A lay ceremony is a non-religious, free and personalized celebration of any significant moment in life that we wish to honor and share with the people who are most important to us, who we care about.
With a lay ceremony, to which I like to add the adjective “humanist,” precisely because it places the individual – in his or her precious uniqueness – at the center of everything, we can celebrate all the transitions of our lives: a welcome to the family (corresponding to a baptism), a wedding, a renewal of vows, a particularly significant date, such as coming-of-age, a divorce and/or separation (understood more as an opportunity to begin a new phase of life and to start living again), and a farewell and a moment of remembrance for a loved one who is no longer with us.
As a humanist lay celebrant, my task is to celebrate the life, life story and love story of those who come to me, in order to create together a unique and precious moment in which the right kind of recognition is given to the person and personality of each and every one of us, in the life transition that is being experienced at that moment.
A humanist lay ceremony is something that is created together, seeking the right attunement and perfect harmony between the celebrant and the client. In order for me to be able to celebrate, in the most personalized way possible, the life stories and moments of transition of those who entrust themselves to me, I usually propose the following path.
At first, I propose a no-obligation interview in which I listen with the utmost attention to the wishes and needs of my interlocutors: what kind of ceremony are you planning to have? Where and when will it take place? How many people will attend? With what kind of character and mood would you like to give warmth and color to your ceremony?
After that initial meeting of getting acquainted and, if you have chosen me as your celebrant, after defining the type of ceremony we are going to create together, we will proceed to a series of interviews and further questions to elaborate on the content and form of the ceremony. Have you already written anything in particular to be included in the ceremony? Have you already chosen, for example, the lyrics of a poem or a passage from a song, which you would like to be included in the ceremony?
There are so many questions and wishes that we will try to figure out together; after listening and gathering all the information, I will be able to draw up the first draft of your ceremony and submit it to you, polishing all the details and refining each step, until the moment when the text and any musical accompaniments will be in perfect harmony and meet your every need and desire.
It should be emphasized that the musical aspects are not handled by me personally, but I will gladly offer my advice (if desired), as I am a professional musician.
The heart of the ceremony (of any humanist lay ceremony) is the telling of the protagonists’ life story: no references to dogma or religious beliefs, no pre-packaged promises or formulas, no gender biases or barriers.
The beauty of any humanist lay ceremony is just that: the total freedom to express what we wish to be and show that to our loved ones, and to the world, without having to comply with any crystallized and stale rituals.
Total freedom over form and content. Total freedom of expression and experimentation, with total respect for the characteristics and being of each and every one of us. It’s an opportunity to involve loved ones in a celebration that is welcoming and inclusive, allowing each and every one of us the chance to express ourselves (in the way and time agreed upon together) in a unique and personal way.
As a humanist lay celebrant, I will help you give form to all of this, accompanying you on the path of creating and realizing the text (also enriching it with any symbolic rites, where desired) and celebrating the ceremony as you desire it on the chosen day and place. I can guarantee the utmost professionalism, as I am certified according to the UNI/PdR 118.2:2021 reference practice of the lay celebrant profession.
In the humanist ceremony the heart of the ceremony is you. Nothing and no one else.
In the humanist ceremony the heart of the ceremony is you.
Special. Precious. Unique.
