Wedding ceremony: 10 main recommendations

Planning, Preparation, Articles, Traditions and Entertainment November 25 The Bride

Music plays, children sprinkle the aisle with petals, and the bride with a veil covering her worried face walks arm in arm with her father, the groom waits at the altar, and the guests burst into applause. A dream, right? The perfect wedding ceremony is real! You just need to add 10 terms. Read our article on how to do this.

Outdoor ceremony, “for” or “against”

Do you dream that your wedding will look like a fairy tale? Then you can’t do without a ceremony! An individually written speech by the registrar, touching vows and many other components that are sure to make the moment of marriage tender and sensual.

Why is the ceremony better than the registry office? This question is asked by many brides, and in answering it, several main aspects can be highlighted:

♥ At the registry office you receive a formal text that has a certain standard, memorized, too formal speech
♥ Musical accompaniment in the registry office is also standard
♥ Lack of stylization and color scheme, and the interior design of some registry offices generally leaves much to be desired
♥ The ceremony involves complete personalization: from decorations to speech and music
♥ Change the program according to your wishes - you can abandon traditions and do everything only at your own discretion
♥ You can arrange surprises for each other - read vows, sing songs, release live butterflies into the air, or change the romantic text to a more free one

To ensure that everything goes well, no matter what scenario you choose, it is better to prepare the wedding ceremony in advance and rehearse it.

Wedding sand ceremony

The sand ceremony came to us from the Hawaiian Islands. It will be relevant for a wedding that takes place in the summer and has the format of a beach party. Although, if you approach this issue wisely, a sand ceremony can be included in the concept of a wedding on any theme.

What is its essence? The newlyweds take turns pouring sand into a large vessel, each with their own color. In this way, the bride and groom create an unusual pattern. The meaning of the ritual is that from now on the lives of the newlyweds are inseparable from each other, like the grains of sand in the vessel.

To carry out this wedding ceremony you will need, of course, sand of two colors, as well as:

three vessels - two smaller ones for the newlyweds and one common;
a funnel to make it convenient to pour sand;
decorative plug.

If desired, the vessel can be additionally decorated with ribbons, rhinestones, beads and other decor. Subsequently, the vessel with sand is stored at home as decoration.

Ceremony area

A separate area is required for the ceremony. In addition to the aesthetic aspect: decor that suits your style and taste, you also need to take into account many technical aspects. It is necessary to take into account the sun or artificial light so that it does not interfere with either guests watching the ceremony or photographers and videographers filming. Be sure to provide enough space for yourself, the bridesmaids, and the groomsmen so they don't have to crowd together. Designate a separate area for the master of ceremonies or registrar. It is important to correctly calculate the distance to the chairs for guests: there should be at least 4 meters from the first row of chairs to the newlyweds. At the same time, leave 1.5-2 meters between the chairs for the bride to pass. And between the rows of chairs, leave enough space for comfortable passage and sitting.

How to surprise guests. Part 4. Uniting ceremonies

How to surprise guests. Part 4. Interesting traditions and rituals Let's start, perhaps, with unifying ceremonies. These are ceremonies that symbolize the unification of the lives and destinies of the newlyweds. They can be held at any time on the wedding day. More traditionally, they are held during a banquet. So, what are they? Candle ceremonies “Family Hearth” and “Uniting Candle”

In the Russian tradition there is a very symbolic ritual “Family Hearth” that is striking in its beauty and touchingness. Women are traditionally the guardians of the family hearth, warmth and comfort in the home. That is why the mothers of the bride and groom pass on pieces of their hearths to the young family to create their own hearth. The symbol of the hearth is a candle. The groom's mother and the bride's mother light their candles (usually they are thin and long), then together they light the newlyweds' candle from their candles (it is usually thick and short), symbolizing the lighting of the family hearth and the creation of a new family in which love, comfort, warmth and understanding. One of the most popular European traditional ceremonies is the “Uniting Candle”. The bride and groom each take a small candle and together light the third large “unifying” candle. They can extinguish their individual candles or leave them burning, symbolizing that they have maintained their individuality in the marriage. For such a ceremony, you need a candlestick, in the center of which a “unifying” candle is placed, and the other two candles are placed lower on the sides. You can also order a personalized “unifying” candle, with your names (monograms or monograms) and wedding date, making it a special keepsake associated with cherished memories.

