Monthly Archives: March 2017

Secular Ceremonies: Your New Wedding Ceremony Option

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Historically, most wedding ceremonies took place in churches or other houses of worship, and have been defined in large part by religious rules and traditions. But times have changed, and many weddings now take place in parks, museums, golf clubs, historic mansions or specialized wedding venues. If you move your ceremony out of religious buildings and select an officiant who is not bound by religious rules, the possibilities for your wedding ceremony really open up.

When you select a secular ceremony, you have no restrictions on the kinds of music you choose, the readings you want offered, or the unity ritual you find meaningful. You are welcome to write your own vows, you can add in other rituals or include other people in your ceremony if you wish.

Your secular ceremony can have a very traditional look and feel if that’s the experience you want. Classical music selections, well known readings from Shakespeare or Elizabeth Barrett Browning can be used. Repeat after me vows using familiar language may be the perfect choice for you. Unity candles or sand blending ceremonies can be offered. And traditional language can make the ceremony very similar to other weddings you’ve attended.

But if you wish to extensively personalize your secular ceremony, that’s possible, too. The theme from “Princess Bride” for the bride’s entrance, is not traditional, but may be the perfect fit for you. Writing your own vows and choosing to include some humor in them may perfectly reflect your personal dynamic as a couple. Using an offering from children’s literature or contemporary poetry as a reading may express your views on love or marriage. And a tree planting or handfasting may be the ideal ritual to follow your exchange of vows and rings.

All those less traditional choices can still be wound into a wedding ceremony that feels like a wedding ceremony. The familiar elements – processional, reading, vows, unity ritual – are all still there, but have been selected to keep the focus on you as a couple and better reflect your personalities and style. You will have a meaningful experience marking your commitment to each other in marriage, and your guests will feel they’ve had a recognizable “ceremony experience”, too. But you’ll be comfortable with the language used, and the content will celebrate you as a couple as the cross the threshold into marriage.

Personalizing Your Wedding Party

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When you think about personalizing your wedding party, think beyond plaid bow ties for the men and neckline choices for the women. Think about the people most important in your lives. Think about who you want standing at your side at this very significant moment in your lives. Think beyond the traditional choices for your wedding attendants.

I use the word attendants because it is gender and age neutral. You can have “bridesmen” and “groomswomen”, or “men of honor” and “best women”. But attendants and honor attendants are terms that are more general and provide you with all kinds of flexibility.

I’ve had mature brides invite their 50-something sisters to be their honor attendant. I’ve had groom’s fathers stand as their best man. And gender bending wedding parties are becoming more common with at least a few each season. Sometimes the bride has one sibling – a brother, or the groom only a sister, and those are the people they want standing at their elbow when they say their vows.

If one of your best friends happens to be opposite your gender, please don’t leave them out of your wedding party because they happen to wear pants or a skirt. Fashion choices can be handled in a variety of ways that allow your wedding party to look coordinated and fabulous in pictures, so don’t let that prevent you from asking them to stand with you. Bridal salons and formal wear shops can help with suggestions, or ask the individual standing up with you what they would prefer. I’ve seen male attendants for the bride in tuxes that both match and in contrast with the groom’s attendants. And I’ve seen female attendants for the groom in the same dress as the bride’s attendants, but in black to match the groom’s attendants suits. That’s just one solution that works.

A few years back one couple I married had their two grandmothers act as their “flower girls”, tossing flower petals down the aisle in front of the bride. It was a special moment for both the couple and for the grandmothers who shared special relationships with the bride and groom.

And finally, don’t feel that you must have the same number of attendants. Again, it’s much more important for you to have people you are close to, comfortable with, and with whom you have a strong connection in your wedding party. Processionals, pictures, reception dances and head tables can all accommodate differing numbers of attendants with a little thought and creativity. Ask yourselves if you’re likely to have a relationship with each person in your party in 10 or 20 years. If the answer is no, then think twice about inviting them to be in your wedding party.

Same sex couples do the best job I’ve seen of moving beyond traditional perceptions of wedding party rules. Maybe because they don’t have hundreds of years of wedding tradition to be limited by. But everyone can learn something from these couples who commonly break gender and number traditions. Surround yourselves with the important people in your world and it will add to the significance and special memories of your wedding day.

Including Your Dog In Your Wedding Ceremony

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If you have a dog you love and view as part of your family you might be thinking about including him or her in your wedding ceremony. Having worked with a number of couples in this situation, I’d like to offer four suggestions to help ensure that your dog is a good addition to your ceremony.

1) Have someone who knows your dog be in charge of him or her. Ask them to bring the dog to the ceremony site about 15 minutes before the ceremony, well fed, watered and walked. Have the dog leashed.

2) If you are having the dog bring the rings in, have the “minder” hold the rings until just before the big entrance, and have a secure way for them to be attached to the dog.

3) Rather than including the dog in the processional, early in the ceremony, or just before the ring exchange, have the celebrant talk about the importance of the dog in your lives, and invite the dog to bring the rings forward (or alternately, just to be a part of your ceremony by coming forward to “share some love with you”).

4) After their big moment, have the minder remove the dog from the ceremony space. If they stay near, they are likely to want to be with you. They will be a distraction to nearby guests who are trying to pay attention to the ceremony.

You can always include your beloved pet in your wedding pictures, regardless of whether they participate in the ceremony. This can be a good option of your ceremony site doesn’t allow pets, or if you wish to reduce your stress by taking the pet variable out of your ceremony experience.

And one final thought… your pet will be happy to see you, and doesn’t understand about fragile fabrics, perfectly pressed tuxes, professional makeup applications, or carefully coiffed hair. You’ll have to decide how to balance your desire to include your pet in your special day, and the potential risks and stresses of doing so.

Creating Your Unique Wedding Day Experience

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Each couple wants and deserves to have a memorable wedding day, and there is an entire wedding industry out there telling you how to accomplish that. It’s easy to get caught up in elaborate, expensive fashion, decor, venues, floral, entertainment and more as you strive to create your wedding day, but that’s not necessary.

If you keep the focus on you as a couple – your personalities, your experiences, the love you share and what is important to you, you’ll be able to create a wedding day that truly reflects who you are. You can choose personal centerpieces that reflect your love of books, or games, or travel, instead of glitzy, generic ones. You can opt to have a special dance for your grandparents and guests with long, successful marriages, and forgo expensive entertainers. You can include some craft beers that you’ve discovered in lieu of top shelf liquors.

In each case the cost will be lower, but the impact higher when you invest your time and energy to reflect yourselves in your wedding celebration. Your guests will leave your celebration knowing they’ve shared in a very personal, significant celebration with you. So have fun looking at all the wedding related websites out there, but make sure to let your personalities shine through when making the choices for you wedding day.