Looking for ways to make the ceremony your own? Even the most traditional of ceremonies has spots for the personal touch. You might write your own vows. You can certainly choose your own readings, either scripture of particular meaning, or a poem, or a meditation written by a creative friend.For even more ideas, why not ask the officiant? After all, at two or three or four every weekend, he or she could easily have seen hundreds of ceremonies. From the Celebrant USA website come the following suggestions:
1. Share your personal story -- how you met, your proposal, what you appreciate most about each other, whatever is most meaningful to the two of you.
2. Stories from family and friends, or words of thanks from you to family or friends. This is usually done at the reception, but certain elements might be appropriate to the ceremony. You might even choose to honor a family member who is now deceased.
3. Your cultural or spiritual heritage. What elements from your heritage might you want to include? If you each come from a different heritage, how might you honor both in the ceremony?
4. Different cultures. If you've come across an idea or a ritual from another culture that has particular meaning for you, even if it's not your culture, you can use that, too!
Other ideas:
5. Music. You can let the officiant or the musician choose the music to accompany your ceremony, or you can choose it yourself. If you have live music, you can work with the musician(s) to choose the sounds that are most representative of you, your history and heritage, and your relationship.
6. Readings. Almost every wedding ceremony has spots in it for one to three "Readings." This can be anything from the lyrics to a song, a Shakespearean sonnet, a snippet from an essay or a book, or something you've written yourself. You can read these yourselves, you can ask the officiant to read them, or you can ask special friends/family members to present them.
7. Visual effects. Some couples project a series of pictures in the background, before or after, or sometimes even during the ceremony. The pictures can show the development of their relationship, their families of origin, or just be shots of meaning to the couple: the sunset they watched after he proposed, the morning mist off the lake near his family's cottage. Pictures without a lot of people/activity in them are most appropriate as backdrop to the ceremony. Those with lots of action and people are best saved for the reception!
There are lots of ways to make the ceremony your own. Do a little brainstorming, and see what you come up with!
