Garland Ceremonies Monthly Newsletter: September 2026 by London Celebrant Mair Garland

Featuring some lovely ceremonies, beautiful venue visits and this London celebrant's first time to Norwich. Since my birthday’s on the 1st, September is always one of my favourite months!

Sunny September Ceremonies

Naming Ceremonies for F & F

I led two naming ceremonies for a baby boy and a baby girl this month, whose first names both start with F! Did you know there’s one boy’s name starting with F and two girls’ names starting with F in the current top 10 list for England and Wales? (And if you’re a baby name geek like me, here’s some more analysis on this year’s list here.)

Baby Boy F’s naming ceremony was a joint celebration for his first birthday at the Walthamstow Toy Library in North London. His whole family got stuck in, with grandparents on both sides sharing their family history and his uncle wrote and played an original song just for him!

Check out my post about it on my Instagram page below:

And Baby Girl F’s ceremony was held in the beautiful Ripley Arts Centre in Bromley, which is a very local venue to me. It was originally a venue for musicians to play their recitals, and the main Music Room and gardens are absolutely stunning. For F’s ceremony, we had promises from her parents and guideparents as well as as a unity candle ceremony to symbolise her parents’ joint commitment to her.

All elements present and correct for F’s naming ceremony! Reading by a friend, the parents’ promises and the props for the unity candle

Remembering K: a humanist funeral service honouring Greek Cypriot roots

This month, we also said goodbye to K at his funeral ceremony in Gunnersbury Cemetery Chapel in West London. K was a Londoner who was extremely proud of his Greek Cypriot roots and we celebrated his heritage in many ways, including:

-A beautiful bilingual tribute by K’s brother and sister-in-law in Greek and English

-Greek music (including Kokkino Garifallo by Giannis Parios & Haris Alexiou and Mana Mob Ke Panagia by Grigoris Bithikostis)

-Parigoria (refreshments) after the service, including Greek sweet wine and halloumi and olive breads

And there just so happened to be lots of olive trees dotted around the cemetery, which felt like a gentle nod to him.

Gunnersbury Chapel flanked by two olive trees

Lovely Venue Site Visits: a Very Happy London Celebrant!

As part of my work as a London celebrant, I always like to look into potential venues that could work for weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals and celebrations of life. This month, I visited two venues in London, which I think are perfect for any occasion!

Brockwell Hall (Herne Hill, South London)

Tucked up the hill in Brockwell Park is Brockwell Hall, the recently restored Georgian Mansion house, which is surrounded by greenery and has an incredible view over the city - perfect for those wedding photos! The team showed me around the building, which has lots of great ceremony rooms depending on how many people you have attending. I was also impressed with how accessible it was and it has an internal lift. I’m not at all surprised that they’ve had a busy summer of weddings and I can see it working really well for other ceremony types too. As this venue is just a couple of stops away from me on the train, I’d love to work here in the near future as your London celebrant!

Brockwell Hall, Herne Hill, South London

The Amadeus - Maida Vale (North London)

When I first saw The Amadeus on my Instagram feed, I knew I had to visit. Located in Maida Vale (within walking distance of Paddington station), it was originally a Welsh Presbyterian chapel for the Welsh speaking community of North-West London in the 19th Century.

As a Welsh speaking London celebrant, I know The Amadeus will really appeal to my wedding couples and families with connections to Wales. As it’s so close to Paddington, it’s in a really handy spot if you have family in Cardiff, Swansea or further west.

While it’s been thoroughly modernised inside for celebrations today, it’s so lovely to see a lot of the original features inside, including the imposing organ pipes on the top floor!

Party under the old original chapel organ! The Amadeus, Maida Vale

Aha! A Field Trip to Norwich

One of the best things about being a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant is the support we still get after training and the lovely network of humanist celebrants across the country. As part of our accreditation, we’re all required to have a peer review at least every three years to make sure our standards are high for our clients and to learn from each other.

When one of my celebrant colleagues approached me to observe her at a wedding ceremony she was leading for a couple at Dunston Hall just outside Norwich, I jumped at the chance (especially as a massive Alan Partridge fan!) and turned it into a mini holiday with my husband and son.

The wedding was beautiful, where we had a very moving ring warming (where the rings get passed around the guests to share their best wishes to the couple) and an epic book arch for this book-loving couple!

