On what was a beautiful evening on Tanjong Beach Sentosa on Sept 20, Richard & Bev sealed their love with wedding vows here, in a ceremony that was performed by the Humanist Society (Singapore), or HumanistSG for short.
The event, jointly planned by the newlyweds and the celebrant arm of HumanistSG, consists of these parts : the ethos of Humanism, the pathos of the couple and their friends, and finding unity in what all experienced in life so far and in lives henceforth.
Simple rituals , like the lighting of candles and the warming of rings , bring special meanings of continuity and community; and the wedding vows the definitive declaration of the couple’s wish to spend their lives together.
Friends and family bear witness to this, and do personal readings befitting of what they know of the couple, and wish for for the couple. There were three readings this time : “Ordinary Morning”, “The Art of a Good Marriage”, and “Maybe”.
“Traditional wedding ceremonies are usually too secular, or too religious, and there is little nuance between signing an official document, and religion being the overarching master planner. The couple’s love for each other and their love for life are often secondary to what is needed by the legal authority and the immortal entity “, said Tan Tatt Si , President of HumanistSG, who was the celebrant at this wedding.
In Tuesday’s proceedings, Richard & Bev were visibly moved , with Richard barely able to get through his own vows, overcome by uncontrollable pants of joy and appreciation, and Bev the true partner who helped him along.
People with separate lives from the islands of Great Britain, Singapore (Sentosa), and Australia, gathered here for this, signifying oceans of water do not separate people – they connect us, and they nourish us.
Written by Chan Yue Kong
