Memorable Wedding Ideas for the Ceremony

Customize your wedding ceremony to suit your personalities.

Brides and grooms work hard to plan their wedding ceremonies, adding special touches where they can to make them memorable. As you plan your ceremony, think about the type of feeling you want to evoke among your guests as they witness your nuptials. Also, consider the important people in your lives and hearts whom you need to incorporate in the ceremony.

Bride or Groom Singing

Music helps set the mood for a wedding ceremony, especially if it's supplied by the bride or groom. Create a memorable ceremony by having the bride or groom serenade the other before or after they've said their vowels. A duet is appropriate if both individuals are talented singers. Not only will this special performance take guests by surprise, it'll be a lasting memory the couple shares of how they expressed their love for each other on their special day.

Here Comes the Pup

If you and your spouse-to-be have a dog -- or two-- include it in the celebration. Dress your puppy in wedding-appropriate attire you can pick up from a dog boutique, or have attire made. The dog can act as the ring bearer if escorted down the aisle, or simply be a member of the bridal party.

Personalized Vows

Personalized vows are a common way couples create a memorable wedding ceremony. By speaking from the heart, couples come up with words to express their love, admiration and excitement for the future. Some people add a bit of humor to lighten the mood and convey their personalities.

Incorporating Traditions

Incorporate traditions from each other's cultures. For example, African-American wedding tradition includes the couple jumping the broom to celebrate their new lives together, and Greek wedding ceremonies sometimes include exchanging rings three times. Catholic wedding ceremonies can include devotion to the blessed Virgin Mary, while Jewish ceremonies can include exchanging vows under a "chuppah," which symbolizes building a home together. Discuss with your spouse which cultural traditions and customs you want to include in your ceremony. Work with your wedding officiant early to ensure that traditions can be woven into the ceremony seamlessly, and that none of them goes against the rules of the venue.

Father of the Bride

Traditionally, the father-of-the-bride walks his daughter down the aisle and "gives" her away to the groom. Add a memorable moment to this part of the ceremony by having the father say a few words to the groom and his family. He may also present the groom with a small gift, such as cuff links, as a welcome to the family, or he can give small trinkets to both the bride and the groom.

References

• NY Daily News: Here Comes the Pooch!; June 2009
• The Knot: Wedding Vows and Reading: 20 Tips for Writing Your Own Wedding Vows
• Beaucoup: Cultural Wedding Traditions and Customs
• Wedding Channel: Fun Ways to Include Cultural Traditions in Your Wedding; Charli Penn; October 2009
• Catholic Bride: Wedding Customs, Traditions and Superstitions
• Perfect Wedding Guide: Wedding Traditions and Customs; May 2010