceremonies as part of their offering; but who are not accredited by Humanists UK/Humanist Ceremonies.
What Should I Look for In a Celebrant?
All celebrants claim to offer bespoke, non religious, humanist ceremonies but there are important differences—especially if you’re looking for an authentic Humanist Celebrant and a ceremony that reflects your values. The best advice is to read reviews, speak to celebrants on a connection call, look for the logo, ask questions about individual style, qualifications and level of experience, ask who they're accredited with; and get recommendations... but if you're starting from scratch, here are a few pointers:
Humanists UK / Humanist Ceremonies Accredited Celebrants
All Humanist Celebrants bring their own style, experience, skill-base and personality to the role; but all share the same humanist values, and once trained and accredited to write and deliver a ceremony with flair and meaning, are regulated by Humanist Ceremonies and Humanists UK.
Authentic Humanist Celebrants display the Humanist Ceremonies and the Humanists UK logos on their websites, profiles and literature. They write and conduct beautiful, warm, inclusive ceremonies that are story-led, meaningful and totally free of religion. However, many experienced celebrants will offer to include traditions and symbolic acts from other cultures, for couples with different backgrounds, or with differing beliefs.
Some Humanist Celebrants will allow the odd religious reference in a reading or song; but none will lead a prayer. The humanist viewpoint is not to preach any kind of belief. Humanists promote freedom of thought and curiosity. They believe that life brings meaning through human connections, they promote an appreciation of our natural world, an understanding that we all know we have this one life (so we should make the most of it); the demonstration of kindness and fairness to fellow humans, and the respect for all other species who share our planet. They accept and acknowledge, that many of your guests will have differing religious beliefs or levels of spirituality - from zero to 100. All should feel included in your ceremony without any degree of separation from what's front and central - that's you, your story, and your wonderfully wide and diverse community.
What Is Humanists UK and Why Should I Look for the Humanist Ceremonies Logo?
Humanists UK is a national charity for human rights, which, for over 100 years, has been training Humanist celebrants to write and conduct authentic Humanist ceremonies.
Humanists UK does all kinds of things in the background in terms of lobbying governments and giving people with no religion a collective, strong voice in our society. 'Humanist Ceremonies' is the training and ceremonies arm of Humanists UK.
'Humanist Ceremonies' interviews, trains and regulates all Humanist Celebrants in its national network. All Humanist UK accredited celebrants are interviewed to deem their suitability for the role as a celebrant (writing, presentation, life experience and event management skills).
Once accepted onto the Humanist Ceremonies/Humanists UK Celebrants training programme, trainee celebrants are given gold standard training (three months for weddings; three months for funerals; and separate training for namings) and are assigned an accredited mentor so they can gain valuable insight and glean from the experience of an operating celebrant, whilst training.
Accredited Humanist Celebrants manage their own businesses, but all celebrants under the 'Humanist Ceremonies' brand umbrella are part of a supportive, national network of Humanist Celebrants. They work together, regionally and nationally, to provide a comprehensive service to the non religious community and are frequently reviewed to ensure that Humanist ceremonies exude professionalism, quality and authenticity.
Whether they offer weddings, funerals or namings, or all three ceremony types, Humanist Celebrants are required to demonstrate ongoing training and continued professional development to remain accredited. They are insured by Humanists UK, have undergone DBS clearing and are geared up to cover each other in an emergency. Some go on to be mentors, trainers and network coordinators within the organisation. If you want an authentic Humanist Ceremony conducted by an accredited celebrant, choose your celebrant from Google searches, recommendations, or through the Humanists UK Find a Celebrant site. Always look for the Humanist Ceremonies logo!
Other Groups - North East Humanists
North East Humanists is a small group of people in the North East region, who are humanist (non religious) by nature, and who are aligned with Humanist UK's values. This group are all members of the charity, Humanists UK. They meet to discuss humanist principles, they offer humanist services for schools and organisations, and they offers talks on humanist subjects. They do not train or provide celebrants.
Other Groups - Tyne Wear Celebrants.
Tyne Wear Celebrants advertise humanist ceremonies. This is a long-standing splinter group from Humanist Ceremonies. It's small agency of independent, but non religious celebrants who align with humanist principles, and are members of the charity, Humanists UK. However, they work entirely independently of Humanists UK's ceremony/training arm - Humanist Ceremonies.
