Celebrants

Humanist Celebrants create and conduct humanist-oriented life celebration services.  Celebrants help humanists through the most important times in life.  They provide meaningful, distinctly personal and professional ceremonies for a wide range of life’s milestones–welcoming a child, coming-of-age, transgender naming, commitment unions, weddings, and memorials.  Because our celebrants are committed to humanism and not bound by a traditional religion and its dogma, they provide custom-made ceremonies that honor the uniqueness of those involved.

While most of our celebrants primarily take a humanist approach, there are those who also embrace performing inclusive secular, inter-religious or other non-religious services.  For those individuals from differing religious and cultural backgrounds, Humanist Celebrants can be the perfect alternative.  Be sure to check with the celebrant to make sure they are comfortable and able to meet your particular needs.

The Humanist Society currently has over 394 Humanist Celebrants in 44 states and 3 countries.  Our celebrants also include 82 Humanist Chaplains with several of them being paid positions in a variety of institutions.

Humanist Celebrants are recognized as clergy in all states and many countries, being accorded the same rights and privileges granted by law to priests, ministers, and rabbis of traditional theistic religions.  This recognition includes the right to legally marry in the eyes of the state.  While many Humanist Celebrants don’t prefer the ‘religious’ distinction of ‘clergy’, they are religious leaders in every legal and practical sense.

Contact us if a local court clerk or other official does not recognize your rights.  Our legal team may be able to assist you.