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Unique wedding ceremony ideas

• Seven unique ideas to personalise your wedding ceremony
• Write your own vows, pick a unique theme or have a personalised reading
• Great way to get creative and make your wedding more intimate

Article Tags:  unique wedding ceremony ideas, wedding ceremonies, personalised weddings, personalised vows, personalised readings

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Unique wedding ceremony ideas

07 January 2011

From the pages of CWS 31

Your wedding is your big day, and the ceremony is the most important moment. Make it your own with the following unique wedding ceremony ideas.

Unique wedding ceremony idea 1: Writing your own vows

One of the most popular ideas to make your ceremony unique is to write your own vows. You can be romantic, sincere, touching or humorous and the only limit is your creativity. Some things to keep in mind:

• Check with your officiant before you begin as some religions do not allow derivations from the traditional vows. They also may be able to assist or contribute.
• Sit down with your partner and decide whether you would prefer to write your vows separately or together. If you do opt to write them separately, make sure to run them by a close friend or family member before the big day, and check with your partner that you have both written approximately the same amount.
• Keep it short and sweet. The most meaningful and memorable vows will be those which manage to encapsulate your commitment in a few well-selected words or verses.
• Practise

Unique wedding ceremony idea 2: Readings, music and poetry

Another unique ceremony idea is to replace traditional readings with song lyrics, poems or script verses of your choice. When choosing a reading, consider factors such as the length of the piece and how this will affect the flow of the ceremony, how the piece will sound when spoken aloud, and what makes it particularly special to you and your partner.

Unique wedding ceremony idea 3: Order of Service

If you want the opportunity to explain to guests the significance of certain elements of the ceremony, you might also consider a personalised Order of Service booklet. This will allow you to explain the meaning of things such as the location, reading and vows. It is also a nice piece of memorabilia for guests to keep after the wedding.

Unique wedding ceremony idea 4: Engraving your wedding bands

A more intimate and unique ceremony idea is to surprise each other with engraved wedding bands. Whatever words you choose, the message can remain purely between you and your partner.

Unique wedding ceremony idea 5: Creative music options

If the idea of live music appeals to you, consider asking a friend or family member to perform a favourite song. This is a great and unique idea to entertain guests at your ceremony.

Unique wedding ceremony idea 3: Rituals

Don’t be afraid to incorporate rituals into your ceremony. These can be tailored and adapted to make them unique to you and your partner. Some popular options include:

A sand ceremony: Both the bride and groom hold separate containers of sand and then blend the sand together, symbolising the unity of their lives from this point on.
Unique ceremony idea: consider having individual sand containers designed. Hand-blown murano glass is a beautiful option, and one which allows you to keep the containers long after the ceremony as a unique reminder of your commitment.

Handfasting: In this ceremony, the couple hold hands while the celebrant or officiant speaks of the commitment that is being made and drapes cords over the couple’s clasped hands.
Unique ceremony idea: Have cords designed that are unique or special to the two of you in some way. A sash from the dress you wore on your first date? A unique piece you picked up from the markets in Thailand together? You can be as creative as you like so don’t hesitate to use something different!

Candle lighting ceremony: Although there are many different ways to conduct this ceremony, a popular option is for the couple to each use a tapered candle to light a “unity” candle as a visible symbol of their commitment to each other.
Unique ceremony idea: Encourage family to be involved — ask your parents to come forward and light the side tapers to symbolise your two families coming together as one. Alternatively, personalise the candles themselves.

Unique wedding ceremony idea 6: Theming and styling

There is virtually no limit to the theme you can choose for your wedding. It could be based around a particular culture which is significant to you, an era, a colour, a mode of fancy dress — the possibilities are endless!

Unique wedding ceremony idea 7: Borrow a tradition

If you’re stuck for unique wedding ceremony ideas, consider borrowing a tradition from another culture. For instance, in Poland it is customary for the parents of the couple to present them with rye bread sprinkled with salt and a glass of wine. The bread symbolises hope that the couple will never go hungry, the salt to remind them that life is filled with difficulties, and the wine a blessing for health and happiness.