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The Standard Sections of a Wedding Ceremony
1. Welcome (opening of the ceremony)
2. Presentation of the Bride (where she is "given away")
3. Consent (the two of you must state out loud you are there of your own free will and are "consenting"
to this marriage)
4. Address (a little something that talks about
the meaning of marriage)
5. Wedding Vows
6. Explanation of the Rings
7. Blessing of the Rings (optional)
8. Ring Exchange Vows
9. Wedding Prayer/Blessing (closing
of the ceremony)
10.Pronouncement of Husband and Wife
11. Kiss
12. Presentation of the Bride and Groom as Mr.
and Mrs.
Now this is just the "Standard Sections." There is so much more that you can add to your ceremony,
and these are called "Elements." Some examples: Readings, Poems, Prayers, Special Traditions from your faith or
Heritage, Unity Candle, Blending of the Sands, The Rose Ceremony, Honoring your Mothers, Jumping the Broom, and so much more.
I hope by giving you this information, you may get a better understanding of what goes into a Wedding Ceremony,
and what you can add into it to make it yours.
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On The Picture
These are just a few of the more popular added elements
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| Lighting the Unity Candle |
The Unity Candle Ceremony
A Unity Candle Ceremony can easily be added to any marriage ceremony. It is placed
near the end of the ceremony, following the Exchange of Rings. However, the mother's usually lights the two outer candles
as they are escorted forward at the beginning of the ceremony. If there are breezes present, they may want to light the taper
candles just prior to the Unity Candle Ceremony. A Unity Candle set consists of two slender
candles (called tapers) and a large center candle. They are usually white candles. The
Unity Candle Ceremony is a popular choice for both religious and non-religious ceremonies because it is non-denominational
and has no religious significance. The two outer candles represent your individual lives
before today. They represent all that you are from your vast experiences, and they represent your individual families. As
you each take a single candle and light the center candle, you will extinguish your individual candles. Often the Bride will blow out the Groom's taper candle and the Groom will blow out the Brides taper candle.
This represents the closing of the chapters in your individual Books of Life and the beginning of new chapters as you begin
to write a new book of Life as wife and husband!
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| The "Sand Ceremony" (Blending of the Sands) |
The Blending of the Sands Ceremony The "Blending of the Sands" ceremony can be a beautiful and meaningful ceremony.
Like a Unity candle the pouring of two different colored sands together is used to symbolize the joining of the bride and
groom or the joining of their families.
Sand from the desert, a favorite beach or vacation spot also works. This
ceremony requires three small vials or vases, one for you and your fiancé to pour the sand into and two for each of
you to pour the sand from. Each of the two vials of colored sand symbolizes the separate lives of the bride and groom and
their families. The two outside vials or vases can be used later to display fresh flowers following the wedding. Some couples
pour the sand from two sea shells. You can put your vase containing your combined sand on display as a constant reminder of
your special day!
Use two different colored sands which you can find at most arts and crafts stores. Small
glass bottles or vials are usually found there as well. A nice touch is to pour the colored sands into a small "heart-shaped"
bottle. Later, you can melt some wax to seal it to hold the sand in place, then seal it with a cork or lid. Have your names
and your wedding date etched in the glass bottle prior to the ceremony.
If you are including children in the ceremony,
obtain several extra vials with different colored sand for each child
Rose Ceremony
In the Rose Ceremony, the Bride and Groom give each other a red rose bud.
Two red rose buds are all that is necessary. If you have children involved in the ceremony, you may have a rose for each of
them too. The Rose Ceremony is placed near the end of the ceremony just "after" being pronounced husband and wife.
In the old language of flowers, a single red rose has always meant "I love you". The Rose ceremony gives recognition
to the new and most honorable title of "Wife and Husband". The rose is considered a symbol of love and a single
rose always means only one thing - it means, "I love you." So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as wife
and husband - that gift would be a single rose bud.
