Nuptials & Names

  The tradition of throwing confetti over the newly weds dates back to mid 19th century here in the UK but comes from a  much older activity practised in ancient Rome. Warriors back from a battle? Throw flowers, rice or other grains and seeds. Random celebratory procession? Throw rice flowers and seeds.  Getting married? Rice oats and wheat were thrown over the couple to symbolise fertility. Moving forward to the middle ages during Italian Carnival, ladies would carry baskets of confetti or small sweets such as candied peel. They would throw the sweets at favoured people  (basically people they fancied) in the parade and these small sugar and flour coated sweets would leave a mark on the clothing. They threw eggs at others, so this could be where the wearing of masks started... if they can't tell what you look like, you might get away without getting 'egged' as to get to the end of the parade covered in flour and sugar 'dots' meant the person was highly favoured. Co...

  The path to becoming a celebrant has been a long, winding and interesting journey. I have sat on the idea for at least two years after seeing a game show contestant declare their job as a Celebrant. I confess I didn't know what that was or what it entailed, but I was intrigued so I did a little research. So, what types of ceremony can a Celebrant carry out for couples in the UK? Independent Celebrants can offer non religious wedding ceremonies or civil partnership ceremonies, similar to Humanists. However they can also offer ceremonies with elements of religion and spirituality. This will make each ceremony totally unique and makes them popular with interfaith weddings. The key differences between a Humanist Celebrant and an Independent Celebrant had me intrigued. I did not realise the many different pathways a celebrant can take. A humanist celebrant is an individual who offer non religious ceremonies. Their belief system is one of logic and evidence. They themselves are...