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Wedding Ceremony

Making the Wedding Ceremony All Your Own

If you're intent on writing personalized wedding vows, you may be interested to know that every aspect of the wedding ceremony can be easily customized to your satisfaction. And by fine-tuning the program you'll end up with an entirely memorable and meaningful wedding ceremony. The number of couples who take matters into their own hands doubles every year as the desire for a unique wedding ceremony increases. And why not? A personalized wedding ceremony can be accomplished with thorough reflection and an effective structure; things which can be acquired effortlessly by planning ahead. If you have a few months to dedicate to the wedding ceremony, you're well on your way!

Naturally, any and all ceremonial decisions need to be finalized by the wedding officiant, so be sure to consult him/her before getting too carried away. Some couples may find themselves in a predicament where the church only permits a very specific outline for the ceremony, and in this case, you may have to nix the idea altogether. However, if both you and your partner lack spiritual belief and or want to divert from strict formality (regardless of what it takes to make it happen) you'll find that it's well worth the effort.

For the ceremony confined to a more traditional atmosphere, you may be able to tailor it in moderation by integrating additional music and readings into various sections, or by removing certain parts altogether. This way you can still maintain the the church's regulations and still fulfill the need for a more subjective ceremony celebration.

There are two parts to the wedding ceremony which you might not be able to tamper with: the pronouncement of the marriage, and the declarations of intent (where each partner agrees to the marriage). These portions of the wedding are fairly common, thus, an essential part of the typical protocol for any nuptial affair. The rest is up to you. You can move whole sections around, delete them completely, or include additional music and recitations wherever you wish.

Ceremonies are broken down into the following sections:

Introduction/greeting

This is where the wedding officiant greets the guests and beseeches all to respect the union and solemnity of the ceremony.

Opening prayers

The wedding officiant invokes a higher power (God) to be a witness to the ceremony and give his blessings for the union.

Address

The wedding officiant makes some sort of statement in regard to the meaning of marriage and the couple's relationship.

The Declaration of Consent/Intent

This is the part of the wedding where the couples exchange their “I do's” and affirm that they enter into the marriage of their own free will.

Presentation of the Bride

The wedding officiant gives recognition to the person giving the bride away.

Vows

This is the main event to the entire ceremony; the bride and groom address one another with customized (or traditional) wedding vows and verbalize their promises to one another.

Ring Exchange

Right after the wedding vows are spoken, the bride and groom exchange wedding rings to one another as a representation of their everlasting union.v

Pronouncement of marriage

The wedding officiant presents the new “husband and wife” to the attendants. The ceremony is concluded with a kiss.