Did you like the post-lockdown trends I have explored for you in my last blog?
I have now decided to focus on something more practical and share with you my advice about the most important element of your wedding - your ceremony.
There'd be no wedding without it, so I'd like to give it some much deserved attention in the coming days, so stay tuned in and watch out for my tips rolling in day by day for you.
LOCATION
Firstly, let's focus on the location...
You might think that this is a personal choice and an obvious element to consider first, but why?
Venue ceremony licences believe it or not vary across the UK and for instance, in England your desired and dreamt about venue might not be licensed to host your legal ceremony.
Some venues might also charge you an additional ceremony fee and in some cases holding ceremony and reception in the same or different venue might offer you some benefits, such as an option to re-purpose your decorations or reallocate your budget towards other elements of your wedding.
Finally, if you're dreaming of an outdoors ceremony - have you considered what your contingency is on a wet day? Have you given much in-depth thought to your ceremony location?
CEREMONY OFFICIANT
Ceremony officiant is another area of your wedding ceremony you will need to focus on.
Dependent on your wedding destination you might be able to consider an independent or religious ceremony which are legally binding, however, there are destination in which you might need to do marriage registration separate from your religious or independent ceremony.
Moreover, civil ceremonies are traditionally a lot shorter and less personalised, so you might need to think if this option is for you. Normally, you will also not get to choose your civil Registrar and will only meet him/her on the day of your wedding.
If you choose to have an independent, humanist or religious ceremony, you'll have a lot more choice and say in the format of your ceremony, however, you must remember that their availability might be limited so I highly recommend aligning your plans with their availability and booking them as one of the first ones.
Did you expect to have to give so much consideration to your ceremony?
MARRIAGE LEGALITIES AND REQUIREMENTS
Legal parts of your ceremony are particularly important if you're planning for a destination wedding.
There might be certain local regulations that you will need to fulfil in order to carry out a legally binding ceremony registration, so it is worth contacting your designated Registration Office at your destination to find out more details.
Some couples choose to obtain legal registration on their home ground before travelling for their symbolic ceremony at a foreign destination to avoid any legal complications.
Remember that no matter the destination or location of your ceremony, you will be required to give notice of your intend to marry, this notice period vary dependent on local laws and regulations.
All in all, you want to ensure that you do everything required of you to have a legally binding marriage.
How do you feel about the rules and regulations on marriage? Let me know in the comments below.
CEREMONY MUSIC
Ceremony music is incredibly important to consider early on, especially if you'd like your ceremony to be accompanied by a live music from a harpist, string quarter, pianist, Piper... you name it - they get booked up years in advance too.
Music at ceremonies is often used to fill those important gaps, such as marriage schedule signing, group photographs or simply accompanying hymns or readings.
This is why you might want to consider what music pieces you'd like for your ceremony, when they are to be played and how they will be played, from the beginning of your wedding planning journey.
If you're choosing pre-recorded music for your ceremony, ensure you've got the appropriate equipment for this and that you've got a reliable person briefed on how to work your device and your playlists.
Have you given much through to your ceremony music? Let me know in the comments below.
CEREMONY READINGS
What are your thoughts on readings and hymns at wedding ceremonies?
With humanist ceremonies becoming the most popular in Scotland, personalised readings and hymns are highly encouraged.
Couples aren't only limited to a small selection of readings at it happens with civil or religious ceremonies, they can in fact pick and choose their preferred items for this.
Two years ago at our wedding, we've incorporated "A Red, Red Rose" by the Scottish poet Robert Burn.
What poem or reading comes to your mind first when thinking of your wedding ceremony? Have you got any favourites?
CEREMONY SCRIPT AND VOWS
Ceremony script and wedding vows writing has become a lot more popular in recent years and with more independent and humanist ceremonies taking place around the world, you can now not only personalise your vows, but also write your entire ceremony script with the help of your celebrant - something that Tim Maguire - Humanist Celebrant shared with you on a few occasions now in my online wedding fayres and instagram take overs.
Would you like your ceremony script and vows to be personal and written by you and about you?
This is definitely something you could now consider in humanist and independent ceremonies.
CEREMONY DECORATING
Ceremony decorating is another topic I wanted to touch upon with you, especially from a logistical stand point.
Some venues might offer early setup and some might not be able to do so. This is why it is important to ensure you check your venues' setup capabilities in advance of committing to logistically challenging setup arrangements.
Additionally, it is important to check with your venue about any other limitations such as height, wall decorating, fixtures etc. to avoid disappointment.
Finally, you can definitely see you wedding budget stretch further if you decide to re-purpose your ceremony decorations - you will also need to consider the logistics of that. Will your venue be able to do so or will you need your florist to stay longer for the turnaround?
CEREMONY SEATING AND PROCESSION ORDER
Have you considered your ceremony seating and processional arrangements?
Will you be offering your guests formal or informal seating and if it is formal who will be responsible to ensure this happens correctly?
The same questions relates to Bridal processions:
- will you be going in first or last?
- will your Bridesmaids be entering with ushers or alone?
- will your Mum be seated by Best Man?
- will you be having flower girls and page boys?
- what will be the order of procession?
Have you given much thought to this and did you know there was so much choice? Let me know in the comments below.
TRANSPORTATION
I often ask couples how their guests are arriving to the ceremony, because, there's so much to consider for it.
If your ceremony and reception take place across two different venues - how will your guests move between them? .
If your venue is in the city centre, the question falls on distance from the nearest airport, train station and supply of car parking spaces.
You would also want to ensure that your guests don't arrive to the venue too early or two late and vice versa that you don't arrive to the venue too early or too late.
I remember once in my career having Bride and her entourage 30 minutes in advance of the ceremony - I sent them on "a city sightseeing tour" until all the guests were seated 😁
Finally, always consider your travel arrangements, timings and distance if you're arriving to the venue in a car from a longer distance on the day of your wedding.
WEDDING GIFTS AND CARDS