Variations: All guests are given a candle and the groom's friend (witness) is the first to light one candle and pass the flame to another guest. Guests pass the flame until all the candles are lit and then the bride and groom light their “unifying” candle together. The candle ceremony in this variation symbolizes the unity of family and friends supporting the new family throughout their lives.

Flower (pink) ceremony

A simple ceremony where the bride and groom exchange flowers (roses).

Variations: Families exchange flowers, the bride and groom exchange flowers with their families, the bride and groom exchange flowers, then give them to their mothers.

Wine ceremony

The bride and groom each take a decanter of wine and pour the contents into one glass from which they then drink.

Sand ceremony

The bride and groom each take a container of sand of a different color and pour it into a common container, creating a unique layered sand pattern. This ritual symbolizes that now their lives are intertwined into one whole, like sand of different colors laid in a vessel in an intricate, unique pattern.

Water ceremony

Almost the same as the sand ceremony. The bride and groom each take a container of a different colored liquid and pour it into a common container, creating a third unique common color.

Salt ceremony

Indian weddings often include a salt ceremony, where the bride passes a handful of salt to the groom, being careful not to spill it. Then the groom passes the salt to the bride and this is repeated three times. After this, the bride exchanges salt with all members of the groom's family, symbolizing her merging with the new family.

Variations: The bride and groom each take a bag of salt and carefully, one by one, pour the salt from the bags into a common vessel, without spilling any grains of sand. This ritual symbolizes that from now on their lives are as inseparable as grains of salt in this vessel.

Bread ceremonies “Breaking Ceremony” and “Wedding Loaf”

The bride and groom tear off pieces of bread, and then each eats a piece. Sometimes the bread is shared with family and friends, symbolizing their future together with a new family. In Rus' there was no less, and probably even more interesting, ritual “Korovai”. The bride and groom were greeted by their mothers, the groom's mother was holding a towel (a special embroidered ritual towel, symbolizing a holiday, union) with a loaf of bread in her arms. The wedding loaf was the first bread that the newlyweds were supposed to try. The young people were offered to take a piece of the loaf, and the one who took the largest piece would be the head of the family. A wedding loaf is a symbol of prosperity, abundance and happiness.

Garland (wreath) ceremony or lei ceremony

The bride and groom exchange garlands of flowers. This is a common part of Indian weddings where the ceremony is called varmala or jaimala and represents the proposal of the groom and the acceptance of the bride. It also symbolizes their new union, blessed by nature. In Hawaiian weddings, the bride and groom usually exchange garlands or Hawaiian wreaths (leis). Families can also exchange garlands with the couple. Garlands symbolize love, your respect for the person to whom you are giving them and the unification of a new family.

Circles

In the Eastern European ceremony, the bride and groom walk around the altar three times as they take their first steps as husband and wife. In Hindu ceremonies, the couple walks around the fire seven times to strengthen their bond. The unbroken circle represents unbreakable, unbreakable loyalty and devotion to each other.

Jumping over a broom

An African-American tradition that dates back to the days of slavery, when slaves could not marry. Usually the new family places the broom on the ground, and the bride and groom, holding hands, jump over it together. The broom can then take pride of place in their home. Jumping over a broom symbolizes overcoming oneself, a leap into the unknown of the bride and groom hugging each other. Crossing this snowstorm, the newlyweds, holding hands, seem to dive into their future.

Lasso ceremony

A rope or lasso is tied around the shoulders of the bride and groom, usually at a church service. Rosary beads, or sometimes orange flowers, can be used instead of rope. They can also be placed on the wrists or even around the necks of the spouses.

In preparing the article, materials from the site: link and leading wedding portals were used.