After the wedding, I took the time to do some sight-seeing in Norwich - my two year old son was obsessed with the castle!The food scene in Norwich is also amazing and we had a lovely relaxed dinner at Yalm (inside the art deco arcade) and brunch at No 33 cafe - I really recommend the Eton Mess French toast!

Amazing book arch for D&R’s wedding at Dunston Hall, Norwich

This September has felt like a real ‘back to school’ season and I’m excited for what’s to come in the autumn months. First on my list is packing my case for I & A’s wedding at Château de Cazenac in France this weekend! I’ll keep you posted on that as well as my next lovely ceremonies in October.

Hwyl am y tro (bye for now!)

Mair x

Mair Garland is an experienced London celebrant, leading weddings, baby naming ceremonies, funerals and celebration of life ceremonies in London, the South East and beyond. Mair specialises in bilingual ceremonies in Welsh and French.

This post was originally published on Substack. You can also follow Mair on Instagram here.

Garland Ceremonies Monthly Newsletter: August 2026 by London Celebrant Mair Garland

My August

A final reflection on my summer ceremonies as we officially enter the ‘-ber’ months and the nights start drawing in... This month’s edition features sunflowers and my published letter in The Guardian by this London celebrant!

August Ceremonies: Sunflowers for beginnings and goodbyes

Earlier this year, I planted some sunflower seeds in my front garden and I’ve been so pleased to see them grow and to take a little time to admire them on my way out to ceremonies and home again. A couple of my sunflowers have been, radiated and gone, while I still have a few more that look like they’re coming into bud any day now.

Proud of my little crop of sunflowers this year!

Sunflowers have also been a common thread for some of my August ceremonies, which made me think of how much they offer delight, comfort and memories for all of life’s occasions.

First there was M’s naming ceremony in Berkshire, which followed the height of the August heatwaves. M’s family live in Germany and they first approached me about leading her bilingual French/English ceremony all the way back in January . It was so lovely to finally meet them in person at the AirBnB they’d hired to bring together all their family and friends to celebrate her. This is such a lovely option if you’re looking to host guests but don’t have the room yourself, or if you’re looking for a less formal and more private option than a traditional venue function room.

The perfect ceremony backdrop for M’s naming ceremony

We had some beautiful promises from M’s parents and guideparents, and her Dad read an extract from the song ‘When I Grow Up’ from the musical Matilda:

"When I grow up, I will be tall enough to reach the branches that I need to climb the trees you get to climb when you're grown up." - Matilda, Tim Minchin

Their chosen ceremony spot was in the shade of a beautiful tree in the garden, which they adorned with sunflowers - with M happily picking off their petals one by one as we were talking about her.

Sunflowers also featured in D’s funeral in Beckenham Crematorium this month. D’s daughter shared a beautiful story about her Mum’s lifelong love of sunflowers in her eulogy, and they were the obvious choice for her floral tributes as well. As sunflowers are a symbol of joy, hope and resilience, they were the perfect choice to remember D.

"Their bright faces, which follow the sun, will listen, and all those rows of seeds - each one a new life!" - The Sunflowers, Mary Oliver

London Celebrant Garland Ceremonies in the Press

Last month I had a couple of very exciting press mentions, with a letter published in The Guardian (my first one ever!) and a Welsh-language radio interview about legalised humanist marriages.

Letter by Mair in The Guardian: Humanist weddings are deeply personal and meaningful

I wrote in to The Guardian in response to an article that was written about humanist wedding celebrants, which I felt was an unfair reflection of the work that we do, and to highlight the forthcoming plans to legalise humanist marriage. Thanks to everyone who took the time to tell me they enjoyed reading it!

My letter to The Guardian!

And if you haven’t seen it yet, you can read my letter here.

Interview on BBC Radio Cymru: Legalised Humanist Marriages

It was great to speak on the flagship Welsh language radio channel BBC Radio Cymru about my thoughts on the UK Government’s plans to legalise humanist wedding ceremonies in both Wales and England, and I was joined by the family lawyer Esther Ifan. If you speak Cymraeg, you can listen to the programme here and I’ve also translated the interview over on my website blog here.

Surreal to see myself on BBC Sounds! Photo by Proots Photography

Preparing for Autumn Ceremonies

While I love the buzz of a summer ceremony, I also love the softness and coziness of an autumn or winter wedding or naming ceremony. I have some gorgeous ceremonies coming up in September, including at the Bromley Arts Centre and a naming ceremony at the Walthamstow Toy Library. I’m also busy putting the final touches (and organising my own logistics!) for A & I’s wedding in South-West France in early October - I can’t wait to see the Dordogne countryside draped in autumn leaves. If anyone has any recommendations for anywhere to visit around Sarlat, I’m all ears!

