A few tips for Personalised Wedding Ceremonies
I understand sitting down to write and work on your wedding ceremony can be overwhelming - it’s an empty document expectantly staring at you. You know there are a bunch of components in a wedding ceremony, but which ones should you include? Which ones do you need to include? This shouldn’t be a stressful thing. I’m here to guide you through this whole process. You can choose to have a non-traditional ceremory or a traditional ceremony with rituals and readings. I'm here to help guide and assist couples create their wedding ceremonies in four steps. Remember, I’m always here for you both and we’ll work together to make a completely memorable ceremony.
Your wedding ceremony is all about you. It is your expression of the depth of your love. It signifies the beginning of your life that you will share together. The following are essential elements that must be included in a ceremony that make it your marriage legally binding.
Everything else you do in a wedding ceremony is optional. These options becomes the Ceremony Order of Service. Find A Style Decide with your partner what sort of wedding ceremony you’d like to have: long, short, traditional, non-traditional, etc. Know that a twenty-minute ceremony is about the average length. Are you having a traditional wedding ceremony, or a ceremony that’s non-traditional? Consider, do you or your partners’ parents want a certain traditional aspect in your wedding ceremony? Are you willing to include it? Talk to your partner about the length of the ceremony and what style you’d like it to reflect. |
Find a Tone and a Meaning
A good structured wedding ceremony should have a theme. A theme makes the whole ceremony cohesive, and much easier to create. For example, is your message, “We took a journey together and this is the ultimate journey we start today,” or “Our love has been tested and today we reaffirm our connection,” Is your tone nostalgic? Forward thinking? Is your wedding ceremony aimed toward the community of loved ones there to celebrate and witness your love, or it more about the bond you’ve created with your partner? The meaning and tone will help you write vows, find readings, and help us all (as your celebrant) create your memorable ceremony.
Decide Which Components Of The Ceremony You Want to Include
This is the essence of the ceremony. With my guidance I will help you structure these components.
Below are some of the wedding ceremony components (loosely) in the order people generally use, but there is no reason you cannot move things around (and of course, cut things completely). Remember, it’s your moment—do what feels comfortable for you both.
The Welcome (spoken by myself): A welcome, a please turn off your mobiles, a thank you to the guests for attending.
The Address: A moment to emphasise the significance of vows the couple are about to exchange. I could give share a message about the principles and beliefs surrounding marriage - This may be a good time to tell a personal story about you and your partner or explain how you met.
The Readings: The readings really are exactly what they sound like. You may want someone to read a poem, lyrics, or even a funny text message. I will introduce the reader to let them know it’s their time to do the honours.
The Monitum: The word Monitum is the latin word for “warning” that informs a wedding couple of the legal expectation of the binding nature of marriage within Australia. This along with the legal vows are the legal components of the ceremony. I will say words of the Monitum.
The Asking: A formal question in relation to your intentions. When you and your partner are asked if you take this person to be your legally wedded partner, answering with “I do.”
Exchange of Vows: These are additional to the legal vows. Your promises or words that are a reflection of your relationship. There are options with your vows. Your vows, you read them. Or your vows, I read them, and you repeat them.
The Giving and/or Receiving of Rings: I speak for a moment about the meaning of the rings. It is usually along the lines of, “Rings are a circle which is eternal, as is love,” but varies with different spiritual and cultural contexts. Feel free to add to this explanation, or keep it simple. Then you present your partner with their ring. I find that most couples want to repeat after me, as it’s hard to remember what you want to say when you’re up there in the spotlight! You’ll place the ring on your partner’s finger and say something to the effect of, “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness.” Again, you can get as creative as you like with the words to choose to say before you place the ring.
The Declaration: I will officially pronounce you both as legally wed.
The Kiss: The kiss! I love this part, it’s so happy.
I’d like to stress this point: you do not need all of the parts just listed. You should make your wedding feel just the way you want it to—like you, like tradition, or like some combination. If you want to move all the parts around, do it. If you want to out leave some parts out, feel free to do that too… with the exception of the Monitum and legal vows.
