In present times, brides and grooms are steering clear of the traditional format of wedding ceremonies and are making their own versions of a wedding ceremony with their own personal touches. Though many couples are keen on making their ceremonies more personal, coming up with the ideas to actually go ahead and do it is easier said than done.
Some possible ideas:
Have friends and family do readings; this is an idea around for a long time, but more traditionally with bible or other ceremonial readings. More and more often, friends and family are learning poems or other more personal things than simply learning from the bible. You can ask your friend or family member to read something of your choice, or you can ask them to choose something themselves, which will be a surprise for you.
Custom-tailor your vows; this is also not such a new idea, but many people are still doing it. The idea behind this originally was to take out any vows that seemed old-fashioned, but the practice has taken on a whole new life and many brides and grooms are writing their vows entirely from scratch, from an entirely personal standpoint.
The bride and groom can also tell a fun story for the guests; for example, they can each prepare a short version of how they met and became a couple. In this format, the experience is not only fun for the guests, but also fun for the bride and groom to see how their stories differ. Alternatively, they can prepare something together.
Butterflies or doves; this practice has taken on new life in the current era where many people are marrying outside. The practice of setting butterflies or doves loose is a nice symbolic gesture; irregardless, it can be more challenging to execute perfectly.
Have the person marrying you be someone you understand; more and more often couples are choosing to have a friend or a family member marry them instead of holding a priest or a justice of the peace who they’ve never met before. Even if the person performing the ceremony doesn’t say anything special beyond the standard ceremony, it still feels warmer and more personal when you are standing there with a friend or a family member. You can also have him or her say a little something about your couple.
Make your own symbolic rituals; there are a lot of symbolic rituals in a lot of religious ceremonies, for example the unity candle in a Catholic ceremony or the breaking of a glass in a Jewish ceremony. If none of these traditional rituals appeal to you, start your own ritual. The idea behind making your ceremony more personal is to do it your way-so, anything goes!
Play your songs prior to the ceremony or at places within the ceremony. Almost everyone these days plays their song during the reception, usually their first dance, but you can also include your song(s) in the ceremony. Play a few special songs before the ceremony starts, or pick intervals in the ceremony where you can slip one of your favorites into the ceremony time.
Put a special poem on the wedding program; the program is another place where you can make your ceremony more personal. Especially if you are going to read a poem during the ceremony, it’s nice for the guests if you also put it on the program so that they can read it on paper while it’s being read. Placing it on the program also makes the wedding program a nicer keepsake for years afterwards.
Whatever you decide to do, don’t be afraid to make it personal. Your wedding is your special day, and there should be plenty of room within the format of the day to let yourselves express your feelings in a personal way.
