Ceremonies Parts of a Wedding Ceremony
Who Needs to Be There
If both bride and groom are adults, they need to go together to get the license. Bride, groom and officiant need to be in the same place at the same time . Bride and groom then tell officiant that they agree to be husband and wife now. The officiant signs a certification that the marriage was performed and returns it to the clerk of the court.Some states still require two witnesses to the ceremony, and they sign the same certificate as the officiant.
Anything else you include in the ceremony is up to you.
What Usually Is Included
- Welcome and Introduction: Brief statement welcoming guests and acknowledging why we're all here.
- Vows: the promises to be married
- Exchange of rings
- Pronouncement
- Readings: of poetry, philosophy, scripture or other writings meaningful to the couple
Options for Making Your Wedding Personal
Unity rituals:
- Sharing of wine, water, bread or sweets.
- Handfasting
- Unity candle
- Blending ceremonies: combining different colors of sand, pebbles, water, or other objects
- Planting in soil combined from both homes
Romantic rituals:
- Time capsule: place love letters you've written to one another into a box to be opened on an anniversary or at some other future time
- Wine box: Add your favorite wine and two glasses to the time capsule
Including and honoring parents, children or others
- When you are blending families, making a gift to the children or including them in a blending ceremony reflects the commitment you make to them.
- Honoring mothers or others with flowers or a statement of gratitude
- Remembering loved ones who are with you only in spirit