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.

Letter from London Wedding Celebrant Mair Garland to The Guardian: Humanist weddings are deeply personal and meaningful (02/08/2026)

As a London wedding celebrant, I was so pleased to have a letter published in The Guardian this month, highlighting the joys and benefits of a humanist wedding ceremony.

'Humanist celebrants are knowledgeable, passionate and unashamedly geeky about creating meaningful non-religious ceremonies.' Photograph: Alamo

Letter by London Wedding Celebrant Mair Garland

As a humanist celebrant, I was saddened by Rachel Connolly’s conclusion about humanist weddings (What makes a good wedding these days? I say flirting and chaos, but not three days in a French castle, 29 July). She writes: “The idea of being married in a humanist service by someone wearing, say, skinny jeans and a black T-shirt gives me willies.” I must disclose my ownership of several pairs of skinny jeans, but I have not worn these in my role as a celebrant (though never say never – I’m always guided by couples’ dress codes).

Ms Connolly seems to have the impression that a humanist ceremony represents a compromise to the formal and ceremonial rituals we’d traditionally associate with a religious wedding. On the contrary, humanist celebrants are knowledgable, passionate and unashamedly geeky about creating meaningful non-religious ceremonies that are deeply personal to couples and their families.

A non-religious ceremony needn’t be unceremonious or casual. I’d love for Ms Connolly to come to one of our weddings to see what the fuss is about, especially with the forthcoming legalisation of humanist marriage ceremonies.

Mair Garland, London

Mair Garland is an experienced humanist London wedding 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.

This letter was originally published in The Guardian, which can be found here . You can also follow Mair on Instagram here and subscribe to her newsletter on Substack.

Garland Ceremonies Monthly Newsletter: July 2026 by Experienced Celebrant Mair Garland

My July

A summery summary for another busy month! As well as my ceremonies, I also squeezed in a couple of days in Boulogne-Sur-Mer in northern France with my family - my little boy loved the aquarium and I drove on the right side of the road for the first time with zero disasters!

Celebrating 50 Babies Named & Gorgeous July Naming Ceremonies

I was so pleased when I noticed I’ve now named more than 50 babies since starting as a naming ceremonies celebrant back in 2020. It’s been such a treat to work with all my wonderful families to welcome their new additions into the world and I can’t quite believe that some of those babies are now in school!

Celebrating 50 Babies Named This Month!

And this July was full of wholesome family moments - these included my first ever ceremony at the Horniman Museum for brothers C &C, as well as two garden ceremonies for L and T. There’s always something so meaningful about holding a baby’s naming ceremony in their first home and of course we didn’t need to be at all concerned about the rain spoiling our plans!

And next month, I’ve been promised a fire juggling guidefather at a naming ceremony - a first time for everything, I’ll try and get some photos!

If you're thinking of holding a naming ceremony for your baby or child with an experienced celebrant, please get in touch.

Baby Name Fever - and a quote in HuffPost UK!

And speaking of babies and baby names, this month the Office for National Statistics released the top 100 baby names in England and Wales for 2025. As an unashamed baby name geek, I wrote up an analysis of some of the trends I’m seeing, which you can read here.

I was also delighted to be quoted by HuffPost UK for their piece on this story too, which you can read here.

What are your favourite names from the new top 100? Personally I love the girls’ name Eliana, which is a new entry to the top 100 at number 62.

Wedding Law Reform Consultation Announced: Legal Humanist Wedding Ceremonies Are On Their Way!

Just before schools broke out for summer (and just before Burnham became PM), the Government dropped a new consultation on wedding law reform. Very excitingly, it’s supporting making humanist wedding ceremonies legal for the first time, which means couples would no longer have to have a second civil ceremony as well as well as a few other positive changes, like opening up where couples can get married.

The consultation is open until 24th September and anyone can respond to it.

And here’s my blog on this subject from a few weeks ago and a link for a blog I wrote for The Wed Collective on the key differences between celebrants and registrars is here.

Get Ahead of Being Dead Book Launch

On the funerals side, I had a great time at one of Evie King’s events for her brilliant new book, ‘Get Ahead of Being Dead’ at Poetic Endings in South-East London. If you’re thinking of writing a will or your funeral wishes and don’t know how to go about it, Evie’s book is a brilliant place to start - and unexpectedly hilarious for a book about death!

The brilliant Evie King with her new book!

And if you are thinking of talking through or formalising your own funeral wishes (and it’s never too early), I’d be more than happy to help.

Award Nominations As An Experienced Celebrant

I’ve been nominated for not one, but two awards this month - how exciting!

The Wedding Industry Awards

If I’ve married you since October last year, I’d love for you to consider voting for me. (Only recent couples are allowed to vote for nominees) My link to vote is here.

I'm in! Honoured to be considered for the 2027 Wedding Industry Awards

The Good Funeral Awards

I’m so touched to have been nominated for the Good Funeral Awards this year. Anyone who has seen me lead a funeral service or a celebration of life is eligible to submit another nomination for me, which helps strengthen my original nomination. If you’d like to nominate me, please fill out the form here.

So that was July - another gloriously sunny month of ceremonies! I’m looking forward to more garden ceremonies in August and I’ve been speaking this week with some lovely couples and families about their ceremonies in September and beyond. Is anyone else excited for autumn already?! But before that, I’m heading back to Wales for a few days for the Eisteddfod (a brilliant arts festival taking place in Pembrokeshire this year).

As ever, I’d love your feedback on the newsletter and if you’re 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 humanist celebrant based in London, 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.