In June 2018 the Belfast Court of Appeal ruled that Humanist marriages must be legally recognised in Northern Ireland.
Due to an increase in enquiries for legal weddings, Humani sought clarification from the Attorney general in early 2019. In a letter dated 14th February 2019, we were informed that “anyone wishing to perform marriage ceremonies can apply to the Registrar General under Article 31 of the Marriage(NI) Order 2003.”
This is the first step in obtaining a temporary licence for a named celebrant of the couple’s choosing.
Humani are happy to announce that Jennifer performed her first legal wedding ceremony on 29th August 2019 in the Treehouse Restaurant, Belfast. The happy couple were Laura-Marie Ring and Jonathan Eakin.
This now sets a precedent for future legal wedding ceremonies. Up until now, couples had to participate in 2 separate ceremonies – a legal part at a registry office and the Humanist part. It should be noted that the latter may still be the case if a couple wanted to have the humanist part of the ceremony in an unusual setting such as a beach or woodland. Jennifer is always happy to discuss individual preferences and deliver what couples want. The main thing to remember is that a humanist wedding ceremony is always unique and individually crafted.
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