Decor

Decor is the main component of a beautiful ceremony. Every detail is important: a stylishly designed arch or background for the ceremony, a cushion for rings or its alternative, a table for the registrar, if one is needed, the design of the “path to the altar,” the decor of the chairs. When designing and planning, it is important to remember a few basic rules:

• The decor of the ceremony area should look good and harmonious with the environment: be it nature or the interior of the room
• Decorating the path with petals is only appropriate if there is no strong wind in the ceremony area, otherwise this decor will not remain intact until the ceremony itself
• To transform the ceremony area into a photo zone, think through its decor so that it will look good in the future, with several guests, and the main decorative elements will not be covered
• The reception table can be easily replaced with a stylish cabinet or even dispensed with if you are not signing any documents at the ceremony
• It’s better to put bags with petals or whatever replaces them on the outer chairs or hang them on them so that guests don’t have to carry them to the ceremony area
• Be sure to cover the passage to the arch with a ribbon or sign so that the decor of the path before the ceremony is not spoiled, but in this case, be sure to leave large side passages for guests

What are ceremonies?

So, we should start with what the explanatory dictionary offers us. According to him, a ceremony is a certain sequence of actions that carries symbolic meaning. First of all, they emphasize the special value of an event for a certain group of people or even the whole society. In general, they are a kind of rituals and ceremonies, only with greater emotional overtones.

Therefore, holding ceremonies is necessary in order to evoke elevated feelings in people and exalt a certain event in their eyes. For example, presenting a sacrifice to the gods was often accompanied by a mandatory ritual. Thanks to him, followers had the impression that their actions would help reach the consciousness of the deity and enlist his support.

Path to the altar

Probably one of the most touching moments of the entire ceremony is when the bride appears. In the traditional version, the bride is led to the altar by her father, or in rare cases by her mother or another close person. For a more touching moment, cover your face with a veil. The bridesmaids and groomsmen walk in front of the bride, and the groom waits for you at the arch.

Wedding in the city

An incredibly beautiful ceremony can be organized in the city. Perhaps every bride dreams of a wedding in Paris, Rome or Madrid. European cities are a paradise for lovers of history, beauty and amazing traditions. Fabulous city landscapes will be an excellent backdrop for a photo shoot and create a unique romantic atmosphere.

To have a beautiful city wedding, it is absolutely not necessary to obtain a foreign passport and make a long trip. In almost every city in our country you can find amazing views and unique corners for filming and holding celebrations. At the moment, the leading positions among the most beautiful and popular cities for weddings are occupied by St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

To hold an unforgettable ceremony in another city, experts recommend contacting a local wedding agency. Its staff will not only draw up a detailed plan for the event with visits to the most beautiful places in the city, but will also help with accommodation of guests and suggest where you can save money.

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Do not forget that only a symbolic ceremony can be held abroad; the marriage must be officially registered in advance in Russia.

Registrar

When choosing a registrar, be guided not only by professionalism and experience, but also by appearance and voice. Beautiful posture and speech, grooming and presentability are very important for the ceremony to take place at the proper level. Discuss the text, content of the ceremony and musical accompaniment. An important aspect is the location of the recorder - it should stand slightly to the side so as not to get into all the frames. He can stand either behind you, closer to the arch, or completely to the side. It is important that during the ceremony you hear him well, but pay attention exclusively to each other.

Difficulties in the preparation process

Sometimes situations arise when an item needs to be replaced. What should we do then?

What can replace blood vessels? If you decide to save on buying special vessels or simply haven’t found a suitable option on sale, then you can replace them with bottles of expensive alcohol, interior vases or glasses of different sizes. Instead of a common vessel, you can use a transparent jug or a large round vase;
How to paint sand? If deadlines are already running out, and you did not have time to order colored sand in time, then you can make it yourself. To do this, you will need fine sand and a special powder pigment of a certain color, which is not difficult to find in art shops or workshops. In a large container you need to mix sand and pigment in the amount of 1 tsp. per glass of sand. Below in the article you will find a video on how to paint sand at home (go);
What can replace sand? You can pour not only sand into the vessels, but also other objects.
Colored salt. A combination of white and some other color is quite acceptable, so you can only paint in one tone;
Dyed cereals . White rice or semolina are also suitable for coloring;
Multi-colored beads . Small beads of various shades can be easily purchased at any craft store. You don't have to paint anything, and vessels filled with small beads will look especially original.

