10 Questions with Humanist Celebrant Pat Clarke Browne

Pat Clarke Browne is a Humanist Celebrant who has done 300 wedding ceremonies to date. He won Brides of Limerick Wedding Celebrant of the Year in 2019.

10 Questions with Humanist Celebrant Pat Clarke Browne

By I Love Limerick Correspondent Ann Mc Donald

Pat also helps couples design the perfect ceremony for their special day and is recommended highly by his clients.

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Pat Clarke Browne is a certified Humanist Association of Ireland Celebrant and HSE certified Solemniser based in Co. Clare. This allows him to perform the legal part of a wedding, as well as helping to design the ceremony. In 2019, he won the Brides of Limerick Wedding Celebrant of the Year.

He also provides Humanist Naming and Welcoming ceremonies as well as Humanist funerals. To date, he has done 300 wedding ceremonies.

What was your childhood like and where did you grow up?

I am from Kennedy Park in Limerick, and my dad was a driver for CIE tours. I am the youngest of 5- I have two brothers and two sisters.

I went to CBS Sexton St and Moylish RTC, as it was back then.

I have always worked in IT, but also had a second interest. One of the engineers in the company I worked for was a drummer in a band and asked me if I would help move their gear down to a gig in Kilkee as I had a van for work. So, that began my side-line as a roadie.

I always had an interest in photography and had my own photography company for about 14 years. I did a lot of weddings, and that experience was most helpful later.

When did you know that you wanted to be a Humanist Celebrant?

When I married my wife Caroline in the Hunt Museum in Limerick, we had a Humanist Ceremony. She was a member of the organisation for many years prior to that and we both attended local and national meetings, so I realised I was a Humanist without even realising it! It involves a belief in science, logic, and ethics and not in the supernatural.

Can you tell me a little bit about your job?

As a Humanist Celebrant, I have the pleasure of helping couples design their legal wedding ceremony the way they want it. My previous experience allows me to sort their music if they don’t have a live musician and I also liaise with their photographer or videographer to ensure the best possible results for the couple.

My job is to keep them calm and ensure they don’t feel any pressure on the day and get to enjoy the experience. I always have backup plans for any eventuality on the day, my wife calls me “The Wedding MacGyver”.

I also offer parents the option of a non-religious naming or coming of age ceremony for their kids, this is becoming more popular since the removal of the baptism barrier for entry into schools.

I do sadly also help people plan funerals for those who have passed ensuring the persons wishes are carried out. I find it can be quite cathartic for the family to talk about them with a stranger and surprisingly this can lead to laughter as they recollect the fun events from their life.  

What is your favourite thing about your job?

Weddings are my favourite thing to do, it’s so nice to see the pure joy on couples faces when the meet at the top of the aisle or occasionally on the edge of a cliff!

Do you think people are leaning more towards Humanist celebrations rather than ‘traditional’ ones?

Yes, I think it is becoming a lot more popular. The Humanist Association of Ireland is reacting to this demand and training in new Celebrants to cater for the ever-increasing demand around the country. We currently have over 30 Celebrants in different counties with another 10 just completing their training process which takes around 12 months.

What do you think the future is like for Humanist celebrations?

It looks like the demand shows no sign of dropping and now over 50% of weddings are not in churches. Not all of those would be Humanist, but it does show the trend that couples are no longer tied to the traditional format, they find it a lot more convenient to have the ceremony and reception at their venue.

How has Covid-19 impacted your work?

I did have quite a few couples move their ceremonies from last year to late this year and even 2022 and 2023, but there was a steady stream of couples who wanted to complete the Legal component even if they could only have a small number of guests. There was a definite air of marry now, party later! Now the numbers are up, most people are happy to proceed as before especially now that they can have live music at the reception!

Do you have any advice for someone looking into being a Humanist Celebrant?

It is a very rewarding experience. We recruit from our own membership with two years membership being the minimum before you can respond to a round of recruitment.

You need good interpersonal and organisational skills and there is an interview panel to select from the initial applicants then classroom modules and shadowing existing celebrants for each of the Training Modules. It is a more formalised process now than before. Then a final exam and testing phase. So, it is a lot of work, but worth it!

What is your greatest accomplishment so far?

Thanks to the great feedback from my couples, I have won and been a finalist in several Wedding Industry awards it is great to receive peer recognition in what is a very competitive market.

And lastly, what do you love most about Limerick?

I love the people. Limerick people are some of the wittiest and smartest people around, and can cut you down to size in seconds should you ever develop a severe case of the “Notions” that keeps us all grounded. Limerick has an amazing pool of artists and musicians, and everyone is approachable and keep an eye out for each other. I look forward to the full return of gigs and going to Dolans for a pint and some amazing music!

For more about Pat Browne Clarke go HERE 

For more 10 Questions stories go HERE 

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