Geraldine Gould

 

Weddings

It was when my sons had their own weddings that I became interested in becoming a humanist wedding celebrant. They were all such personal and joyful occasions, and yet each so different and unique. I realised that I had many of the skills required to bring such personalised ceremonies to other couples so I trained and registered as a Humanist Celebrant. Humanism is about kindness and cooperation and I feel that the way I work with couples reflects this.

I listen at length to each couple and ask relevant questions so that I gather a great deal of material with which to create the ceremony that reflects their own values and that tells their own story. I have no ‘one I made earlier’ so at each of my ceremonies guests feel that they have discovered what matters to the wedding couple and their commitment to each other, and are able to celebrate with them in the way that feels special to them.

 

Funerals

I have even longer experience of working with families and friends to mark their loved one’s goodbye in a way that is all about the person and his or her life. It is important as the celebrant to be able to convey the emotion and the life story in a supportive way without it feeling overwhelming for those who are grieving.

These ceremonies combine the elements that were special to the person and the life now gone in the way that they and their families would want. Again, those attending always find out a little more than they knew before about the person to whom they have come to say their respectful farewell. Because each person is unique so is each ceremony which I conduct.

Namings

Welcoming a new life into the world is always such a pleasure as well as a big responsibility. I very much enjoy the naming ceremonies which many parents now wish to have to honour their child.

It is a privilege to be part of all the lives which my ceremonies celebrate and I am always respectful and grateful to those I work with for all that they share with me.

I am based in Edinburgh and am happy to conduct ceremonies in most parts of Scotland. I am more than happy to discuss your situation and the way we could work together to create the right ceremony for you. Please contact me on geraldine@humanistassociationscotland.com or mobile 07890979060.

 

What people have said about my wedding ceremonies

Hi Geraldine,
Andrew and I just wanted to say a big thank you for conducting our wedding service-it was lovely and just the tone we both wanted! Everyone commented that they really enjoyed it. Thanks again Geraldine.
Kind regards,
Nicola and Andrew 

Dear Geraldine,
We are just writing out some thank you cards and realised we don’t have your address so thought we would send you an email to THANK YOU so much for being such an important and gorgeous part of our wedding. 
We only got to chat briefly after the ceremony, but you really were wonderful and conducted everything beautifully. 
Our friends and family are still reflecting on how lovely the day was and in particular how personal it was, which is also very much thanks to you.  Again, apologies for selecting Here, There and Everywhere to play during the signing!!  It really was a tear jerking moment!!  But again, a beautiful moment. 
You will always be a part of our lives, and we are honoured for that. 
Lots of love
Jamie & Gillian xxx

Hi Geraldine,
I’m sorry for the delay in emailing you but i wanted to say thank you so much for marrying me and James. The ceremony was my favourite part of the day, it was exactly as we imagined it to be. Our guests, including my aunt and uncle felt emotional throughout it and complimented on what a beautiful ceremony it was, people also commented on how it captured us as a couple. 
We had a lovely mini moon in Dunkeld and slept for most if the 4 days. Eventually we had to say goodbye to our lovely friends from New Zealand but then it was straight back into work for us. I had the post wedding come down, but it was more tiredness than wanting to do it all over again, I think the Beast from the East was the icing on the cake ha-ha. 
You are a lovely person Geraldine and we won’t forget how you helped us gather our stories and thoughts about each other and turn it into our beautiful ceremony. I will also remember how you pulled out all the stops to ensure us of your presence with the chaos of the weather beforehand. I will send you some pictures of the ceremony as there are some lovely ones of you marrying us. 
Thank you again Geraldine,
Louise and James