I’ve had a lovely flurry of ceremony enquiries for the rest of this year and beyond, and it’s been lovely talking to you about your plans. I’ll be increasing my prices on 1st October, but any enquiries booked before then will be honoured at my current prices, which are all on my ceremonies pages of my website.

And that marks the end of a wonderful summer of ceremonies! As ever, I’d love your feedback on the newsletter and if you’re still thinking of planning a ceremony later this year (I still have some availability in November especially!) or in 2027, I’d love to hear from you.

Hwyl am y tro (bye for now!)

Mair x

Mair Garland is an experienced London celebrant, leading weddings, baby naming ceremonies, funerals and celebration of life ceremonies in London, the South East and beyond. Mair specialises in bilingual ceremonies in Welsh and French.

This post was originally published on Substack. You can also follow Mair on Instagram here.

Cyfreithloni Priodasau Dyneiddiol: Cyfweliad Radio Cymru / Legalising Celebrant Wedding Ceremonies: Radio Cymru Interview 18/08/2026

Ar yr 18fed o Awst 2026, ces i fy nghyfweld gan Jennifer Jones gyda’r gyfreithwraig Esther Ifan ar BBC Radio Cymru i drafod fy ngwaith fel gweinyddwr dyneiddiol (humanist celebrant) ac am fy marn ar gynlluniau’r Llywodraeth Brydeinig i gyfreithloni priodasau dynieddiol yng Nghymru a Lloegr.

On 18^th August 2026, I was interviewed by Jennifer Jones on BBC Radio Cymru (the flagship Welsh-language radio station) about my work as a humanist celebrant and my thoughts on the Government’s plans to legalise celebrant wedding ceremonies in England and Wales.

Dyma gip olwg ar ein sgwrs isod.

Here’s a snapshot of the interview below, translated from the original Welsh.

Surreal to see myself on BBC Sounds!

Cwestiwn: Mae yna gynlluniau i ddiwygio’r ddeddf briodas yng Nghymru a Lloegr. Fis diwethaf, fe wnaeth y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder ruddhau ymgynghoriad o’r enw ‘Y Cwlwm Priodasol: Ymgynghoriad ar ddiwygio cyfraith priodasau yng Nghymru a Lloegr’. Mae’r ymgynghoriad yn cau ar y 24ain o fis nesaf ac yn gofyn am farn rheiny sy’n gweithio yn y maes. Ond be fuasai gobligiadau unrhyw newidiadau? Eglurwch i fi beth yn union ydy eich gwaith chi? Rydych chi’n arwain amryw o seremonïau?

Ateb: Ydw. Dwi’n gweithio fel gweinyddwr dyneiddiol, felly dwi’n cynnal seremonïau di-grefydd: priodasau, seremonïau enwi plant ac angladdau. Dw i wrth fy modd yn arwain priodasau.

Question: There are plans to reform wedding laws in England and Wales. Last month, the Ministry of Justice published a consultation called: ‘Tying the knot: weddings law in England and Wales.’ The consultation closes on the 24th of September and asks for the views of those who work in the wedding sector. But what will those changes mean? Tell me a bit more about your role? I understand you lead a variety of ceremonies, including celebrant wedding ceremonies?

 

Answer: Yes. I work as a humanist celebrant, so I lead non-religious weddings, baby naming ceremonies and funerals. I love leading weddings.

Cwestiwn: Ond fel arweinydd dyneiddiol, dydy e ddim yn gyfreithiol i chi briodi’r cyplau, nac ydy?

Ateb: Dim ar hyn o bryd yng Nghymru neu’n Lloegr. Mae’n eisioes yn gyfreithlon yn yr Alban ers 2005 ac yng Ngogledd Iwerddon ers 2018, felly mae Cymru a Lloegr ychydig ar ei hôl hi ar hyn o bryd. Felly i gwpl sy’n gweithio gyda fi ar hyn o bryd, mae angen iddyn nhw hefyd gael ail seremoni yn y swydffa gofrestru, sydd wrth gwrs yn golygu mwy o amser, mwy o arian a mwy o waith papur iddyn nhw. Mae’r sefyllfa yn gymhleth i gyplau ar hyn o bryd.

