{"id":258,"date":"2019-04-26T09:35:59","date_gmt":"2019-04-26T09:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wedding-venue-secret.com\/?p=258"},"modified":"2019-04-26T09:57:36","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T09:57:36","slug":"humanist-weddings-all-about-getting-married-in-the-great-british-outdoors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theweddingsecret.co.uk\/magazine\/humanist-weddings-all-about-getting-married-in-the-great-british-outdoors\/","title":{"rendered":"Humanist and Alternative Weddings: marrying in the Great British Outdoors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Even in\nour wonderful British climate, you will probably be familiar with alfresco\ndining, but are you equally au fait<\/em> with alfresco weddings?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Getting\nmarried outdoors can be the ultimate expression of freedom, and a marriage\nceremony conducted amidst nature can be a beautiful experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Unfortunately,\nin England, Ireland and Wales, getting married entirely outdoors simply isn\u2019t a\nlegal possibility. In fact, the minimum requirements for any registrar to wed a\ncouple in these countries, as well as a valid wedding licence, are three walls\nand a roof overhead. The building has to be a permanent structure, so tents,\ncaravans, boats, aeroplanes or other mobile vehicles won\u2019t be granted licences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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However, you can hold a short, perfunctory and legal\nmarriage ceremony in a registry office, and then go on to have a bigger\nceremony outdoors. This is perfect for couples who want to get married just the\ntwo of them and then have an elaborate ceremony with friends and family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this\narticle, we look at doing just that. Firstly, we\u2019ll explore the types of\nceremony you could have, and then we\u2019ll explore where you can have it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humanist Ceremony<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Humanist\nweddings are conducted in many locations around the world, but only ceremonies\nthat take place in certain countries are legally recognised in the\ninternational community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\nare absolutely looking to marry outdoors in the UK, then having a Humanist\nwedding in Scotland is a perfectly legal way to do it. These marriages have the\nsame legal status worldwide as religious and civil marriages \u2013 just so long as\nthey are conducted by a licensed HSS\nCelebrant, who is a figurehead approved by the General Registrar of\nScotland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As\nHumanist Society Scotland states, \u201cHumanists are people\nwho trust science and rational inquiry to help explain the universe around us,\nand who do not resort to supernatural explanations.\u201d It is a stance rather than\na religion, and Humanist weddings allow for a completely unique ceremony. There\nare rituals, and couple can exchange their own vows, but God is not mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neopaganism<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In\nancient Europe, a proper wedding ceremony was reserved for the highly wealthy.\nOn the other hand, most couples undertook a DIY wedding with their towns\nwitnessing. In an act known as handfasting, the bride and groom would tie their\nhands together \u2013 or get someone else to do. It would be up to the individual\nhow long the hands would remain tied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In fact,\nthis is an early version of how couples would marry, back when not every\nChristian village had a church or clergyman. An official ceremony would follow,\nmuch like would happen in these instances today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well\nas handfasting, other traditions at a Pagan wedding include standing in a\ncircle, blessing the space, mentioning the four elements and even jumping over\na broomstick. These are all common to this kind of non-religious wedding today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tea ceremony<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chinese weddings now mostly follow Western practises, but a tea ceremony<\/a> is something that remains. Both the bride and the groom serve tea to both sides of parents. In this way, the two families are connected. There are traditions such as using a red coloured gaiwan (teapot) but of course, as with any tradition in this post, you can adapt as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The\nsignificance of pouring tea is that it shows respect, and also thanks for the\nyears of bringing up. Furthermore, it shows purity and nobility, and encourages\nfertility. Three recommended teas to use are Tieguanyin, Jinjunmei and Pu erh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The steps\nof the tea ceremony are relatively straightforward. It is possible for the\nceremonies for the families to be done separately, but many now prefer to do\neverything at the same sitting. Start with the happy couple standing; everyone\nelse should sit in chairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next,\nserve the parents first, then grandparents, then work down in age to siblings.\nYou should bow, or kneel, in front of each member of the family in turn. A\nvideo can much better describe how to drink from the cup, and you should teach\nyour guests this before the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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