Annalese McDermott Humanist Celebrant

Name: Annalese McDermott Humanist Celebrant
Address: Edinburgh, GB
Telephone: +447834421079
Rating: 5

Home
United Kingdom
Edinburgh
Annalese McDermott Humanist Celebrant

Welcome to my page. I am a Humanist Celebrant based in Edinburgh Scotland.
(1)

20/10/2025

An Iraqi / Scottish wedding at Edinburgh Castle.

When Sanad walked down the aisle, with tears in their eyes, and giant smiles, their families cheered. It was a moment.

When Sanad and Michael went for their first date in town, Sanad looked so beautiful, Michael got distracted and walked into a wall – he literally fell for her straight away and they have been together ever since.

During the ceremony their friend Stephen shared a poem he wrote for Sanad and Michael which was both brilliant and funny. We remembered Sanad’s mum, Michael and Sanad wrote love letters to one another sealed with wax and read them to each other, and they tied the thickest knot ever with Michael’s tartan sash.

The loudest cheers as they made their wat back up the aisle as husband and wife.

Photo’s captured by Timshel Piictures ♡

22/05/2025

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They stay in our lives for a while, leave footprints on our hearts” Flavia Weedn.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, it is an extraordinary honour to hold space in ceremony. Hannah and Jamie embody warmth and joy, and kindness, playfulness and fun. They reflected this in their ceremony but also held close their deep love for one another.

Wedderlie House is a gem of a venue, and PJ Phillips Photography captured these gorgeous happy slides from a gorgeous, happy day.

Venue - Wedderlie House

06/05/2025

Intimate, joyful, and intentional were some of the feelings Nao & Justin wanted to integrate in to their wedding ceremony. Alongside two of their closest friends who have helped to shape their personhood, the elegant Royal College of Physicians provided a perfect backdrop, lined with antique bookcases and alcoves.

They hope and dream to continue to live a life full of joy and friendship and to carry on integrating their heritage and cultures into their home. To continue to have in-depth conversations about anything and everything, and laugh at the different insights and humorous perspectives they come up with and continue to choose each other every day.

Natalia Swaider captured these slides, brimming with excellence and beauty.

Photographer 📸 ~ Natalia Swiader Photography

Venue ~ Royal College of Physicians

30/04/2025

We are all just walking each other home" Ram Dass

Jason and Megan decided to get married while hiking the highest peak in Madeira at sunrise. Although they didn’t see a sunrise, when they reached the summit, they were literally above the clouds with views across the island and fluffy clouds all around them.

Being close to nature and the outdoors is a passion they share, and Scotland is a special place to them both – it was also the first place they called home. The beauty and landscapes remind them both so much of South Africa, where they are from.

They married overlooking Bidean Nam Bian, also known as The Three Sisters.

As always, it was a joy to work alongside Matt Pocknell, who captured this stunning carousel of slides from their day.

Photographer Matt Pocknell Photography

20/02/2025

Chloe has fond childhood memories of trips to Scotland with her family. Chloe and Jack chose to marry in the late gothic St Margaret’s in Braemar. Braemar is in the heart of the UK’s largest National Park in the Cairngorms and is home to ancient forests, rivers, and hilltops. The ceremony space in St Margaret’s was adorned with gorgeous, crisp, textured florals by the amazing Wild Flower Workshop. November light peeked through the stained glass, and the scene was set for a loving, intimate, winter ceremony.

As you can see by these magical pictures captured by The Caryls, Chloe and Jack were shining. Getting to know them both over a years planning and sharing their story was a joy and a privilege.

14/01/2025

This year, it will be 10 years since I commenced my training with Humanist Society Scotland as a Celebrant.

I thought I’d share some things about me that you might connect with or might not know about me.

◇ My Grandpa Montague Ullman was a parapsychologist who founded the Dream Laboratory at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote several books, and promoted dream work and dream groups for many years.

◇Both of my parents are musicians, and they met at a folk festival.

◇I have two sisters, who are my best friends, one of them lives in Sweden.

◇I love dance music and dancing. My husband Lloyd was a Director of the Edinburgh nightclub The Venue in the early 2000’s – some of the best gigs I saw there were Four Tet and LCD Soundsystem. The early Optimo gigs were incredible.

