What are your qualifications?
The Humanist Society endorsed me as an Associate Humanist Celebrant on April 8, 2014 and honorably on May 19, 2015 as a Humanist Celebrant. As such, I am afforded the recognition, respect, legal rights and responsibilities enjoyed by clergy of traditional faiths. Humanist Celebrants are recognized in all fifty states as legal officiants at weddings and are authorized to conduct memorials and perform other ceremonial functions.  I also attend continuing education sessions, with the most recent training session at Rutgers University in 2016.

Are you associated with a traditional religious group?
I am not associated with any traditional religious group, but let me tell you a bit about the religious organization I am endorsed through: The American Humanist Society. In July 1939 a group of Quakers decided to form a non-theistic society based on similar goals and beliefs. In humanism’s tenets they saw the promise of a genuine union between science and ethics. It was therefore with this union in mind that this small band of former Quakers incorporated, in December 1939, under the state laws of California the Humanist Society of Friends as a religious, educational, charitable nonprofit organization authorized to issue charters anywhere in the world and to train and certify people, who upon endorsement would be accorded the same rights and privileges granted by law to priests, ministers, and rabbis of traditional theistic religions.  

This group attracted a range of leadership well beyond their Quaker and Humanist roots. Educators, scholars, business and labor professionals, scientists, artists, and others contributed to the Humanist Society’s rich history of conducting meetings, ceremonies, and various rites of passage. Since 1991 the organization has worked as an adjunct to the American Humanist Association to endorse qualified members to serve in this special capacity. And in 2003 the organization’s board voted to remove the “of Friends” portion of the name in line with the expanded constituency. In 2013, the group advanced a bold agenda to reach many more people in increasingly substantive ways with the humanist celebrant model of outreach and leadership. In November 2014, the Humanist Society was endorsed by the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc, an affiliate of the Association of Professional Chaplains.

What is Secular Humanism?
Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

What does a Secular Humanist wedding ceremony look like?
It looks like your vision, what you have in mind for your wedding day with all the love and joy that making a commitment to your loved one expresses, only your commitment is made to each other and not to a supernatural power. While your wedding will most definitely incorporate your spirituality, which is as personal as your fingerprints, your marriage will remain the focus, not any branch of theism. To be legally married in North Carolina, you must obtain a marriage license and it must be signed by me and two witnesses after hearing your intent to live as a married couple.

​Something I have heard over and over is that people were upset that their wedding officiant used their wedding as a sermon or a political call to action. This will not happen with me, my job is to be a professional facilitator of your wedding ceremony. Your marriage and love are the focus and there is no soap box I would ever stand on to try to outshine your moment. This is your time and you will think back on it for decades, I would never be so greedy as to take this day from you for personal agendas. Please, please know this.
Do you provide other services?
Yes. While weddings are my main focus, I also perform funeral and memorial services for all people and beloved pets. As a Humanist Celebrant, I offer a kind, thoughtful, and secular approach to all of life's milestones. Baby naming ceremonies as an alternative to baptism are common in the UK and are becoming increasingly popular here in the States. I also perform Trans-naming ceremonies to honor and affirm the life transition many make. I am delighted to speak with you about any of life events. I serve all people and honor all who gather with you to mark the moment, including those of differing cultures, traditional heritage, or belief systems.

​How did you get started as a Humanist Celebrant?
This is one of my favorite questions. in 2013, three separate couples asked me if I could marry them – just out of the blue, I was someone they would love to officiate their ceremony. Let me back up and start with the fact that I love love. I want to lift love up whenever it is present and help everyone know that it’s the answer to a lot of the world’s problems, at least, in my own experience. After the third couple asked me and I had to tell them no, I started researching my options. I was 7 years into my journey as an atheist and found Humanism as a wonderful philosophy that matched the way my husband and I wanted to grow our sweet family. When my best childhood friend asked me if I would marry her and her girlfriend, I had to get the ball rolling. A couple of years later, I married them and it was the most magical and loving experience; I was hooked, I knew I was meant to facilitate joy and help people marry each other. I am truly honored to be a part of couples’ lives. I live to serve where love is involved, it makes my life better and helps me help others.