Ceremony Ideas

Here are some samples of the various ceremonies available to you. I also work with couples who wish to create their own unique ceremony and vows!

Civil Ceremony

Some couples choose a ceremony that is all about love, without religious references. It can be quite beautiful!

Some wording from a recent civil ceremony:

"Today, as you join together in marriage, we see the possibilities and potential of your married life are great. We wish for you a love that makes both of you better people, a home that will be an island of serenity, and a place that encompasses the beauty of nature and gives you the peace within to generate and uphold your feelings about how to live your lives."

Non-Denominational Wedding Ceremony

This wedding service is suitable for couples who want a spiritual wedding ceremony but wish to not have it tied to a specific religion.

Some passages from the Non-denominational ceremony:

"There are no obligations on earth more sweet nor tender than those you are about to assume. There are no vows more solemn than those you are about to make, and there is no human institution more sacred than that of the home you are about to form."

A reading from the author, Kahil Gibran: "Love one another but make not a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls..."

Christian Wedding Ceremony

This wedding ceremony is provided for the couple who share a Christian background.

Some passages from the Christian Ceremony:

"God gave us marriage for the full expression of the love between two people to become one, just as Christ is one with the church. May the Lord bless you and keep you, be kind and gracious to you, and look upon you with favor and give you peace. In the name of Christ our Lord, Amen."

Interfaith Wedding Ceremony

Upon request, I will blend the rites and meanings of different backgrounds and traditions in occasions of interfaith marriages.

In a Catholic-Jewish wedding, for example, the Catholic ceremony includes Old Testament readings, the marriage rites, the nuptial blessing and concluding prayers. The Jewish ceremony is made up of three elements: the wedding contract, a gift of value and the giving or rings. We can include elements from each faith in one ceremony. I have also utilized ceremonies from other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and from Celtic and Native American traditions.

Custom Wedding Ceremonies

Couples will sometimes request unique or custom ceremonies with which I am happy to assist. Some of the themed ceremonies that I have created include:

Harry Potter

Sports

Movies

Disney

Halloween/Zombies

Outdoors/Hunting

If you can dream it, we can create it!

Supplemental Ceremonies within the Ceremony

The following supplemental ceremonies usually don't stand alone, but may be embodied into the main ceremony to enhance the wedding or to express a particular feeling.

Unity Candle - A timeless favorite where the ceremony invites the couple to light a central candle from two other individual candles, signifying that their previous pathways are uniting and honoring the light of love which forever blesses, inspires and guides them.

Uniting the Family - For couples who have children from a previous relationship, this ceremony honors the children and then creation of a new family.

Rose Ceremony - This rite occurs at the end of the ceremony after the couples have exchanged rings. It is a sweet ceremony that invites the couple to exchange roses as their first gifts to one another as a married couple. The couple are also invited to celebrate their wedding anniversary each year by placing a rose at the appointed place to signify a restatement of their vows and a renewal of their love.

Other supplemental ceremonies include: Handfasting, Blessing Stones, Ring Warming and more!

If you would like additional information about these or other ceremonies, or if I may be of help in any way, please contact me.

The Unity Sand Ceremony was used at Hale Farm & Village for a family with six children, designated by their own individual colors.

Handfasting at Squire's Castle in Willoughby Hills