Make it You! Your wedding vows: Wedding vows are personal. They are the special words that will unite you and they represent your commitment to one another, so take the time to finding the perfect words. Personalising your wedding vows is a reflection upon your relationship. There are also many options for rituals and traditions to include that are a symbol of your union.
This is your wedding, it should sound and feel like you. Find touches that make it feel like your wedding ceremony. There are a lot of ways to add touches that will make the wedding feel tailored to your team of two: readings, and who reads them, a song sung by a friend, a blessing given by a family member, a tradition carried out by generations, or a tradition you’re starting that day.
However you decide to make the ceremony feel right, do that - this is your day, your ceremony and your wedding. Make it feel like you, and know I’m here for you both to guide you through this process.
A good structured wedding ceremony should have a theme. A theme makes the whole ceremony cohesive, and much easier to create. For example, is your message, “We took a journey together and this is the ultimate journey we start today,” or “Our love has been tested and today we reaffirm our connection,” Is your tone nostalgic? Forward thinking? Is your wedding ceremony aimed toward the community of loved ones there to celebrate and witness your love, or it more about the bond you’ve created with your partner? The meaning and tone will help you write vows, find readings, and help us all (as your celebrant) create your memorable ceremony.
Decide Which Components Of The Ceremony You Want to Include
This is the essence of the ceremony. With my guidance I will help you structure these components.
Below are some of the wedding ceremony components (loosely) in the order people generally use, but there is no reason you cannot move things around (and of course, cut things completely). Remember, it’s your moment—do what feels comfortable for you both.
The Welcome (spoken by myself): A welcome, a please turn off your mobiles, a thank you to the guests for attending.
The Address: A moment to emphasise the significance of vows the couple are about to exchange. I could give share a message about the principles and beliefs surrounding marriage - This may be a good time to tell a personal story about you and your partner or explain how you met.
The Readings: The readings really are exactly what they sound like. You may want someone to read a poem, lyrics, or even a funny text message. I will introduce the reader to let them know it’s their time to do the honours.
The Monitum: The word Monitum is the latin word for “warning” that informs a wedding couple of the legal expectation of the binding nature of marriage within Australia. This along with the legal vows are the legal components of the ceremony. I will say words of the Monitum.
The Asking: A formal question in relation to your intentions. When you and your partner are asked if you take this person to be your legally wedded partner, answering with “I do.”
Exchange of Vows: These are additional to the legal vows. Your promises or words that are a reflection of your relationship. There are options with your vows. Your vows, you read them. Or your vows, I read them, and you repeat them.
The Giving and/or Receiving of Rings: I speak for a moment about the meaning of the rings. It is usually along the lines of, “Rings are a circle which is eternal, as is love,” but varies with different spiritual and cultural contexts. Feel free to add to this explanation, or keep it simple. Then you present your partner with their ring. I find that most couples want to repeat after me, as it’s hard to remember what you want to say when you’re up there in the spotlight! You’ll place the ring on your partner’s finger and say something to the effect of, “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness.” Again, you can get as creative as you like with the words to choose to say before you place the ring.
The Declaration: I will officially pronounce you both as legally wed.
The Kiss: The kiss! I love this part, it’s so happy.
I’d like to stress this point: you do not need all of the parts just listed. You should make your wedding feel just the way you want it to—like you, like tradition, or like some combination. If you want to move all the parts around, do it. If you want to out leave some parts out, feel free to do that too… with the exception of the Monitum and legal vows.
Make it You! Your wedding vows: Wedding vows are personal. They are the special words that will unite you and they represent your commitment to one another, so take the time to finding the perfect words. Personalising your wedding vows is a reflection upon your relationship. There are also many options for rituals and traditions to include that are a symbol of your union.
This is your wedding, it should sound and feel like you. Find touches that make it feel like your wedding ceremony. There are a lot of ways to add touches that will make the wedding feel tailored to your team of two: readings, and who reads them, a song sung by a friend, a blessing given by a family member, a tradition carried out by generations, or a tradition you’re starting that day.
However you decide to make the ceremony feel right, do that - this is your day, your ceremony and your wedding. Make it feel like you, and know I’m here for you both to guide you through this process.