What Is a Humanist Wedding? Celebrant Zadie Ward on Creating Personal, Modern Ceremonies
When it comes to weddings, the ceremony should be more than a formality—it should be the heartbeat of your day. That’s exactly what Zadie Ward of Ceremonies by Zadie believes, and why she’s helping modern couples rip up the rulebook to create unforgettable, deeply personal, joy-filled wedding ceremonies.
As an independent humanist celebrant with a background in events, performance, and psychology, Zadie is known for crafting ceremonies that are warm, inclusive, and totally you. We sat down with Zadie to find out what makes a humanist ceremony so special, how she helps couples turn their love stories into moments of magic, and why more people are ditching tradition in favour of celebration with soul.
For those who might not be familiar, can you explain what a humanist ceremony is and why more couples are choosing this style of celebration?
A humanist wedding ceremony is for couples who want something truly personal - free from religious or legal restrictions, and the same-old, same-old. It's a non-religious celebration that focuses entirely on you - your story, your people, your values and your vibe.
There’s no set wording, no template, and absolutely no "insert name here" script. Instead, a celebrant like me takes time to get to know you properly, so your ceremony can be written from scratch to reflect who you are and the life you’re building together. It can be joyful, energetic, emotional, playful, relaxed, or all of the above. Nothing is off-limits!
More couples are choosing this kind of celebration because they want their ceremony to feel authentic, fun and to set the vibe for the rest of the day, not just the formal bit you have to sit through before the party starts. After all, your wedding day goes by in a flash, so why should the first 30-40 minutes not feel or sound like you and make you as excited as the rest of your personalised day?
A humanist ceremony is a no-brainer if you’re after something meaningful, modern, and entirely you. It’s a chance to ditch the rulebook and celebrate your love your way, whether that means walking in together, having a sing-along, or getting married barefoot in a field with your dog as the ring bearer. If you want your guests to walk away saying, “That was SO them!”, then a fun and modern celebrant like me might be exactly what you’re looking for.
You describe your ceremonies as warm, inclusive, and totally personal. What inspired you to become a celebrant, and how did Ceremonies by Zadie come to life?
With a background in events, performance, and psychology, becoming a celebrant brought together everything I adore - people, creativity, storytelling, public speaking, and creating magic from real-life moments.
What sparked Ceremonies by Zadie was seeing how often wedding ceremonies felt like the least personal part of the day, when really, they should be the heart of it all. Couples would spend months perfecting every other detail of their wedding, but when it came to the bit where they get married, you know the actual reason they've brought all of their loved ones together in the first place, they were handed a one-size-fits-all script that could’ve belonged to anyone.
I wanted to change that. I believe that every couple deserves to mark this huge milestone in a way that reflects the connection, meaning, and story that only they share. I wanted to create ceremonies where guests are belly-laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. Ceremonies that feel alive, authentic, and unforgettable to everyone in the room.
Ceremonies by Zadie was born from a simple idea: that your ceremony should be just as unforgettable as the rest of your day; the part everyone’s still raving about long after the day has ended (and yes, it can be modern, fun, inclusive, and full of personality, as well as being deeply meaningful.)
Now, I work with fun, modern couples to create personalised, unforgettable wedding ceremonies filled with laughter, happy tears, and energy galore, that sets the tone for the day and has their guests talking about it for years to come.
What does the process look like when a couple comes to you. How do you help them create a ceremony that truly reflects who they are?
It all starts with a cuppa (or a cocktail) and a good old vibe check chat. Most couples come to me saying, “We don’t really know what we want. but we do know we don’t want it to be boring or generic.” And that’s exactly where I come in, with fresh ideas, creative guidance, and a whole lot of fangirl energy.
Once a couple books with me, they get my Ceremony Planning Toolkit, packed with inspiration, prompts, and ideas, to get them thinking creatively, from readings and rituals to ways of involving their guests. They also receive a Couple’s Quiz they can either do solo (for a bit of self-reflection) or together over a cosy date night.
Then we dive into a Plan & Play session, a relaxed, laughter-filled get-together, where we talk logistics, dream vibes, and all the juicy stuff: how they met, what they love about each other, their quirks and in-jokes, values, people, and future plans.
From there, I weave everything they’ve shared into a completely bespoke ceremony script - no templates or copy and paste here! Just a one-of-a-kind ceremony that feels like them. I also offer help with vow writing, reading suggestions, and any extra meaningful touches to make sure the whole thing flows beautifully from start to finish. It’s collaborative, fun, reminiscent and totally stress-free.
