Can we have an evening wedding?

YES. Your wedding is your event.

With a celebrant-led humanist ceremony you can choose to get married at any time of the day you like.

There are lots of questions that can be anticipated when having an initial chat with newly-engaged couples. This one was new for me.

I grew up in a tradition of religious and civil daytime weddings, so I understand where this question of 'permission' comes from. Religious and civil ceremonies are very clear about what can and can’t happen within their spiritual and legal frameworks. With a celebrant-led humanist ceremony, you’re working with a trained and accredited professional who is 100% there to create an inclusive, joy-filled and personal celebration of you and your partner. Humanist ceremonies place you at the centre of your ceremony, and not religion or law.

“Any time, any place, anywhere, any way”

I’m a huge Blondie fan, and yes, I’ve sneaked them into this blog but only because they’ve nailed the essence of a humanist wedding with these lyrics. You can have your ceremony at any time of day you like, and anywhere you like. You don’t need to choose a licensed wedding venue.

So how about a last-minute winter wedding at The Black Lion glasshouse, or an evening takeover of The Aeronaut? Bring on the winter weddings!

If it’s important for you to combine the legal paperwork with the wedding celebration on the same day, Pub Wedding London have a variety of venues - so every base is covered. Please remember that including the legal paperwork in your ceremony will mean a daytime ceremony and the dates will be dependent on the availability of a registrar.

I love the questions that couples ask me – they are great starting points for encouraging people to plan a ceremony that is uniquely them. The recent Pub Wedding London Fair held at the Prince Albert was a perfect opportunity to support people to break with family tradition and make wedding choices that are unique to their love story.

Another common question was ‘Don’t I need to sign the register on the day?’ and I’ve covered that in another blog post. (TLDR: ‘No. You don’t.’]

Next time, I’ll share some ideas for symbolic acts and rituals that include and go beyond the exchange of rings. Until then, I’m here to answer any questions you have about a celebrant-led humanist wedding. Visit here and here, or find me on Instagram @markcaffreyceremonies_

About me

I’m Mark Caffrey, a recommended supplier for Pub Wedding London. I deliver personal, creative, and inclusive wedding and naming ceremonies across London and the South East.

I’ve worked as a writer, performer and voice artist, and know how to create a special and unique celebration for you.

Whatever your time scale, I give each ceremony the attention and care it deserves. Securing me as your celebrant means we can craft an event that is as traditional or as out-there as you want it to be. I will support, encourage and get to know you – and can liaise with Pub Wedding London, your photographer and other suppliers.

Visit me here and here, or find me on Instagram @markcaffreyceremonies_