◇I don’t play any instruments, but I founded the Humanist Society Choir many moons ago and sang in it.

◇From 2005 – 2010, I was a Director of a boutique model agency in Edinburgh called Stolen Agency. We represented 60 models for editorial and commercial work.

◇I believe that two of the best qualities to harness as a Celebrant are presence and listening. While i was applying to train as a Celebrant, I was given some great advice by a friend to volunteer with a listening service, which I did for a year.

◇I love the Ocean 🌊

This picture was taken last year by the lovely Susie Olzen Photography as part of a project she was doing to raise funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians.

17/10/2024

~ Eachann & Ashton ~
21.09.24
Royal College of Physicians

Once the ferry – ‘love’ - is

boarded, cast off, headed

into open water

Sail well and wear

the white sails of

knowing

love will carry all

the asks and

ardours

you and I

may bring to this

uncharted voyage

across time’s

eternally mutable

ocean

as long as

we steer

hand in hand

hand in hand

Aonghas Macneachail

Images captured beautifully by Sarah Newman Photography
Venue Royal College of Physicians

12/10/2024

If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love you very much” Mary Oliver

Sally and Callum shared their wedding day with those who raised them and shaped them into the people they are. They married their way – outdoors in the forest, intimately, focusing on what matters to them and those most important to them.

Moments like these ✨️ Sharing them with such incredible people, I don't ever take it for granted 🤎🍂🌿

Frames captured with love by The Harphams

10/10/2024

In August, Camille and Georges traveled from Brittany to Scotland. They hired a campervan and toured around Scotland with their son. In the lead up to this trip we planned a ceremony in Glencoe. A chance for them to mark 7 years of marriage with personal vows and rings, rooted in their values and love for one another.

Rituals were woven into their ceremony, such as the Oathing Stone which they collected from a beach near the place where their son felt the sea for the first time and Handfasting, with the help of their son. Vows were hand written and expressed to one another in the most tender, loving way. It was incredibly beautiful to witness such love.

Justine and Quentin, who came all the way from Brittany, and captured these gorgeous frames ~ Justine Guillemette Photographe

22/09/2024

If only we could bottle these moments...

Ewan and Scott’s wedding at Edinburgh Grand was electric and bursting with love and happiness and a ton of laughter.

And without being firebrands about it, Scott and Ewan also believe their marriage is a statement of equality. When they were growing up, their commitment to each other, and even gathering to celebrate it, wasn’t a given. They are proud to be able to enjoy that right, want the world to know about it, and will never take it for granted”

Gorgeous moments captured by the lovely Lou Rob Photography

Venue - Cheval The Edinburgh Grand

23/08/2024

Rach knew that Rich was someone special when after only a few months of dating, she asked him if he wanted to rent a tuk tuk and drive across India with her and her friends… and he said yes! Rich knew Rach was someone special on the very same trip when she took care of him after he enjoyed the last evening’s celebration party too much.

Their ceremony took place under the presence of a mighty sequoia tree ~ resistant and deep rooted, sequoia trees grow in groves, withstanding the winds and providing shelter 🌱

Such a great team to work with ♡

♡

Photograhy: Sarah Louise Photograhy

Venue: Gilmerton House

Videography: Boda Productions

Wedding Planner: Scarlett & Bell

Florals: Liberty Blooms

Hair and Makeup: Julie Mcguire

Music: The Soul Establishment

15/08/2024

Callum’s dad carved a Quaich for Helen and Callum and their growing family as a gift. Carved from marri wood, a species of timber native to the south coast area of Western Australia to combine their contemporary identity to the heritage of their Scottish ancestors.

Helen and Callum chose to share in the drinking of Muscat wine originating from the Rutherglen region of Victora, Australia. Created from the land in warm, temperate climates, Muscat is produced via the solera process by which a variety of vintages are carefully blended and aged in barrels, culminating in a harmonious union greater than the sum of its parts. Iconically Australian, it symbolises the unbreakable bond Callum and Helen both share, and serves to connect them to the far away land which they call home.

Photo Credit ~ Wildling Weddings

Address

Edinburgh

Telephone

+447834421079

Website

http://annalesemcdermott.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Annalese McDermott Humanist Celebrant posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Annalese McDermott Humanist Celebrant:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Event Planning Service in Edinburgh?