“Once a couple books with me, they get my Ceremony Planning Toolkit, packed with inspiration, prompts, and ideas, to get them thinking creatively, from readings and rituals to ways of involving their guests. They also receive a Couple’s Quiz they can either do solo (for a bit of self-reflection) or together over a cosy date night.”
And on the day? I’m there early, checking in with suppliers, calming nerves, welcoming guests, and making sure everything runs smoothly. Most importantly, I hold space for both of my couple to be completely present and soak up every second.
When couples work with me, they’re not just getting someone to say a few nice words on the day. They’re getting a storyteller, a guide, a hype woman, and a calm, organised presence from “we’re not sure where to start” to “we’ll never forget this.”
Do you have any favourite moment from a ceremony you’ve led that really captures what humanist weddings are all about?
Oh, there are so many! But one that really stands out is a couple who had been together for 12 years. They surprised each other with personally written vows and picked ceremony music that marked key milestones in their relationship, from their first gig together to the song playing when they got engaged. There were belly laughs, happy tears, and even a spontaneous standing ovation from the guests!
That’s the beauty of a humanist wedding ceremony, it gives you the space to tell your story, involve your loved ones, and create a moment that feels completely “you.” There’s no awkwardness, no filler, no going through the motions, just a shared experience that means something and everyone will remember.
Whether it’s a surprise singalong, a nod to your culture, or simply telling your love story in a way that feels real and recognisable, humanist ceremonies give you the freedom to celebrate your relationship in a way that’s meaningful and undeniably you. That’s the stuff guests remember and talk about for years.
What advice would you give to couples who want a meaningful, non-religious ceremony but don’t know where to start?
Start by giving yourself permission to let go of what you think a wedding ceremony is “supposed” to be like. There are no rules here, just possibilities, so go with what feels right. You don’t need to know all the answers, you just need to know that you want something more personal than the standard “I do”s.
Think about how you want your guests to feel during your ceremony. Do you want them laughing, crying, singing? All three? That feeling/vibe is your starting point.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options, that’s where a celebrant comes in (hi ). A good celebrant will guide you through everything step by step, with no awkward scripts or guesswork. You don’t need to have it all figured out. That’s my job. I’ll help you explore what feels true to you both, bring lots of creative ideas to the table, and keep things fun and stress-free.
I always recommend chatting to a few celebrants first, because it’s such a personal choice. You’ll know when you find the right one, because they’ll make you feel understood, excited about your ceremony and get your vision.
And if you’re wondering, “We’re not very traditional... will this still feel like a proper wedding?” - the answer is absolutely yes! In fact, it’ll probably feel more like your wedding than anything else could. Whether you want to walk in together, ditch the aisle entirely, write your own vows, or include your nan, your dog, or a Taylor Swift lyric, we can make it happen.
Your wedding ceremony sets the tone for the whole day. Don’t let it be the boring, generic bit, let’s make it unforgettable!
What’s the difference between a celebrant and a registrar and how do we choose what’s right for us?
Great question— and one a lot of couples don’t realise they can ask. In short: a registrar makes it legal, a celebrant makes it meaningful.
A registrar-led ceremony is the official, legal part of getting married. But it’s often quite short, follows a set script (that you can’t change much), and you won’t usually meet the person conducting it until the day itself. This means they won't have gotten to know you as people, and you have no control over who will marry you. It can still be lovely, but it’s often a bit formal, quick, restrictive and not particularly personal. They may also need to rush off to another ceremony, so there's not much flexibility if you're running behind on the day.
“In short: a registrar makes it legal, a celebrant makes it meaningful.”
A celebrant-led wedding, on the other hand, isn’t about ticking legal boxes, it’s about celebrating your relationship in a way that feels totally you. With a celebrant like me, you get a one-of-a-kind ceremony full of personality, laughter, emotion, and real meaning, delivered by someone who you have gotten to know and you can even pre-approve what clothes I turn up in! I also only ever book one wedding on any date, so I can be fully flexible to your needs on the day.
It helps to think of it like this…
We already separate the legal and the ceremonial parts of other life events. You register a birth at the registry office, then have a naming ceremony or christening on a different day. You register a death, then have a personal funeral service or celebration of life on another day. So why do we not do the same with weddings? It's simply rooted in old traditions, but it doesn't have to be this way for you.
You can do the legal signing in a simple appointment-style ceremony at your local register office with 2 witnesses for around £60. You don't even have to do your personal vows or a ring exchange during this. You can save that for when you have your real wedding ceremony, the one with your people, your story, your way, with a celebrant whenever you please. You get the best of both worlds: legally married and deeply celebrated.
For a fun, personal and deeply caring celebrant to make you day extra special, we highly recommend Zadie! Book in a chat with her over on her website and find out more on her wedding directory.