Connolly’s Dismissal of Humanist Weddings, Saying the Columnist’s Vision of an Officiant in “Skinny Jeans and a Black”

Humanist celebrant Mair Garland has defended her profession against Rachel Connolly’s dismissal of humanist weddings, saying the columnist’s vision of an officiant in “skinny jeans and a black T-shirt gives me willies” misses the point. Garland, who writes in response to Connolly’s 29 July Guardian piece on modern ceremonies, admits to owning several pairs of skinny jeans but insists she has never worn them while officiating — “though never say never, she adds, noting she follows couples’ dress codes. Connolly, she says, seems to view humanist ceremonies as a watered-down version of formal religious ritual.

On the contrary, Garland argues, humanist celebrants are “knowledgeable, passionate and unashamedly geeky” about crafting meaningful non-religious ceremonies that are deeply personal to couples and their families. A non-religious ceremony, she stresses, needn’t be unceremonious or casual, and she invites Connolly to attend one to see for herself — especially with the legalisation of humanist marriage ceremonies on the horizon.”