Those of us who are already
married know that marriage, like life, brings with it many joys and also many challenges. We also know that love, while beautiful,
does not always show its prettiest face. There are days when we may find it hard to express the depth of our love for one
another. Sometimes it is difficult to find the right words. It might be difficult to find
the words to say "I am sorry" or "I forgive you"; "I need you" or "I am hurting".
If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected -
for that rose then says what matters most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words. That rose says, "I still love you." This is a unique and meaningful addition to any marriage
ceremony. It will also inspire your guests. Couples will often stop as they exit and hand
the mother of the bride and groom each their rose bud, whispering "I love you," before proceeding with their exit,
knowing that love is not love until you give it away! This is a nice way of involving the mother in the ceremony. Some have
prefered to both turn and walk to their mothers and present the rose buds immediately following the rose ceremony.
Honor Your Mother
Here's
a great way to pay special tribute to both mothers on the day of your wedding.
Arrange
with your florist to have two extra red roses, complete with baby's breath and ribbon, placed at the back of your bridal
bouquet. As you make your way to the alter, stop and present one rose to your mother along with a kiss and say, "I love
you, mom." When the ceremony is over and you are walking arm-in-arm with your new
husband, stop and repeat this gesture of love and respect with your mother-in-law. As you hand her the rose, you may want
to add, "I'm happy to be a part of the family." This gesture is especially
effective if neither mother knows you will be doing this. What a nice surprise! This honorable
tribute not only will fill your mothers' hearts with joy and pride, it will also set the tone of the relationship you
establish with your new mother-in-law, a harmonious bond that will last forever. NOTE:
This is not called "The Rose Ceremony." It is simply a way for the Bride and Groom to recognize
their mother's.
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| The Groom Honoring His Mother |
REMEMBRANCES
If either of the Bride or Groom's mother or father (or Grandparents) are deceased, or incapacitated
to a point they just cannot attend, a nice gesture is to lay a "white" rose on an empty chair. Presenting a white
rose indicates that someone has passed on, or is too ill to be with you on your special day. A symbolic gesture with
a white rose may be preferable, instead of a spoken remembrance.
The Veil, The Cord (or lasso), The Coin Ceremony
This ceremony is a long standing tradition in
the Filipino Community as well as most of the Catholic communities.
The "Veil" is carefully pinned to
the top of the bride's head and onto the shoulder of the groom. The veil symbolizes unity and that the couple shall be
"clothed as one."
After the veil is placed on both the bride and groom, a white "cord"
or "lasso" is loosely placed around the necks of the couple in a "figure eight" configuration. The cord
symbolizes the infinity of the bond of marriage, a union that lasts a lifetime.
The "Coins" which there are
thirteen, are dribbled into the cupped hands of the groom by the priest, minister, officiant, etc. The groom opens the plams
of his hands and lets the coins trickle like a water fall into the brides hands, and from her hands into a plate held underneath.
The trickling of the coins is a sign of fidelity bestowed irrevocably.
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| The Cord or Lasso Ceremony |
Jumping the Broom
This is a ceremony
dating back to the 1600s and derived from Africa. Dating back to slave days, jumping the broom together has been part of weddings
for couples who want to honor that tradition. Some couples choose to incorporate it into traditional and non-traditional ceremonies.
The "Jumping the Broom" is a ceremony in which the bride and groom, either at the ceremony or at the reception,
signify their entrance into a new life and their creation of a new family by symbolically "sweeping away" their
former single lives, former problems and concerns, and jumping over the broom to enter upon a new adventure as wife and husband.
This "leap" into a new life (marriage as wife and husband is performed
in the presence of families and friends. You can be as creative as you want when planning for this special ceremony. The broom has both symbolic and spiritual importance in the African culture. The ritual itself was
created by our ancestors during slavery. Because slaves could not legally marry, they created their own rituals to honor their
unions. Some say broom jumping comes from an African tribal marriage ritual of placing sticks on the ground representing the
couple's new home.
| Photo courtesy of Carlos Rivera Photography |
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| Justin & Tiana Jumping The Broom |
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