When Your Ceremony May Seem Foreign

The ring is still shiny and new, and the excitement from getting engaged is still in your every thought. To start planning your wedding is the next big step, and deciding where to hold the ceremony can often become a problem for couples; especially if you are of different faiths or religions and your guests may not be familiar with certain cultures, customs and traditions.

For myself and my fiancé, the decision of where to hold our wedding ceremony was not difficult. I was adamant about being married in my church, and my fiancé agreed. My church is not just a place of worship for me but also a symbol and representation of my ethnicity, background, and culture. My fiancé comes from a similar ethnic background, but is of a different Christian faith. We knew that more than 70% of guests at our wedding would be Catholic and related to my fiancé, while the remaining would be a diverse group comprised mostly of people of the Orthodox faith (who would be my family), with a few Protestants, Methodists, and other faiths or no faiths mixed in. I was now faced with the problem of informing my guests that the Orthodox ceremony is quite different than what they are used and is not as “foreign” as they may think.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, take charge and get the word out about your ceremony! Obviously, the best way to tell your family and friends about your ceremony is word of mouth. As the wedding gets closer, bring it up in the many wedding conversations you’ll have throughout your engagement. You’ll find that most people are interested and intrigued. Describe it in detail and show pictures from other relatives’ and friends weddings that have occurred. A picture is sometimes worth a thousand words.

Another great way to let your guests know about your ceremony is to put up a wedding Web site. Add graphics and pictures to your site to personalize it and even dedicate a page to you and your fiancé and tell the romantic tale of how you fell in love. It is an excellent way to give your guests a preview of the ceremony, bridal party, and reception location.

If you do not have the time, energy or inclination to build a Web site, consider making detailed programs for the ceremony. This way guests can read through the program and learn what the ceremony will consist of. They can then use the program to follow the ceremony along. First, you may want to research and write up your own interpretation/version of the ceremony and give it to your priest or minister for verification.

You can get as plain or fancy as you want with the programs. You can get them professionally made along with your invitations at a local printer or stationary store. Call around for prices and compare rates. If money is an issue, it is extremely easy to make programs on your home computer. You can use colored 8 ½ x 11 papers, and simply fold the pages in half to have an easy to read program. Tie ribbon in the crease of the folded paper to add a little decoration. You can put pictures and graphics in your program to personalize it. Many elegant type fonts are widely available also. It is wise to play around with the fonts, graphics/pictures, and type set to get an idea of what works best for you. Create and print out a few versions of the program to get a sense of exactly what it is you want.

The programs can be placed in a decorated wicker basket to be handed out to your guests as they walk in. Nothing is cuter than a young, sweet smiling face helping out a bride in need.