Susan Campbell
- Civil Celebrant -
LET ME HELP YOU FIND THE RIGHT WAY TO CELEBRATE LOVE, LIFE OR LOSS
The ceremony itself
What elements do you want to include in your ceremony?
Will there be music?
Music is traditionally played at weddings, either live or pre-recorded.
Your choice of location might influence this - a string quartet might not be an option at a remote location - but modern technology by way of portable sound systems means that pre-recorded music is usually possible.
Your choice of music is completely yours, so don't feel the need to restrict yourself to the Wedding March. If you need some inspiration, do an internet search for wedding music and you will find plenty of ideas!
If there is a particular piece of music that is important to you both, by all means include in your ceremony. And if you don't want to have music, that is also perfectly okay - this is your day, so design it your way.
Will you have readings?
Is there someone important to you that you would like to include in your ceremony in some way?
Readings are a popular way of involving others in a formal way, in the ceremony itself.
The readings might be poetry or prose, an extract from a religious text, dialogue from a movie, a passage from a favourite novel or an original composition.
You can choose to have one, none or many, to be read by your celebrant or invited guests, incorporated at different parts of the ceremony.
Telling your story ...
If you are having a wedding rather than an elopement, rather than launching straight into the vows, your Celebrant will want to tell your story - where and when you met; was it love at first sight; were there trials and tribulations along the way; how you came to realise that you were meant to be together forever and that today's event was written in the stars, and so on.
This can be very much a fun element. Letting others know the background of your relationship helps them to be more involved in your ceremony, leaves them with lasting memories of your special day, and gives topics for conversation with you both afterwards.
It helps to cement the bond between you and your guests, adds depth to your ceremony, and for some guests no doubt lets them know you a little bit more.