Everyone wants the perfect wedding ceremony, when planning yours you will receive a lot of input from both your friends and family but at the end of the day remember it is entirely your decision. You want a ceremony that reflects your relationship and working with a civil celebrant can help you achieve this.
I have put together ideas to make your personalised ceremony truly unique.
Break Tradition
When people think of weddings, they usually picture a typical church wedding with an organ and the bride wearing a huge dress as they walk down the aisle but what if that isn’t you? There are many ways you can celebrate your relationship; you don’t have to stick to tradition.
A ring exchange is one of the most symbolic moments of a wedding ceremony but there are other options you can consider such as sand ceremonies, in which the couple pours sand from separate vessels into one unified central one. This central vessel can also be used as a lovely keepsake of the day you declared your love for one another.
Another ritual that is becoming increasingly popular at modern weddings is the act of ‘jumping the broom’. This is an ancient tradition which even the poorest of folks could take part in as everyone owned a broom. The ritual represents sweeping away your single lives and jumping into your married future hand in hand. ‘Jumping the broom’ can be used as a fun and meaningful way of ending your ceremony.
Incorporate Song & Dance
You do not have to have a classic accompaniment for walking down the aisle, you don’t even need to have music at all. However, if you do choose to add music to your ceremony why not sit down with your partner and discuss the songs that represent your relationship or mean something to both if you. I once attended a wedding where the couple had the Jurassic Park theme tune as the song, they walked down the aisle to. If you have a friend who is a musician, you can even ask them to play a piece for you.
If you are vocally talented a unique way you can incorporate music into you wedding is by singing a first song instead of having a first dance together, or you can even do both. Imagine the surprise on your guests faces if you begin a duet at the start of your reception.
If you find the idea of walking down the aisle a little sombre why not bust out the dance moves? This sets a fun, light-hearted tone for the ceremony and you can have your videographer record it for you to watch in the future.
At a wedding I attended recently song lyrics were handed out to the guests and they sung the bride’s favourite song as she walked down the aisle. Another couple even handed out maracas and mini tambourines so that their guests could play along to their final song.
Shake Up the Wedding Party
A key thing to remember is that this is your wedding, and you can have it your way. If you have no children in your family or perhaps too many to choose from, why not consider asking your grandparents or close relatives to undertake the task of flower girl or ring bearer.
This gives them a chance to be more involved with the ceremony, making it even more special and personal to you. Other non-traditional ring bearers include well trained pets such as the family dog trotting up the aisle during the service. You can even hire an owl to swoop in true Hogwarts style to deliver the ring when the time comes.
Overall, when it comes to your ceremony, there are a lot of decisions to make but it is important you are true to both you and your partners wishes. A civil celebrant can help guide you through crafting the perfect personalised ceremony and making it one to remember!
