There are so many wonderful ceremony rituals which you can include in your wedding ceremony. Below is a list of my favourites. There are no rules as to how many you should include, it's all about what you'd like to have to make your day special. If you are of a particular faith or cultural background, drop me a line to discuss including some of these elements too.
1. Ring Warming Ceremony:
At the beginning of the ceremony, I usually invite the best man/chief bridesmaid to pass around the two wedding rings among the guests. (They should be held together by a ribbon or in a little silk bag.) The guests are invited to hold the rings in their hands and wish you, the couple, a silent blessing for your future together. The rings are retrieved prior to the exchange of the rings and are filled with love and energy from loved ones. It’s a beautiful way to have everyone involved in your big day.
2. Candles:
Memorial Candle:
While your wedding day is filled with joy and celebration, it’s kind to take a moment to remember those who have passed. The candle can be lit before the ceremony and acknowledged by me, or, once the ceremony has begun, it can be lit by you and your partner if you prefer.
Unity Candle:
Traditionally, a parent of each of the couple lights a candle each, to represent two families coming together. Later in the ceremony, the unity candle is lit by you, symbolising your union. The candle can be personalised with the date and your names.
3. Handfasting:
My absolute favourite ceremony ritual is handfasting/hand-fasting. It has the potential to be a deeply personal part of your ceremony, involving many loved ones.
Nowadays, there are several variations on how to perform the handfasting ceremony, two of which are listed here. The first is having your celebrant placing a cord around your hands allowing you to recite your vows, or pronouncing you married. Or both! The second- the richer experience in my opinion – involves inviting selected guests to tie a ribbon around you and your partner’s clasped hands. You can have as many pieces of ribbon, in as many different colours as you like. Each colour symbolises different meanings and can be matched and personalised to your person of choice. This ceremony enhancement can also be personalised beautifully, to include children, if you are already parents.
Handfasting traditionally represents the engagement period, so some couples prefer to have it prior to the vows and ring exchange. However, as it symbolises ‘tying the knot’, it can also occur after the ring exchange. It depends on your preference.
4. Sand Ceremony:
This is another gorgeous ceremony, and another very popular one if there are children involved. You each have a vessel of sand, representing your lives before this day. If there are children, they too can have their own vessel of sand. To make it more dramatic, it’s really charming to have different coloured sand to represent each person.
The different coloured sands are then poured into one larger vessel, unifying you as a couple. Best of all, you now have a vessel as a keepsake. If you want to personalise it further, have the vessel/glass bottle engraved with your names and the date.
Again, this can take place before or after the vows.
Ceremony rituals/enhancements can be the most poignant parts of your ceremony, and I encourage you to let me help you make them personal. These symbolic gestures promote the involvement of your friends and family and encourage you to think about why your favourite people are indeed that; your favourites. Your wedding day is about sharing love and creating lasting memories. Drop me a line to talk through some ideas.
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