“Today’s wedding ceremonies use the structure of traditional weddings, but have taken on a new look and feel.”
Recently, a couple who were looking to get married, were interviewing me as a possible officiant. They were asking questions about how I go about performing a ceremony, including; “do you memorize the ceremony or do you read it?” I answered that “I always use and refer to my printed ceremony. That way I am always present to what we created as we are performing the ceremony.” With the ceremonies I do, each being so different, it’s not really feasible for me to memorize each one.
Thinking about it, over the years I have seen pastor, priest, and rabbi alike all perform multiple ceremonies completely from memory. I realized this was possible because every ceremony was virtually the same format each time, with little variation.
Today, more and more couples are creating “customized” ceremonies. A customized ceremony is a reflection of who a couple is. For each other, and for their family and friends. In other words looking at what has you want to get married, how the ceremony can mirror that, what you want your guests to get out of it, and what you’ll want to remember about it years later. Today’s couples have a desire to have a ceremony that reflects who they are, what they are committed to, and the life they are creating together.
This is surely a break from the past but not one that diminishes the power and significance of what two people are committing to. It simply allows the ceremony to be one that has an impact on the participants as well as those attending. Because it is different to the ear, people listen to what is being said. Everyone is engaged which means everyone gets something for themselves out of it! What more can you ask for… A ceremony that you love participating in, and, one that everyone will remember because of its singularity.
