Your wedding ceremony is the “Heart” of your special day. Making it just right, as with every other part of your wedding, requires careful planning and organisation. Although there are budgets to be considered, a successful ceremony is more about the content rather than budget. If you do your research and planning carefully, arranging your ceremony can be a fun, exciting and a very, pleasant experience that you and your partner will remember forever.
Begin by deciding the type of ceremony you wish to have. Whether you want the ceremony to be held in a church and conducted by a priest or a civil ceremony conducted by a Marriage Celebrant. Find and confirm your booking with that person early to avoid disappointment. If you have a civil ceremony, most Celebrants are open to performing the ceremony in any number of different kinds of locations, as long as it is within their area of operation, some may travel, some may not!
You will need to pick a location for your ceremony. You should make reservations well in advance. Popular seasons and times of year, get taken early, particularly October through to January of each year. Planning a year in advance is not as silly as it sounds as all wedding businesses (photographers, reception places, celebrants etc.) all accept bookings even 2-3 years away.
Next comes your decision regarding you wedding vows. Weddings today are stressing enduring values, with couples placing emphasis on their shared trust, faith, and monogamy. Your wedding vows are a public declaration of your marriage. You may choose traditional wedding vows, you may write your own vows, or you may use a combination of the old and the new.
You can make your vows more relevant to you by substituting words or phrases, by adding verses, and by mentioning family and friends. In this way, you personalize your vows so that they become more meaningful to you and your guests. You may choose to do a reading from a favourite book, poem, or play that has particular significance to the two of you. Whether your wedding is a large, formal one, or a small, intimate one, the ambiance of the ceremony can be enhanced by your choice and delivery of your wedding vows.
Like with other aspects of your ceremony, you may stay with traditional musical instruments and selections or you may be more experimental and "creative" by selecting more contemporary music.
Music can begin being played as your guests enter and are seated. This should take between 20 and 30 minutes depending on the number of guests and the size of the location. Music can accompany various parts of the ceremony. When the wedding party enters, musical accompaniment, from the tradition wedding march to a mixed variety of pieces can be played. Music continues during the recessional, as the wedding party and then the guests exit. The Celebrant may be asked to make recommendations regarding both the kinds of music and the choice of musicians, and vocalists.
You will first need to decide the kind of music you like. Do so by listening through your own personal collections.
One of your best resources for planning your wedding ceremony is your Marriage Celebrant or Priest. These are professionals who have participated in many ceremonies, know what to expect, can guide you, and keep you clear of any known issues. They are aware of the legal requirements, as well as other details of your ceremony and will be more than happy to assist you.
Other parts to your ceremony that may be incorporated are the sand and candle lighting ceremonies to symbolize the blending of new family members as one. Especially when the wedding is between couples of different religious or ethnic backgrounds, the blending of cultures and traditions is an option that brides and grooms are taking more and more often.
Your wedding rings serve as a reminder of your commitment to one another. The exchanging of rings symbolises the wedding contract, so it is in a sense part of a legal ceremony. Although couples can exchange other items, rings are still the most common.
Where possible, a rehearsal of the wedding ceremony is suggested. Take your time at the rehearsal, and have everyone participating run through the routine at least twice so that everyone is familiar and comfortable with how things will proceed on the day.
Remember to keep in mind that planning your ceremony should be about the bride and groom. Try not to get too wrapped up in the hype of the wedding day events and forget about the most important 30 minutes of the day, the Marriage Ceremony.
Karine Hart, Melbourne Celebrant based in Berwick services all Melbourne Suburbs and surrounds. I am available for Wedding Ceremonies Melbourne, renewal of vows and commitment ceremonies. I am a young and vibrant Melbourne Celebrants