Personal Twists for a Unique Wedding Ceremony
While so much of the wedding planning process is filled with focus on the décor/ the food/the music/the party, when it comes down to it, the heart of the affair is the magic that takes place at the end of the aisle. Your wedding ceremony is that pivotal moment where the next chapter of your life begins; when you step into your marriage. With everyone you love brought together in one place to share this one moment, you’ll want to make sure your wedding ceremony is touching, and meaningful with personal twists that make it truly yours.
Having attended hundreds of weddings over the years, you’d think I’d be immune to it all, but I honestly still get choked up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Curious to learn some of the personal twists that get me the most? I’m a sucker for anything that includes the guests and I love when there are elements of surprise (READ: the “All You Need is Love” wedding ceremony scene in the beginning of Love Actually). I love when a couple has a talented friend who performs a song for them. I have also had a couple sing with all of their guests to start the ceremony off - it really brought everyone together and they all sang the bride down the aisle--it was amazing! From multiple guests standing in their seats across the crowd to recite lines of a poem, to a friend of the bride coming up to play the guitar and sing in lieu of a reading, to a surprise bagpiper emerging from a top balcony to play the bride and groom out just after the kiss….these are the real wedding moments that will always live rent free in my head.
Because the wedding ceremony is where the true combining of lives formally takes place, I understand that many couples also have to be thoughtful about weaving in multi-faith and multi-cultural elements into their at-the-altar-mix. I suggest including both sides of the family and your officiant very early on to see how best to create something harmonious and reflective of your two unique perspectives. Once you’ve mapped this out with your loved ones, your event planner can jump in with some creative suggestions to bring it all home.
I’m also a big proponent of taking cultural and religious tradition and personalizing it to make it a reflection of you and your partner. For example, when a couple’s having a Jewish-ish ceremony, instead of just one person stomping on the glass, each person does it. Another great Jewish tradition that has been edited is when you have your friends read the seven blessings instead of the rabbi. They can modernize them and make them personal.
From your vows to your first dance, personal twists twill guarantee you and your guests will remember your unique union forever…and of course if you need a little help, I’ve got you!
