Let's talk ceremony!

[Zephii]

Same as the other thread really, but for the stuff that happens earlier.

I don't even know at this stage how customisable these ceremonies are.

But anyway, what are you all planning? Is anyone doing unity candles or sand pouring? Breaking wine glasses? Handfastings?

My big thing to figure out for the moment is boquets (sp) I was aiming for a flower free wedding because flowers are the biggest expense I can see us not needing, (well that and the limo, we're not doing a limo!) but now I don't know what the girls are going to carry.

Also! we're having a bridesman and a groomswoman... and they'll walk together. Does my bridesman still carry something, or is that just a chick thing?

Share your plans?

[Casey]

The girls can carry nothing, or fake bouquets with buttons, and nick nacks in it, or paper fans, or paper umbrella parasol things, or basically anything you want!

Your brother could probably hold your bouquet during the ceremony, I probably wouldn't give him his own...

As for our ceremony (we're still 6+ months off getting engaged, but we are already planning) we have always wanted to get married in front of a waterfall. I doubt we will be able to though, as most of them have quite a trek to get to them, meaning grandparents couldn't come. So I think we would do it in a park/lake, with the reception location as a wet weather backup.

I actually think I know which lake/park I would like to get married in, but I can't remember where it is exactly so I'm trying to locate it.

[stacyrose]

I want a simple ceremony in a church...I tend to like wedding ceremony photos indoors, besides the fact I'm generally an indoor type of girl...and I know it's expensive but I'd definitely love my bouquet to be all deep red roses ^.^ I'm not sure what I want the bridesmaids to have but preferably nothing that looks like mine, and I'd like to keep the decor simple, and save it for the reception later on XD I'm not a fan of long vows either...a simple "do you take this woman to be your wife" and "i do" suffices well enough for me. Anything longer than that really is a bit much for me....I also definitely wanna include unity candles, I think it's pretty =]

[lucybelle]

The girls can carry nothing, or fake bouquets with buttons, and nick nacks in it, or paper fans, or paper umbrella parasol things, or basically anything you want!

Umm.. LOVE the umbrella idea!! Too freaking cute! Consider it stolen

Well besides the newly thieved umbrella girl idea, I have barely any ideas haha I'd just like it to be outside. No minister or anything. We're not religious.

[Casey]

^^ cute huh? ^^


oh and I should add I think I will want wildflowers as my bouquets. but that could change - i originally wanted lilies.

[SeattleLove]

I totally love the umbrella idea and I bet it's way cheaper than having flower boquets For myself I would want one tho, because I really wanna throw it
I'm not quite sure about my ceremony yet, all I know though it that I don't want to ge married in a church

[hillke]

My little sister (two years younger) is a tomboy. She hasn't worn a dress since her last high school band concert and before that, she hadn't worn a dress since she was five. She would probably not want to be a bridesmaid. My idea (not sure if she'll do it, though) is to have her get officiated online and she can be our officiate! Beau and I aren't religious at all so I don't feel like we'd get married in a church with a minister. I'd looove to have my sister do it.

[JoMarie]

I would love to get married outside on halloween. I would have my wedding party, myself and SO included in costume.

[samglam209]

I want to get married in a church but just because I find them pretty. I want one that has awesome stained glass and stuff. And I don't know if it would work out but if my Uncle could officiate I think it would be awesome. He's an ordained minister.

[stacyrose]

I want to get married in a church but just because I find them pretty. I want one that has awesome stained glass and stuff. And I don't know if it would work out but if my Uncle could officiate I think it would be awesome. He's an ordained minister.

Thats exactly what I was thinking...I love the way stained glass makes colored shadows when the light hits it =] Me and my SO are both Christians and religious, so a wedding in a church is definitely what we both want. Id love an over the top church with gorgeous interior so I won't have to decorate much....^.^

[Silviar]

Handfasting is an absolute must for me and my SO at our wedding, as we're both deeply spiritual - Pagan/shaman for me and undefined for him, we feel it's important to have our souls joined forever. As nature is important to our faith, the wedding will be held outdoors, but beyond that no plans have been made since I have no freaking clue what I'll be getting myself into for wedding planning - as in, we still haven't picked a country, lol!

