Mandy smiles as she hugs a couple following their humanist wedding ceremony.

20 years of humanist marriage: interview with celebrant Mandy Evans Ewing

April 17, 2025

This year marks Humanist Society Scotland’s 20th year of conducting legal humanist weddings in Scotland! Since 2005 our celebrants have delivered over 50,000 legal humanist wedding ceremonies. Mandy is a Humanist Society Scotland celebrant and one of the first 12 celebrants registered to conduct legal humanist weddings. We caught up with her to reflect on this huge milestone and her experiences as a humanist celebrant.

Hi Mandy! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

Hello! I was born in Kent to my wonderful parents Margaret and David. We moved to Scotland when I was 12 with my dad’s job and lived in Fife for five years. I then went to college in Edinburgh and lived there for 12 years. Now I live in the south side of Glasgow, where I have been for nearly 28 years.

I am very fortunate to have many marvellous friends and a fabulous family. My dad was an amazing man; sadly he died in March 2023. I was deeply honoured to co-conduct his funeral. I miss him a lot, though his laughter still often echoes about my being, which warms my heart. My mum is an incredible woman who is wise, clever, kind, thoughtful and still goes to zumba classes at 85. I have a brilliant younger brother, Darren, and wider family whom I cherish. I’ll be 60 this year: how did that happen!?

I play an active role in my community. I have been Honorary Humanist Chaplain at the University of Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian University for around 20 years. Being appointed as the first humanist chaplain in a UK university was very special. I’m also a board member of Urban Roots, a brilliant environmental charity in the south side of Glasgow.

What did you do before becoming a humanist celebrant?

After graduating with a degree in social work, I had a wide variety of roles. This included working with children and families, four befriending projects, working with Naval Personal and Family Services, and in a community addictions team.

I have always been involved in the creative arts and am still Front of House Manager for a large theatre tent at Glastonbury Festival, which I have done for nearly 30 years. I am a supporting artist in film and TV and a radio presenter. My show The Brightside is on Thursday lunchtimes on CamGlen radio!

This varied life experience is something I have been able to bring to my role as a humanist celebrant.

When I became a celebrant I was immediately made aware of the existing and longstanding campaign to legalise humanist weddings in Scotland. I conducted many non-legal wedding celebrations. I was very aware that a lot of heart and work had already gone into the campaign, which started around 1986.

Top image: Mandy conducts a ceremony for two grooms in a wooded hut. The grooms stand arms round one another smiling.

Bottom image: Mandy stands between two grooms laughing as one holds up his hand to show ring finger excitedly. — photo by the lazy duck

Tell us about your journey to becoming a humanist celebrant

I undertook my training in 2000 and conducted my first ceremony, a funeral, in May 2001. The journey, well….When I was twelve my cousin Nicola died. She was four. This was devastating and truly overwhelming for her family and for the wider family. Nicola was a bright, bubbly, beautiful little girl. I didn’t understand why this had happened.

The funeral was a church service, which was what her family wanted, and it was right for them. But the nature of the ceremony and the religious references didn’t connect with me, and I felt it also didn’t connect to Nicola in a meaningful way. It left me with so many questions and got me thinking a lot. As time went by I realised that I have no idea whether god exists or not and if they do then it bears no resemblance to the societal imagery and sentiment that I had grown up with.

When I was in my late thirties humanist funerals were becoming more popular in Scotland. One day I opened the Sunday Herald magazine to an article about humanist funerals and Humanist Society Scotland looking for people to train as celebrants. I felt that I could help people to have meaningful non-religious ceremonies. So, I applied, trained, and passed, and this journey began!

Top image: Bride and groom exchanging rings as Mandy stands between them delivering the ceremony, she looks on warmly as the couple look into one another's eyes laughing.

Bottom: Close up of the bride and grooms shoes. Groom wears tartan, burgundy leather shows and the bride pink heeled sandals with heart shaped jewels. — david grant simpson photography

Can you tell us about the campaign for legalising humanist weddings in Scotland? What was this like to be part of?

When I became a celebrant I was immediately made aware of the existing and longstanding campaign to legalise humanist weddings in Scotland. I conducted many non-legal wedding celebrations. I was very aware that a lot of heart and work had already gone into the campaign which started around 1986.