Tyne and Wear independent humanist celebrants conduct predominantly funerals, and are assigned work by a central adminstrator. This group of celebrants is not aligned in any way with the authentic Humanist Ceremonies brand or network. Celebrants are not trained, accredited or regulated by Humanists UK/Humanist Ceremonies. It does not allow Humanist UK's accredited celebrants to work within its network unless they forgo the right to work under the Humanist Ceremonies banner or network. Although Tyne Wear celebrants will conduct a ceremony in line with their humanist principles, you won't be getting a 'Humanist Ceremonies' accredited celebrant with all the benefits associated with the Humanist Ceremonies requirements and brand. There is no 'Humanist Ceremonies' logo displayed by the agency or any of its celebrants.
How Do Independent Celebrants Differ?
Independent celebrants are not aligned with a specific belief system. They can create ceremonies that include religious or spiritual elements—or none at all. Some independent celebrants may advertise themselves as offering humanist ceremonies and may even have the word 'humanist' in their website title. This mainly means that they will offer a non religious service, but they will not have been trained by Humanists UK or be at all affiliated with the Humanist Ceremonies network.
Although there is no legal requirement for any celebrant to have undergone any training at all, or provide details of qualifications; many independent celebrants choose to train with commercial training organisations. Although some independent celebrants are highly skilled, their approach and skill set can vary. Once up and running, independent celebrants are as they state - independent. They work alone. And independent celebrants are not quality controlled, required to undergo reviews, demonstrate ongoing training, DBS clearance, insurance or network benefits.
Can A Celebrant Legally Marry Us?
No celebrant wedding ceremony comes with legal recognition in England or Wales. Although Humanist Ceremonies are legally recognised in Australia, the US, Scotland, Ireland, and the Channel Isles...... in England and Wales, couples will still need to get their marriage legally recognised by a registrar. Humanists UK is working on that....... You may find a fabulous independent celebrant to work with, but if you’re looking for an authentic humanist wedding ceremony in the North East or Northumberland, and you want the peace of mind of working with a highly trained and regulated officiant, it may be wiser to choose Humanists UK trained celebrant who can offer consistency and an ethical framework that you share.
An Overview. The Benefits of Choosing a Humanists UK Accredited Celebrant
A Humanists UK/Humanist Ceremonies accredited celebrant offers non-religious ceremonies that celebrate life, love, and individuality. These ceremonies are:
Highly personalised – Crafted uniquely for you, based on your story.
Non-religious – No prayers or spiritual references, just meaningful words and reflections about you and your story.
Warm and inclusive – Focused on connection, compassion, and human values.
Professional - each and every celebrant goes through an interview process to ascertain their suitability for the role (life and work experience, writing, presenting, humanist values) before training
Authentic - celebrants who are accredited by Humanists UK have gold standard, residential training - with three months devoted to funerals and three months devoted to weddings, with peer reviews, mentors and an accreditation review before qualification.
Regulated - all Humanist Ceremonies accredited ceremonies are of a guaranteed quality. Humanist Celebrants are required to demonstrate ongoing training, peer reviews and continued professional development.
Part of a national network of celebrants accredited by Humanist Ceremonies / Humanists UK, who support and cover each other in an emergency.
DBS checked, insured, peer reviewed and highly professional.
All authentic Humanist celebrants are trained and accredited by Humanists UK and will demonstrate the Humanist Ceremonies and Humanists UK logos on their promotional material.
What Types of Ceremonies Do Humanist Celebrants Offer?
Weddings – Unique, personal ceremonies full of meaning and joy. (Note: Legal marriage still requires a registrar in England and Wales.)
Funerals, Memorials, Celebrations of Life – Warm, respectful tributes to a life well lived—without religious content.
Naming Ceremonies – Celebrate the arrival of a child in a joyful, inclusive way that reflects your values.
