How Wedding Officiants Create a Bespoke Ceremony For You
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Every pairing of two people is totally unique, which is why so many couples want to make their wedding as customized as possible. There are lots of ways to tailor your special day to suit your tastes and represent the two of you perfectly – from planning a destination wedding to establishing a theme that celebrates your personalities. Whatever your desires, a wedding officiant is the person responsible for bringing your dream ceremony to life. Here are the three steps a wedding officiant will take to create your bespoke day.
1. Learning about your life as a couple
When you first book your officiant, they should take some time to get to know you as a couple. You can expect to discuss how you met and fell in love, the key milestones in your relationship, your shared values and aspirations for the future, and the ways in which you communicate your love for each other. Armed with this knowledge, your officiant can begin putting together the story of your wedding ceremony and suggesting ideas that will make it personal to you.
It’s therefore important that you don’t leave it too late to book your chosen officiant – the more time they have, the better they can create something meaningful for you.
2. Discovering your vision
If you already have some ideas in mind about what you want your ceremony to look like, share them with your officiant. Do you envision a traditional opening in which the bride is given away by her father, or will you buck tradition in favor of walking down the aisle together to symbolize equity in your partnership? Will there be poetry readings, musical performances, or speeches from loved ones? Do you want your guests to play an active role in the ceremony, or is the focus set to be on the two of you?
If you haven’t considered any of the details yet, simply think about the overall atmosphere or tone of the ceremony. Do you want it to feel formal to emphasize the importance of the event, or are you hoping for a relaxed vibe that reflects your laid-back nature as a couple? Do you envision lots of humor, or would you prefer heartfelt sincerity? Your officiant will appreciate any and all of your ideas and preferences when crafting your bespoke ceremony.
3. Suggesting symbolic moments
A great way to make your wedding ceremony truly unique is to incorporate symbolic moments that represent the two of you joining together. A popular example is handfasting, a Celtic tradition where the couple’s hands are bound together to symbolize ‘tying the knot.’.
Pouring sand is another great example. This is where the couple – and family members if desired – take it in turns to pour coloured sand into a vase to create a beautiful ornament, and it can be a great way of symbolizing the blending of two families. Another popular symbol is the lighting of a unity candle, where the couple each take a small candle, traditionally lit by their mothers before the ceremony begins, and use them to light a large unity candle that represents their two flames becoming one. There are many other symbolic moments to consider that your officiant may suggest after getting to know you.
Let your officiant make your ceremony special
An officiant’s job is to get to know the happy couple so well that they can create a ceremony that perfectly represents their unique relationship. Be sure to communicate your ideas and preferences to your officiant thoroughly so that they can tailor your special day to you.
