Saturday’s humanist wedding was a blast. it proved that a wonderful wedding doesn’t have to have masses of bells, whistles, expensive shoes, big cars, expensive cakes, lots of bling.
Instead, Simon and Nina’s humanist wedding was gentle (at the beginning) rising to a crescendo of wild abandonment once the music started. In between it was sincere, beautiful, calm, and easy.
What were the key elements that made it sustainable?
= There was camping for those who had travelled distances
= Friends did the decorations and attended to the protocols on the day
= More friends were well-briefed and eased the transitions like a well oiled machine
= They didn’t have a big sit down meal there was a humungous barbeque with salads
= Instead of a big venue with a dining hall all decked with balloons and lights and sparkly plastic it was held in a local wedding barn with tons of hay bales and tables in a courtyard where everyone sat in the sunshine with no formality
= There was no towering CAKE……….. everyone made cakes and put them on a special table. My goodness they were yummy
= The only flowers were for the bride And do you know what? The world didn’t end!
= No tacky balloons and messy confetti instead there were bubbles. so photogenic!
And do you know what?
No-one noticed, no-one cared because they were all there simply to do what the best guests do – enjoyed themselves, threw themselves into the dancing – and the drinking ! – and the cheering and the love.
Which is what we were all there for!
![How I actually write your ceremony (and why I ask so many nosy questions) [Dawn’s Substack]](https://dawnreesceremonies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/dawnrees-writing-keyboard-400x250.webp)
![Anything Is Possible – You only have to ask. [Dawn’s Substack]](https://dawnreesceremonies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Dawnrees-humanistcelebrant-Anything-Is-Possible-400x250.webp)