Ivan Middleton (Humanist Society Scotland Secretary and celebrant at the time) and Charles Douglas presented a petition to the parliament in 2001. Following this there was a series of meetings with Registrar General which took place over a few years.

The argument presented to the Scottish parliament was that it was unlawful under the European Human Rights Act to discriminate against anyone on the grounds of their religion or belief. A review concluded that our argument was correct. So, to prevent any further discrimination the Registrar authorised twelve humanist celebrants to solemnise marriages throughout Scotland.

There was some degree of surprise and huge elation amongst us all at this quite unexpected news. When George, the then Convenor, phoned me to say they wanted to put me forward as a celebrant I couldn’t quite believe my ears. I knew this was a monumental and historic moment for me personally and for so many other people. I was considerably younger than the other eleven celebrants, But, with the passage of time, people moving on, passing on, and retiring, it seems I am the last one standing!

What was it like delivering your first legal humanist wedding?

Awww, what a happy memory. The wedding was for Laura and Tony at The Pavilion, Isle of Bute in October 2005. It was very exciting, and in anticipation of conducting my first legal wedding, a special person in my life bought me a folder and a fountain pen. I still treasure and use them to this day.

The ceremony opened with a friend of the couple doing a very funny warm-up act with information about the day and then the music played….”You Do Something To Me” by Paul Weller. Little Rosa threw rose petals and little Keir carried the rings. The witnesses walked in and then Laura and Tony walked in together. There were deeply heartfelt vows and declarations exchanged, as well as beautiful readings (including “Love is a temporary madness”, an excerpt from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières). Tony read the lyrics to the song “In My Life”.

Then the deal was sealed with the required declarations! The piper played, there were cheers, kisses, confetti, and congratulations. It was a truly moving, magical, and momentous occasion. I felt very lucky.

Why do you think humanist weddings are so popular in Scotland?

There are many reasons. Firstly, there has been a distinct shift in people’s beliefs in Scotland over the last number of decades. People seem to have a greater understanding of their beliefs and a greater capacity for critical thinking about them, after aeons of merely following tradition. This capacity for philosophical inquiry allows people to keep the good morals and codes of conduct in humanity, that are innate and desirable, for the individual and greater good. This allows us to move on to other enlightened ways of living and designing rites of passage that are more meaningful to us.

Of course there is also the fact that we are lucky to have a never-ending array of glorious settings and venues in Scotland! Just one of the beauties of a humanist wedding is that you have your ceremony anywhere. Glencoe is one of my favourite wedding locations. I’ve married people in community centres, castles, country houses, up hills, on beaches, boats, and bridges; the list goes on. I have even married a couple in their front room in their jammies!

What does humanism mean to you?

To me humanism means focusing on common values. On the universal qualities, abilities, and aspirations that unify all human beings, regardless of creed or class. It’s about valuing the unique contribution that each of us makes: because we are one human family. Same blood, same bones, same skin, all breathing the same air. Humanism is about being kind to ourselves and each other. It’s about realising our shared desire for peace, joy, and understanding, and making that our common purpose.

Mandy mid handfasting ceremony. Couples arms are interlinked with tartan material over them. — eaglesham photography

Bride reads her vows to groom looking knowingly at him. Mandy looks on laughing. — eaglesham photography

Are there any memories that have been particularly special for you as a humanist celebrant?

This question really warrants a whole book of its own! It has been extra, extra joyful getting to marry so many friends! That’s something I never even thought about when I started on this journey.

It has been and continues to be a huge privilege and honour to help and be of service to my fellow human beings as a celebrant. Being part of a nation that has been a leader in so many areas of enlightened thinking over the years feels so special and momentous on a daily basis.

Featured image photo credit: Alasdair Watson Photography

Kirstie, the fiddle player in ceilidh band plays the fiddle at her wedding. She sits smiling widely, wearing a long white wedding dress.

Celebrate with us – summer ceilidh

We’re hosting a celebration ceilidh at the Assembly ROXY in Edinburgh on the weekend of World Humanist Day, Friday 20^th June 2025 to mark 20 year’s of humanist marriage. Join us for an evening of dancing and music from Da Hooley Ceilidh Band!

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