Forgetting What a Wedding Really Is...

We saw it that way as well!

So true. FH and I just finished our ceremony this weekend and even though I still have things to do, they really don't matter to me. I was stressed out about getting everything done and now after reading through our ceremony I can't help but smile and know that our day will be perfect.

I agree! I feel that the ceremony is "our part". And the reception is the party that is really thrown for the guests to help us celebrate.

I completely agree. But has anyone thought about the order of their service?

Yes, I couldn't agree more. And more than whether it be ceremony or reception, it is about love, it is about two people swearing their forevers belong to one another. Is is the look in the eye it is the smile on the face, it is the clamy hands and the shaking bodies as two people make an oath before God, family and friends to be there for each other. It is your FOREVER IN THE MAKING. I get caught up in the fun, the plannin and the celebrations, but at the end of the night, If something goes wrong, I ALWAYS tell myself, none of it matters as long as we say our I DO'S and exchange our forevers....... It's not the money, the things, the dresses, or the decor. It's bigger than that and we all need to remember what it is about and not get caught up in how big and how much and kids or not, we need to all be grateful that we have people who want to share in this day with us. Think of their forevers that are changing with our joining of two hearts as well, not just our own!!

I only sort of agree many ceremonies are about tradition and god, and listening to a sermon and walking around in circles putting crowns on heads and what not, and not so much the about the couple, excpet for a tiny bit

I feel both are most important. The ceremony if short and vow based and personalized is about pronouncing your love and dedication in public.

and the reception is about celebrating your love. Both important.

Well said Kristina!

Jasmine B. I'm working on the Order of Ceremony now with my officiant. I know what I want I'm just confused about the order.

Totally agree!

I wanted to make sure that our ceremony was all about us and the reasons that we were getting married. We made sure that everyone there was a part of the celebrations.

I think that people think that its all about the two that are getting married, when in actuality its about the people that matter in your lives and how they support and continue to support you and your DH after the ceremony ends.

I am a Catholic, was born and baptized as such, I am converting to Methodist for FH. I am able to do this easily as I am spiritual and not religous. With that said, I think I rubbed the Pastor the wrong way when I created my own order. It is mostly us. I want a scripture lesson, but it is about us and God and we all three should take part in it and the glory of it. I am not doing this like a traditional catholic or methodist wedding. I am doing an extra processional for those family members who have passed, I am doing one long scripture lesson about unconditional love, I have not narrowed down my reading yet, but that will be what the reading is about. Unconditional love for eachother and our children, then unity candle, songs, vows, exchange of rings, etc. I am also going to draw up my own vows that will apply to he and I that will go with the standard traditional vows. I have the Pastor's head spinning and he does not like my recessional song either, Brad Paisley, camouflage <-(theme

We definitely didn't forget that! We actually spent more on the ceremony than on both of the receptions put together. We also made our own chuppah (wedding canopy), picked out every piece of music we wanted and made CDs to use at the ceremony, wrote our own service, and had programs that included the entire text of the ceremony (with transliterations and translations of the Hebrew) as well as descriptions of all the Jewish customs.

If yo stick around for a while, you will notice that that sentiment is often said around here(not always in those words).

Pan- thats good.

Great advice!

For us, while giving our friends a weekend they would remember was a priority, we wanted our ceremony to be all about us and our love for one another. Excluding a friend reading my favorite Corinthians reading, mostly everything said was written by us.My daughter sang my entrance song, "At Last", which was a promise she made when she was a teenager. DH's son and brother did a guitar duet covering Pink Floyds' "Wish You Were Here", one of our favorite songs, to honor his parents and my sister. In all honesty,even though we were literally surrounded by friends while we exchanged our self-written vows and did our path joining ceremony, I truly felt he and I were the only two people in the room.

Wow Mrs. Carole everyone played a role and that is beautiful! I want it to feel like its just us there too