Like all celebrants I began my “ ceremony journey” by initially conducting funerals.But what brought me to Humanism ? My introduction to humanism came as a result of the first funeral I conducted – my own mother’s. She was my mum and I wanted to say goodbye to her in my own way and hopefully in a way she would have liked. It was such a moving and rewarding experience I realised that it was something I would like to be able to do for others.
Learning about humanism and subsequently training as a celebrant some years later allowed me to do so.
So after an early retirement from a career in healthcare , I trained as a celebrant in 2012 .. and now, here I am, almost eight years later, having conducted almost 500 ceremonies ( I conduct both funerals and weddings ) and I am the Area Ceremonies Officer for the South West of Scotland.
Like most celebrants, I find that conducting ceremonies is certainly amongst the most enjoyable and rewarding work I have ever done.
However, for me, conducting ceremonies is not a “job” …. it is not a “career” ( I’ve had one of those ) …. its is simply something I love doing and because it isn’t a full time occupation ( I do try to have a life too !! ) you can be sure that I will always have lots of time to spend on your ceremony.
I live between Howwood and Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, with my wife Liz and our two wonderful, gentle and friendly German Shepherds, Shuna and her “pup” Ruaridh . I should also add that Liz says she is gentle and friendly too ( most of the time !)
I am happy to conduct ceremonies in Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and Glasgow (or further afield… I do seem to conduct quite a few weddings on the shores ofLoch Lomond !
I have also conducted weddings ( including a ” Pirate Wedding” ) aboard the “Tall Ship” at Glasgow Riverside Museum, a whisky distillery and of course in couple’s own homes.
Its Your Humanist Wedding 