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5 Ways To Personalize Your Wedding Ceremony

• June 7, 2017
• by Natasha Burton

During the wedding planning process, the ceremony often gets the least amount of attention. Pretty details like flowers and favors, and of course the dress, tend to get more contemplation. After all, these things are characteristically more fun. (And did I mention pretty?)

But your ceremony is kind of the point of your wedding—and figuring out how to make it special doesn’t need to be time-consuming or boring. Here are five ways to make it personal so that it becomes the highlight of your big day.

1. Choose music that means something to you While it’s tempting to pick the traditional wedding songs (like Canon in D) for your processional, trade the classics everyone’s heard for songs that are more specific to your relationship. If you don’t have a specific song that’s “yours,” choose the tune you heard on your first date, or the number one song on the radio that played over and over during your more memorable vacation. Even if other people don’t get it, you will—and that’s what’s important.
2. Have a friend or family member officiate If you’re flexible as far as who marries you, and don’t need to have a person of faith preside over your ceremony, consider getting a friend or family member certified to do the job. You can choose a parent, a sibling, the friend who introduced you—whoever you’d like. This will automatically give your ceremony a more personal feel.
3. Ask the audience to participate Incorporate your guests by having them respond to the officiant. (He or she could ask something like, Are you all excited to see these two get hitched? And everyone will shout “yeah!”) Or, pass your wedding rings around the crowd for what’s known as a “ring warming” ceremony—everyone holds and “warms” the rings with love before you exchange them. Small participatory segments make people feel included and will ensure that your ceremony is memorable.
4. Write your own vows Of course, saying words to each other that you wrote yourselves is a great way to personalize the ceremony. You can get inspiration from cards you’ve written each other, poems you love and just your everyday life together. Vows don’t need to be long or professionally written in order to be meaningful.
5. Select stories to include Talk with your officiant about your relationship—how you met, what you love about each other, and so on; and ask that the personal details you share with him or her make it into the final ceremony script. This way, the service itself will give your guests an insight into your relationship and make the proceedings even more personalized. Visit our Pinterest page for more wedding planning inspiration.

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Natasha Burton

Relationship expert Natasha Burton is the author of four books: 101 Quizzes for Brides & Grooms, 101 Quizzes for Couples, 101 Quizzes for BFFs, and The Little Black Book of Big Red Flags. When she's not writing, she's likely doing yoga, baking, or watching The Bachelor.

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