Inspiration for ways to create a unique wedding ceremony
Have you been looking for unique wedding ceremony inspiration? I have seen so many wedding ceremonies, and I’m always impressed at how unique and personalized each one can be! Your wedding ceremony is not only the most traditional, or important, part of the wedding day. It’s also a great time to really celebrate your relationship! Of course, a wedding ceremony is supposed to celebrate your relationship- that’s where the important, “I do’s,” are! However, it’s also a great time to celebrate the two of you, and all the friends and family that are part of your relationship. Most wedding ceremonies have some important staples! Wedding ceremonies usually consist of the procession, invocation, declaration of intent, vows exchange, rings exchange, pronouncement, and finally, the recession. While these are all important pieces to a ceremony, there are so many ways to still make your ceremony unique!
The Procession
As the guests are seated, this is when the wedding party usually proceeds down the aisle. I’ve seen this done many ways! Sometimes there are groomsmen who will walk important family members down the aisle before the rest of the wedding party. Other times, everyone is seated before the procession, and the wedding party pairs themselves down the aisle to take their place. Sometimes there are flower girls or ring bearers, and sometimes there aren’t. I have to say, I absolutely love the viral videos of grown groomsmen taking the job of the flower girl! If you have a particularly “funny,” friend group, this might be a great way to bring some laughs to your guests right away.
The song you choose for your procession is a great way to add some personal flare as well! It could be a song that your whole wedding party enjoys, or that you’ve always dreamed of walking down the aisle to. It could even be a song from the soundtrack of a favorite movie or TV show. Your procession song could also be a piece played by a musically talented friend or family member!
I have also seen a variety of family members walk the bride down the aisle. Sometimes both the mother and father of the bride will accompany her, and sometimes it’s other family members, or even a close friend. If you are having to make a decision on who will walk you down the aisle, just know that this is YOUR ceremony, and it can be whoever you choose!
Special Readings
Some couples choose to have a close friend or family member say a few words, or sing a song, during their ceremony. This usually happens after the declaration of intent, but before the vows exchange. The opportunities are really endless if this is something that you are considering! I’ve seen beautiful renditions of songs that mean a lot the couple, along with readings of important Bible verses or poems. This is also a great way to include friends or family members who may not be in the wedding party, but still hold a special place in your heart.
Vows Exchange
This is one of those parts of a ceremony that is always present, in one way or another! Whether it’s choosing to say a few short, traditional vows, or sharing your own unique vows, this is probably the best chance to really personalize your ceremony. Some couples are very short and sweet, and that’s how they like it! Some couples just have a gift of writing vows that brings all of their guests to tears. Others choose to highlight the “friendship,” in their relationship by poking fun at one another! Whatever sounds like the best representation of your relationship is what is best for you.
Liz and Jon had their guests in tears from laughing with their vows! Their relationship is all about the fun and laughter that they share with each other. It made sense for them to have some vows that would bring out a giggle. They started their vows with a toast to their wedding party. This was something I hadn’t seen before! It was a bit of an inside joke about all the crazy nights they had shared together growing up. It definitely gave the guests a giggle! During their vows, Jon vowed wholeheartedly that he did not forget his vows at home. However, I think everyone in attendance knew that he was doing his best to remember what he had written down!
Sarah and Jeremy had a very unique ceremony! It highlighted all of the different “fandoms,” that they shared with one another. Their Wedding Master (officiant!), the Dungeon Master for their Dungeons and Dragons group, called for a rolling of the dice to determine who would begin with their vows. After Jeremy rolled a 1 (not good!) Sarah began with her vows.
We laughed with Sarah as she vowed to let Jeremy watch sports when there is nothing better on TV, to always share her dessert, and to let him have a turn on the playstation too. When it was Jeremy’s turn, we laughed as he quoted Pokemon. He spoke about how a Caterpie may evolve into a Butterfree, but the heart that beats inside remains the same. I officially started crying as Jeremy told Sarah that in the same way, through all of what life brings them, and as they grow in age together, his love for her would never change, and his heart will always remain hers.
Sand Ceremonies
Sand ceremonies are another unique tradition that you can incorporate into your ceremony! These ceremonies are a way to expresses the coming together of two people or two families into one new family. Typically, each person has different colored sand and takes turns pouring it into one clear container, forming a layered effect. I’ve seen some couples also invite their children to come up and pour their own color of sand as well. This is an amazing way to include your children in your ceremony, along with visually showing them how you are all joining together as one family! This is a touching ceremony, that also leaves you with a beautiful piece of art. I’ve seen these as candles, window boxes, and even photo frames. It’s a touching reminder of your ceremony that you have for years to come! Considering you don’t get to keep many things from your wedding day, this is a really great way to leave with something extra special.
I hope that this post could be a helpful resource to some of you who are looking to add a little uniqueness into your own ceremony!