Nostalgia! Tears of Joy!
……….is what wedding couples want
……….and is what a Wedding Celebrant provides during a wedding ceremony.
In my years of conducting weddings, I have learned that connection is what makes the difference. With respect to the effort and expense put into many weddings, it is not the music nor the decor that ends up making the event great. Rather, it is the ceremony and the feelings it evokes. As the immortal Maya Angelou said, “people will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
The most memorable ceremonies are those that evidence meaningfulness and personalization. If your desire is to have a ceremony that will linger in memory, the type of officiant chosen is particularly important. Many officiants say they “customize.” But what does that mean? Hint. A customized ceremony is more than switching names in a script; it is more than love poems and scripture readings about marriage. Wedding script customization is a written work, it deep dives into two people’s love journey, and picturesquely portrays it through word, symbols, and rituals.
As a professional Celebrant who performs both sacred and secular ceremonies, I know firsthand a couples’ relief when they find someone who is flexible and who can weave personal, cultural, and religious or non-religious elements into their ceremony. After a ceremony, often guests, will compliment me on the transparency they just witnessed. They love the opportunity the ceremony provided for an authentic glimpse into couple’s experiences leading to their rite of passage into marriage and feel they too have been honored.
So, here are my three suggestions for a truly memorable wedding ceremony:
- Look for someone good at storytelling.
- Treat your ceremony like a separate event with its own choreography. It is the centerpiece of your wedding day.
- It is all in the details. Allow adequate time (6-8 months) for the Wedding Celebrant/Officiant to do discovery and write your script. DO NOT wait to till just weeks before the wedding to begin searching for your ceremonialist (aka Celebrant, Officiant).
Attention to these suggestions will ensure everyone will be feeling the love at your wedding ceremony.
Author: Jacqueline Smith-Bennett
Ordained Minister, Certified Life-Cycle and Wedding Celebrant
GREAT Celebrations: Ceremony Specialist
Camp Hill, PA
jasb@greatcelebrations.net
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