[Dziubka]

We're going to have an ecumenical/altered catholic ceremony, because my boyfriend's Catholic and I'm a (not practising) Protestant. It's going to be in a small wooden church like https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...C5%82_2009.jpg

The ceremony will be in Polish but I'd like my (non-Polish speaking) family/friends to understand what's going on, so we're considering different translation options. We could have someone play interpreter and translate during the ceremony. I'm sure we could find someone to do it as quite a lot of our friends are actually bilingual, but I'm not sure it's a good idea as it will lengthen the whole thing and might not be very practical. Another option (that I prefer) would be 'subtitles' from a projector, sort of like a power point presentation with all the texts in German. I don't know if that's technically doable, though.
If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

[London-FortCollins]

Another option (that I prefer) would be 'subtitles' from a projector, sort of like a power point presentation with all the texts in German. I don't know if that's technically doable, though.
If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

Definitly do-able. If you know whats going to be said in advance, have it typed up and presented in Powerpoint. You can buy or rent projectors that hook straight up to the laptop relativly cheaply. If you have a pale blank wall to project on to thats all you need. Alternativly figure out with your venue where you can hang a white sheet. Any white (or pale) sheet (like a bed sheet) will do really, it doesnt have to be a "professional projecter sheet" or anything.

Then you can either be SUPER well rehearsed and have it on a set timer or - what I would recommend - is to have one of the groomsmen or bridsemaids, maybe one of the ones who are bilingual to click through the slides in time.

The really nice thing about this? You can add photos into it too if you wanted to!

Personally, even though I'm not a Christian, I always liked the idea of a church, purely as a venue because their so beautiful. I just wouldnt have a religious ceremon. But now we're going to be married in the Rockie Mountains (he lives here!) so we cant turn down the oppurtuntity to get married outside with such a gorgeous backdrop

I'm not religious neither is my SO, we're both more spiritual so we're not having a religious ceremony. But if he'd've wanted one it wouldnt have been a big deal to me. As it is we'll write our own vows and his cousin (who also offiated his sisters wedding BEAUTIFULLY) will probably be the one to do it.

Can someone please enlighten me on the unity candle thing? I've never heard of it but now I'm looking at wedding websites their mentioned EVERYWHERE.

Also I was very into Paganism as a teenager and still like and can connect to a lot of the beliefs within it. Can someone remind me about the handfasting ceremony please?

My friends got married in Ireland and had a beautiful Celtic tradition that I want to steal

There are a number of different coloured ribbons (about 12 or 13 I think) and each colour represents a different thing. (Green for money, red for passion etc etc) The minister/priest etc etc ties the first ribbon around the couples hand together. Then everyone in the ceremony is invited up to wrap or tie one of the ribbons.

I love the fact that it is a way for all of the guests to get involved.

[Zephii]

Also I was very into Paganism as a teenager and still like and can connect to a lot of the beliefs within it. Can someone remind me about the handfasting ceremony please?

My friends got married in Ireland and had a beautiful Celtic tradition that I want to steal

There are a number of different coloured ribbons (about 12 or 13 I think) and each colour represents a different thing. (Green for money, red for passion etc etc) The minister/priest etc etc ties the first ribbon around the couples hand together. Then everyone in the ceremony is invited up to wrap or tie one of the ribbons.

I love the fact that it is a way for all of the guests to get involved.

Your venue is lovely

Handfasting can be done so many different ways, but it's about binding the souls of the people together. For me, it's more serious than exchanging rings. It's a type of spellcraft that ties you to the other person, and for those who believe in such things binding spells are something you don't mess with lightly.
Some people just have the priest/celebrant do the ritual, others get more people involved. The two most common ways I've seen are with either one cord or six. I can't remember why 6 is significant though. Personally, I'll probably just go for one cord made out of several colours knotted together.

Some people cross their wrists so when they are holding their partner's hands they 'lock' together, and they have both hands bound, while most just have one hand each. You can hold hands or lay one on top of the other, whatever suits you.
Most people are tied losely enough so that they can pull free of the binding without untying it, and then they keep the cords in a pretty box or silk bag. Occasionally people will add an untying ritual to the ceremony, but for me that kinda defeats the point.

Or that's my take on it. Others may disagree

[Trethsparr]

Can someone please enlighten me on the unity candle thing? I've never heard of it but now I'm looking at wedding websites their mentioned EVERYWHERE.

The unity candle uses three candles - two tall thin candles, and a center large thicker candle. The two tall candles on either side are lit first, representing the bride and groom's lives. Then, the bride and groom both light the center candle together using their candles, showing how their individual lives are becoming one in marriage.

I'm having a unity candle lighting during my ceremony. They're pretty neat, I think, because there can be some simpler unity candles (in particular, the large center candle) or some super ornate ones. My SO and I have discussed possibly getting one from this website here: https://unitycandles.com/