What have you seen that you though worked and that was fresh ! looking for creative ideas not the same old stuff , ie Unity Candles ! , MY THANKS for your thoughts ! SARAH
I guess it really depends on the couple, Sarah. If they have rituals that are important to them, you should be able to work them into the ceremony. By doing so, you are keeping their traditions alive and family members will appreciate that as well as the bride and groom.
Handfasting is a good blending ritual, blended sand, unity cup where the couple drinks from the same chalice. Hope this helps. Depending on what cultures, or faith's the couple are, you can research each individually and just blend together. I guess I need just a little more detail to be more specific.
YES
This is one I do know as "tying the knot" is sorceded from very old Anglo- Saxon traditions , Yes , I have done this quite a few times always differently , I n contemporary services .I have written passages each time about the distinct blend of personalities of the couple , their cultures,I have used different coloured silk sashes and also beautifull thick cords from interior design stores even sometimes, to demonstrate the blending together of their childhood religions all "symbolized " .all written together into the ritual .
For my wedding, since I am Filipino, we incorporated the coin ceremony, cord ceremony and veil ceremony.
These ceremonies are long standing tradition in the Filipino Community as well as most of the Catholic communities. The "Veil" is carefully pinned to the top of the bride's head and onto the shoulder of the groom. The veil symbolizes unity and that the couple shall be "clothed as one." After the veil is placed on both the bride and groom, a white "cord" or "lasso" is loosely placed around the necks of the couple in a "figure eight" configuration. The cord symbolizes the infinity of the bond of marriage, a union that lasts a lifetime.
The "Coins" which there are thirteen, symbolizes the husband's responsibility as the main provider for the family that they are going to have.
Another idea that I just tried out, -- today, in a service for the first time , --- AND it worked rather well ! The couple gave a theme to 4 of their closest friends , ---asked each to write and speak , just a few thougths. ---had them all, the 4 readers come up together and read them during the last few minutes of their service . Each was short and extremley different.! All had talked about, from their own views. What love had brougth to their lives! Yes , 3 were good . --one was rather weak, but that did't seem to really matter .The warmth of the experience was what enriched the service for the couple, and the other guests too ! Important for this to work was the fact that each contributor was told ahead" BRIEF PLEASE !
Sarah Bunnett - Gibson Wedding Officiant ---- Try It out !!
At our wedding, we were able to blend elements of my husband's religion (Romanian Orthodox) into a nondenominational ceremony. We asked our officiant to read a few translated passages from the traditional Romanian Orthodox wedding ceremony, leaving out any language that was particularly "religious." We also walked around the alter three times, exchanged rings three times, drank from a common vessel, and were "crowned," all of these traditions being elements of the Romanian Orthodox ceremony.
Sounds like you had a very flexible Officiant ! Your ideas are helpful for others also! Thanks for sharing ! -- Would you consider posting some photos or was it allowed to shoot -- during these rituals ? T hanks--- If this is posssisble ,SARAH Bunnett - Gibson ,
Music is a very important part of the ceremony. If the couple shares a special song, incorporate that. Putting a new twist on the arrangement could also be fun. For example; if the first time the couple met they watched Star Wars, you could play a string quartet arrangement of the "Love Theme from Star Wars." One of the services at Wed In Harmony is to produce arrangements such as this. What about a song composed specifically for the couple?
Find the songs they know with meaning and they can think creatively about how to incorporate them. Music is the soundtrack to their wedding. Asthetically, it is a large contributer do the days emotion!
