WHAT KIND OF CEREMONY DO YOU PERFORM?

 

WHAT KIND OF CEREMONY DO YOU PERFORM?

Couples call us every day because they need someone to officiate their wedding ceremony. One of the first questions asked is, “What kind of ceremony do you perform?” While we are quick to answer that we consider our ceremonies romantic and upscale, we are certain to inquire about the kind of ceremony our bride and groom want to have.

There isn’t just one kind of ceremony. There isn’t one traditional way to have the words presented. Every couple has seen and heard wedding ceremonies and developed their own preconceived idea about how the ceremony is to go. We often present new ideas and concepts about wedding ceremony trends, but the minister should honor the couple’s desire to have the kind of ceremony they want.

Church Weddings. Christian denominations include Catholic, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Assembly of God, and many other Bible-based churches. Every Christian denomination has its own church tradition. While other denominational churches may share some of those traditions, the couple would be getting married into and by the authority of that specific church’s denomination.

Nondenominational Weddings. A nondenominational wedding is a Christian ceremony without any specific “denominational” overtones. That is, there isn’t a mention of being married by or into any specific church tradition. It’s just Christian, and that can generally satisfy all traditional denominational expectations.

Religious Weddings. There are also Jewish weddings, Mormon weddings, Hindu weddings, Persian weddings, and a wedding for virtually every religious sect. Each has its own traditions from breaking a glass, asking the bride’s vow three times, sipping from a glass of wine, jumping the broom, and reading from a sacred text, among others.

New Age Weddings. In the past 100 or so years, America has welcomed many new religions. While some of their traditions may date further back, most consider Religious Science, Bahai, and the Church of Scientology to be rather new. These non-traditional churches exist with constitutional First Amendment rights, and each has its own methods of marrying a couple. Who could forget the Unification Church wedding where Rev. Moon married a stadium full of couples, many brides and grooms which never met before that ceremony?

Civil Weddings. A civil wedding is often brief and not romantic. People requesting civil ceremonies usually want a brief ceremony with no religious overtones. Many a judge and justice of the peace have performed “hit and run” civil ceremonies, leaving a couple with a five-minute or less set of “I do’s.” Arizona Ministers perform civil ceremonies, sometimes brief by request of the bride and groom. However, we often perform a civil ceremony in a romantic and caring fashion, with a duration of up to 25 minutes.

Interfaith Weddings. In this melting pot called America, many couples marry a partner of a different faith. Many church and religious hierarchies frown on this practice, but families of two different faiths enjoy many successful marriages. When we plan and perform an interfaith marriage, we are very sensitive to the expectations of both families and always perform a wedding that is acceptable, if not completely satisfying to both.

Ethnic and Cultural Traditions. Today’s brides and grooms read a lot of wedding-related material…hey, you’re reading wedding material! There they learn about ceremonies that include wrapping a couple in a lacy manteau, cape, or a mother of pearl lasso. Some couples present each other with gold coins as a symbol of sharing their family wealth.

Many weddings include a traditional lighting of a unity candle and some are enjoying the trendy pouring of sand into a single vessel. We are often asked to include a Native American blessing and have even accepted smudging for a couple’s wedding. The Brave Heart wedding of Celtic origin will feature a handfasting, symbolizing the union to which they have pledged their lives. Let’s not leave out the children in a blended family ceremony but also have the parents pledge to love and support them.

Theme Weddings. We have officiated at Renaissance weddings, costume ball weddings, luau weddings, cowboy weddings, and even an X-File wedding. Virtually every religious or civil ceremony can have a theme added to it. It makes the wedding different, special, and usually, unforgettable.

What kind of weddings do we perform? There isn’t just one kind of wedding ceremony. We want your wedding to be remembered as romantic, upscale, and exactly as you dreamed it would be.

Phillip Waring

Arizona Ministers