Wedding Couple Reviews for Rachael Meyer, Humanist Celebrant, Newcastle, North East, Northumberland
“Thank you so much for delivering a beautiful, heartwarming and funny ceremony. We have had so many compliments about how amazing it was!” — Shauna and Sarah, Rudding Park, Harrogate, 2025
“Everyone commented on how it was the most personal ceremony they’d ever been to.” — Issy and Miles, Thicket Priory, York, 2024
“Thank you for being our amazing celebrant. The work you put into the script and our wedding day made it so special and memorable and we cannot thank you enough.” — Evie and George, Grassfield Hall, Pateley Bridge, 2024
“So many people said it was the best ceremony they’d ever been to. You can’t get a better compliment than that. We were blown away.” — Rachel and Elliott, Rudding Park, Harrogate, 2024
“Thank you SO much for yesterday Rachael - I have lost count of the number of guests who commented on how wonderful the ceremony / you were - It was magical!!” — Lauren and Will, Hazel Gap, Nottinghamshire, 2024
“We had people coming up to us ALL night talking about the ceremony. Thank you SO much.” — Rachel and Tom, White Sykes Field, York, 2024
“Thank you for such a lovely ceremony. We’re so glad we met you. Sheer perfection. It was everything we imagined, and more." — Miles and Hannah, Sandburn Hall, York, 2024
“Thank you so much for all your work for our wedding. Before we even got to the ceremony, it was such a comfort to me to have you greet us and to guide the whole process from speaking with the musicians to providing the detailed logistics, to telling me it would all be fine at the door. We loved our ceremony. We had so many comments on what a refreshing different ceremony it was and how good it was to hear our story. A few of our friends said they wished they’d known something like this was available when they got married. You are a great orator and have one of those warm, smooth voices you want to listen to always! Thank you for being a part of and making our day.” — Charlotte & Matt, Tithe Barn, Bolton Abbey, 2024
“Before getting into the detail….if you are in any doubt about getting Rachael Meyer to be your Wedding Celebrant (or using a Wedding Celebrant at all)….just do it! It will be one of the best decisions you make regarding your wedding. We knew we were in safe hands. Rachael totally understood how we wanted the day to feel. On top of getting to know us, Rachael offered so much advice about the day in general (what works, what doesn’t etc.)” - Jono and Rachel - The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts, Newcastle-Gateshead, 2024
“Thank you so much for all you invested into making such a beautiful ceremony yesterday. I thought it was wonderful, and I have had lots of messages from friends and family watching online to say how moved they were. You crafted all our memories into a narrative that was just right for Tom – gentle, easy, funny, meaningful. It felt almost as if you knew him. The whole day made us feel closer to Tom, and to each other, even those across the world, which was all we could ask for.”
“We really loved today, you did an amazing job. Thank you for such a perfectly delivered service. You captured our sister and our family so well.”
“Thank you so much for your guidance, support, empathy and humour. And most of all for giving mum such a beautiful send-off.”
“We are in awe of the brilliant script that Rachael wrote (for our daughter).”
“You have done an absolutely wonderful job, it’s so heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Losing our sister has left a massive hole in all our lives but we feel happy to be able to give her such a nice ceremony.”
“We just wanted to thank you for a truly wonderful ceremony yesterday. You delivered it beautifully and everyone commented on it, how lovely you were and what a gorgeous voice you have. I think Karen’s husband has already put you down for his service when the time comes… hopefully a long way off! Mum would have been over the moon with how amazing her final goodbye was. Thank you from our hearts.”
“You have been a real pleasure to work with and did an incredible job for us. We have had many comments from family and friends, which we fully agree with, about how well put together the ceremony was as well as how beautifully and genuinely you spoke about Raphael and his story, with so much love.”
“I think my husband would have loved the way you delivered the ceremony as you were so positive and joyful. It truly was a celebration of his life and exactly what he wanted.”
How to Find a Humanist Celebrant
Ready to hire a celebrant who shares your outlook on life?
Visit Humanists UK - Find a Celebrant to search for accredited celebrants in the North East.
Questions to Ask a Potential Celebrant
Enquire About Their Experience
- Ask questions about previous ceremonies, accreditation, training and specific experiences.
Clarify Fees, What's Involved, and Payment Structure
- Understanding how much work they put in for the fee; how much work they expect you to put in (do they ask you to write your own story?, do they offer a face to face meeting?), ask how the invoicing works, and ascertain exactly what experience and skills your celebrant can offer to enhance your experience.
Look at reviews, videos and photos on celebrants' websites - and talk to a few!
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