Ewan Main | Humanist celebrant
Unique, smile-filled non-religious weddings in Yorkshire and the north of England
In their own words
Hi. I’m Ewan. I’ve been writing and conducting wedding and partnership ceremonies since 2012, and I entirely love it.
I can guarantee we’ll find exactly the right mix of stories, ceremony, tradition, novelty, old and new to reflect you perfectly, fill the room with joy, and give you and your guests a shared moment to remember.
And don’t worry: if (like me when I got married) the notion of crafting vows or declaring your feelings in your own way fills you with fear and embarrassment, that’s fine too: simple and dignified is just as good as free-spirited and emotional. It’s all about what works for you.
If you’re brimming with ideas, I can’t wait to hear them. If you’re not, I can help.
Ewan was wonderful from start to finish! He went over and above to make our ceremony perfect, from lots of Zoom calls to coming in to Leeds for a walkthrough at the venue (and staying for a drink with our nearest and dearest). It’s so obvious how much he loves his work and it shines through and made us feel very supported and at ease. We knew we could trust him to do an amazing job – so much so that we didn’t want or need to see the script before he delivered it. He made people laugh, cry and laugh again and I would unreservedly recommend him to anyone.
Megan and Luke
Married at Left Bank Leeds in 2022
What’s involved?
- Say hello. Send me an email, give me a call, message me by text, WhatsApp, or through Hitched. Let me know when and where you’re thinking (if you know), so I can tell you if I’m free.
- We have a chat, online or in person. Tell me your ideas and ask me anything! Absolutely no obligation or pressure.
- We book the date. I’ll put you in the diary and save the whole day for you.
- We talk, message, email or meet regularly. We’ll get to know each other, I’ll learn about your story, and we’ll think of ideas together. Keep in touch and send me anything you have – questions, suggestions, a PDF of your invitations, a photo of the venue, a photo of your dog, a film recommendation, a samosa recipe.
- We agree the plan. I’ll put together a big diagram containing everything from music choices, to paragraph headings, to vow wordings, to who holds what when. We’ll go through it together, adding, removing, moving and changing things until it’s perfect.
- I write a complete ceremony script. 3,500-ish words just for you. Some people like to review and edit this before the ceremony. Others like to keep it as a surprise. Up to you!
- We meet at the venue to run through everything. Check that we know where we’re going to stand, who’s operating the music, how we’ll know when you’re ready to start. Things like that.
- The day arrives. I get there at least an hour in advance. The ceremony takes place and we’re all delighted! I only ever book one ceremony per day, so I won’t be staring at my watch and there’s no problem if things get delayed.
- I give you a copy of the ceremony script to keep. Perhaps you chose to sign a commemorative certificate or something similar too.
- We say goodbye. But I hope we keep in touch! Show me your photos and tell me how the rest of the day went!
We couldn’t recommend Ewan more. He had come recommended to us by another celebrant, and we are so grateful that our paths crossed as it really was the most special ceremony and everything we dreamt of.
We knew from the moment we got engaged that we didn’t want a traditional (or religious) ceremony, and that we really wanted a ceremony that reflected who we were, our values, and one that brought some joy to the day… and Ewan answered the brief perfectly!
Leading up to the wedding we spent a few laughter filled evenings in the local pub together, where he asked us about our backgrounds, our story, our families, our interests and he crafted all of these conversations into a ceremony filled with lovely stories, lots of laughter and some really beautiful personal moments that we wanted to share with our loved ones.
Our families didn’t understand why we weren’t having a ‘traditional’ ceremony, and they didn’t really know what a humanist ceremony entailed but after the ceremony they really got it, with guests commenting on how lovely (and refreshing) it was to experience a ceremony so personalised to us as individuals and our lives together. Many said it was the best ceremony they have ever experienced.
I couldn’t recommend Ewan more, he really is the best in the business and we often talk to this day about how much we loved working with him. Thank you for everything Ewan!
Steph and Nick
Married at White Syke Fields in 2023
Planning a wedding, or want to know more?
Get in touch – I’d love to talk to you.
Ewan Main | Humanist celebrant
Trained and accredited by Humanists UK for non-religious weddings, partnerships, namings and funerals
Based in York, operating across Yorkshire and the North of England, or anywhere else by arrangement