A Humanist Wedding on the Beach

Slapton Sands, a five mile stretch of shingle beach in the South Hams made an unusual but fitting setting for the Humanist wedding of Laura Greaves and John Titchmarsh in August this year. During the 2nd World War it had been the beach where American and Canadian soldiers trained for the D-Day landings but on this occasion a much happier event took place.

Alison Orchard, barefoot like the bride and groom and most of the guests, conducted the ceremony in what she described as a very special place, "vital and elemental, refreshing and healing and symbolic of life itself". Fortunately, the sun shone so no umbrellas were needed but Laura and John had decided to hold the wedding on the beach they loved so much whatever the weather.

Earlier in the week, the couple had been legally married in a Cheshire church in deference to grandparents' desire to be present but not being able to travel down to Devon. Laura said that although this had been a very moving and happy occasion she felt the real wedding had been the Humanist one on the beach.

This had incorporated an old Celtic custom of handfasting which involved separate ribbons being tied around the bride's and groom's hands and knotted at the final vow.

After toasts to the new couple guests went back to Slapton Ley Field Centre where they celebrated with a fish and chip reception and "the usual evening frivolities" as the invitations described it.

Humanist weddings take many forms and this must be one of the most unusual with a groom wearing trousers rolled up to his knees but the promises exchanged were not casual and to Laura and John were as binding as the ones made in the Cheshire church.

NB. Laura is a volunteer at the Totnes Oxfam Shop where I also help and when I heard of her Humanist wedding thought that other Devon Humanists would like to know about it.

Hazel Fuller