Question: But as a humanist celebrant, the ceremonies you lead aren’t legally binding, is that right?

Answer: Celebrant wedding ceremonies aren’t yet legally binding in England or Wales. Humanist weddings are already legal in Scotland since 2005 and in Northern Ireland since 2018, so England and Wales are lagging behind at the moment. So for a couple currently working with me, they also need to have a second wedding ceremony at the Register Office, which of course means more time, money and admin for couples. The current situation is complicated for couples.

Cwestiwn: Beth wnewch chi o ran shifftio y pwyslais o ran lleoliad (sy’n cael trwydded priodas) i’r person sy’n gweinyddu. Am wn i y byddwch chi wrth eich bodd chi, fyddwch chi’n gallu priodi rhywun o bosib unrhywle?

Ateb: Yn sicr. Rwy’n credu bod y newid yn mynd i gynrychioli lot mwy o gyfrifoldeb ar ysgwyddau gweinyddwyr o hyn ymlaen, felly bydd hi’n dda i gael gwybod beth yn union beth yw’r goblygiadau, beth mae’r Llywodraeth yn disgwyl i ni wneud o ran sicrhau er enghraifft bod y lleoliad yn le priodol ac yn ddiogel i gyplau briodi. Dwi’n awyddus iawn i weld sut bydd hynny yn gweithio mewn ffordd ymarferol i ni.

Question: What will you do in terms of shifting the emphasis from venues having a wedding licence to celebrants having them? I’m guessing you’ll be happy with that, and you’ll be able to marry couples in any venue?

Answer: Yes, definitely. I think the new law is going to bring a lot more responsibility for celebrants, so it’ll be good to know for example what the requirements will be for celebrants to determine if a wedding venue is safe and appropriate enough for celebrant wedding ceremonies to take place. I’m really keen to know how that’s going to work in practice.

Cwestiwn: Mae yna ystyriaeth wedyn o ran peidio gwahaniaethu rhwng grwpiau gwahanol o bobl, yn benodol dyneiddwyr fel chi?

Ateb: Yn sicr. Dwi’n credu mae’n bwysig bod y gyfraith newydd yn adlewyrchu’r gymdeithas sydd ohoni nawr ac yn sicrhau tegwch rhwng cymunedau crefyddol a di-grefydd hefyd a bod pawb yn cael yr un cyfle i gallu cael seremoni sydd yn golygu lot iddyn nhw ac sydd ynghlwm â’u credoau a nhw a beth mae nhw eisiau cael allan o’u priodas nhw. Mae’n hen bryd i’r newidiadau yma ddod i rym.

Question: There’s been some consideration, hasn’t there, in terms of creating a fairer system for different groups, including for humanists like yourself?

Answer: Yes. I think it’s important that the new law is an accurate reflection of our society today and ensures fairness between both religious and non-religious communities so that everyone has the same chance to be able to have a wedding ceremony that’s meaningful to them and is in line with their beliefs and is exactly how they want their wedding to be. It’s about time these changes came into force to enable celebrant wedding ceremonies.

Cwestiwn: Beth am eiriad y briodas a’r addunedau. Oes yna bosibilrwydd bydd rheiny’n newid, bydd yna geiriad mwy cynhwysol i bobl traws neu anneuaidd?

Ateb: Un peth positif sylwais i yn yr ymgynghoriad os ydych chi’n rhan o gwpl traws neu anneuaidd yw’r ffaith y byddech chi’n gallu defnyddio’r gair ‘priod’ yn hytrach na dim ond yn gallu dweud ‘gŵr’ a ‘gwraig’ fel sydd yn digwydd ar hyn o bryd.

A hefyd i fi fel gweinyddwr sy’n siarad Cymraeg yw’r ffaith bydd modd gwneud hynny wrth gwrs yn Gymraeg yng Nhgymru. Dwi’n awyddus i weld os yw hynny mynd i ddigwydd hefyd yn Lloegr hefyd lle dwi’n gweithio. Mae’r cyfle yna i allu dweud y geiriau yn gyfreithlon mewn mwy nag un iaith, mae hynny o ddiddordeb mawr i fi.

Question: Now what about the legal wording a couple has to say in a ceremony. Is there a possibility that it will become more inclusive for trans or non-binary couples?

Answer: One really positive proposed change I noticed in the consultation is if you’re trans or non-binary that you’ll be able to say the word ‘spouse’ instead of just ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ as is the case today.

