Creative Ceremony Ideas

The Processional
· Rather than have your back to the guests, change places with the officiant and face your guests.
· At a small, intimate ceremony have the guests join you at the altar or have them join hands encircling you.
· Consider including both sets of parents in the processional.
· Have the groom meet you halfway down the aisle.
· The bride can part from her father by kissing him on the cheek when they reach his seat, then walk alone to meet the groom.

The Ceremony Itself
· Have the officiant ask, “Who blesses this union?” or “Who blesses this marriage?” Have both sets of parents or all the guests join in saying, “We do.”
· Involve children from previous marriages by acknowledging them in the ceremony through special readings, prayers, or the presentation of the “Family Medallion”
· Have a favorite piece of music played or sung during the ceremony, or as you leave, but check with your church or synagogue as to any music restrictions they might have.
· Write your own poem or prayer and read it, or have quotations from a favorite poem or prayer read by the officiant or a family member.