As a Welsh-speaking celebrant, it’s also good to see that it’ll be possible to say the legally binding words in Welsh in Wales of course. I’m also keen to see if that’s also going to be able to happen in England, where I work. That opportunity to say the legally binding words in more than one language is of real interest to me as a bilingual celebrant.  

Cwestiwn: Rydych chi hefyd yn siarad Ffrangeg ac yn priodi pobl yn Ffrangeg?

Mair: Ydw, dwi'n siarad Ffrangeg ac yn cynnal seremonïau priodas yn Ffrangeg. Bydd hi’n hyfryd i gael y cyfle efallai i gyplau gallu cael priodas ddyneiddiol yn ddwyieithog a bod hynny’n gwbl gyfreithlon. Bydd hynny’n gyffrous iawn.

Question: You also speak French and marry people in French?

Answer: Yes, I speak fluent French and I lead French wedding ceremonies. It’ll be exciting for couples to be able to have a legal humanist and bilingual ceremony in future.

Cwestiwn: Tasai’r newidiau yma yn dod i rym a bod chi fel dyneiddiwr yn cael priodi y cyplau mewn unrhyw leoliad a bo nhw’n cael teilwra’r seremoni yn fwy i’w dibenion ei hunain, sut ydych chi’n meddwl bydd hyn yn effeithio ar y cyplau? Beth fydd yr ymateb ganddyn nhw?

Ateb: Fi’n credu newid mwyaf i gyplau bydd ganddyn nhw mwy o ddewis o ran pwy yn union sydd yn mynd i briodi nhw. Achos ar hyn o bryd os ydych chi’n cael seremoni sifil mewn swyddfa gofrestru fel arfer rydych chi’n cwrdd y person sydd yn mynd i briodi chi ar y diwrnod. Ond gyda seremoni briodas gyda gweinyddwr, rydych chi’n adeiladu ac yn maethu’r berthynas yna dros gyfnod o fisoedd neu flynyddoedd ambell waith felly mae’r dewis yna yn bwysig a hefyd o does dim angen dwy seremoni, bydd hynny’n arbed arian, amser a gwaith papur i gyplau.

Question: If these changes came into force and you as a humanist celebrant will be able to marry couples in any location and they can tailor the ceremony more to their needs, how do you think this will impact couples? How will they react to the changes?

Answer: I think the biggest change for couples will be the degree of choice they’ll now have in being able to choose exactly who they want to marry them. At the moment if you have a civil ceremony in a register office, you’ll only meet the person who’s marrying you on the day. But with a celebrant wedding ceremonies, you end up building that relationship with the couple you're working with for a period of months or sometimes for over a year so that choice is important.

Also, if couples no longer need to have two ceremonies if they’re having a celebrant-led wedding, that will save them time, money and admin.

Cwestiwn: Faint o alw sydd yna ar bobl sy’n gofyn am wasanaethau Cymraeg yn Ne Llundain lle rydych chi’n gweithio?

Ateb: Byse chi’n synnu! Ym mis Mehefin mi wnes i gynnal dwy seremoni briodas ddwyieithog Cymraeg a Saesneg yn Llundain (rhagor o wybodaeth yma). Dw i hefyd wrthi ar hyn o bryd yn paratoi ar gyfer priodas yn Ffrainc am gwpl oedd yn chwilio am gweinyddwr sy’n siarad Cymraeg a Ffrangeg!

Question: How much demand is there for your Welsh-language services in South London?

Answer: You’d be surprised! Just this June alone I’ve led two bilingual Welsh-English celebrant wedding ceremonies in London (more about that here). I’m also currently preparing for a wedding in France for a couple who were looking for a celebrant who can speak Welsh and French!

***

Felly dyna ni! Mi wnes i wir fwynhau gael y cyfle i siarad am fy ngwaith gyda Jennifer. I so enjoyed speaking about my work and celebrant wedding ceremonies with Jennifer.

If you want to find out more about what I think about the proposed changes to marriage law, including the legalisation of celebrant wedding ceremonies, check out my recent blog post.

Mair Garland is an experienced humanist celebrant , leading weddings as well as baby naming ceremonies, funerals and celebration of life ceremonies in London, the South East and beyond. Mair specialises in bilingual ceremonies in Welsh and French.

Dyma linc i'r cyfweliad yma. You can listen to the original interview in Welsh here. You can also follow Mair on Instagram here and subscribe to her newsletter on Substack.