Rehearsal

A week before the celebration or even closer to day X, organize a trip to the ceremony site. Take with you a decorator and a photographer, girlfriends and friends involved in the ceremony, parents, and a registrar. Decorators must coordinate the placement of the arch with photographers according to the location of the light. In turn, parents and friends should know exactly their role and location at the wedding, their actions. Give each of them a place that will be comfortable for him - take care of a beautiful picture. The ceremony is a real opportunity to make your dreams of a perfect wedding come true. Try to creatively approach this issue and organize the ceremony at the highest level.

Wine wedding ceremony

Along with the sand ceremony, an unusual wine ceremony is gaining increasing popularity, which at a wedding can be held in two versions:

The wife and husband pour two different wines into one vessel and take turns drinking from it, which symbolizes unity and trust. The rest of the wine is distributed to relatives and guests. It is important to mix a trial version of the wine before the ceremony so that you like its taste.
The newlyweds write a text for each other with words of love, and during the wine ceremony at the wedding, they put the letters in a box, where they also place a bottle of wine. A good drink gets better over the years, as does the relationship between spouses. The box can be opened on an anniversary or at the time of a strong quarrel. Love letters will surely help husband and wife make peace.

Friends of the groom and bridesmaids

The more people you attract, the more difficult it is to organize them. A rehearsal carried out in advance will allow the groom's friends and bridesmaids not to get lost during the ceremony, to understand where to go and what to do. It is worth taking care of the image of your friends. It’s worth choosing them in the same style: whether they are the same or not is up to you, but remember that your friends should feel comfortable in them. And without identical outfits, you can create harmonious images: it can be the same fabric or matching colors and patterns.

Tying a knot

The ceremony of tying a knot came to us from the ancient Celts. It symbolizes the interweaving of two destinies into one. It is believed that the tighter the bride and groom tie the knot, the stronger their family ties will be. The newlyweds must each hold the rope on their side and tighten the knot tightly on it. After the ceremony, you can place the knotted rope in a box or frame.

For the ceremony, you can use a bright colored ribbon, regular cotton or jute rope. If your wedding is in a nautical style, you can use a regular nautical cord - it will suit your style perfectly.

A tradition such as tying a knot at a wedding can be slightly modified. For example, the Secret Knot ceremony involves wrapping the hands of the bride and groom with a rope six times without crossing, which means endless circles of rebirth in the teachings of Feng Shui.

Guests

It is advisable to invite guests to the ceremony at least 30 minutes before the newlyweds arrive. They can spend time in the welcome zone or take pictures in the photo zone, or fill out a book of wishes. This way no one will be late or miss important moments of the ceremony. Take care of the comfort of your guests; in case of rain, you can prepare umbrellas and fans, if it is too hot. You can prepare tissues for tears during the ceremony - it is touching and very sincere. Guests must be seated during the ceremony! The ceremony process lasts from half an hour, so no one will get tired.

Recorder's Speech

A visiting ceremony in Russia is usually carried out symbolically, so the speech of the registrar may be less formal than in the registry office (and not as boring). Discuss it with the officiant ahead of time so it's really about you and not a hypothetical couple getting married.

Do you want this moment to be really personal and very emotional? Ask a family friend or relative who knows you well to officiate the ceremony.

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Author of the photo: Andrey Sukhinin | Wedding of Daniel and Victoria

Vows

One of the most touching moments of the ceremony is the vows. These could be vows that you and your significant other will repeat after the registrar, or individually prepared texts, carefully written for each other. Writing an oath is not so scary, because you should only say what you want to say from your heart. The most important words and emotions. And if you are afraid of forgetting the text of the oath, then you can prepare a cheat sheet specifically for the ceremony.

Examples of ceremony today

Let's leave history behind and talk about the most famous ceremonies of today. After all, they are much closer to us, which means they will be more understandable.

So, in the first place is the solemn wedding ceremony. Almost all people go through it, regardless of their nationality and age. And even though this ritual is performed with some differences in each country, it is still considered sacred and inviolable.

Also ceremonial is the presentation of diplomas upon graduation. Especially the moment when graduates are invited to the stage, where they are presented with this document to general applause.

And finally, we can mention the opening ceremony of a new building, for example a restaurant or club. In this case, the established ritual is the cutting of the red ribbon. Many believe that without such a ritual, a new place will not see good luck and prosperity.

Children

You can also include children in your ceremony. Girls can play the role of flowergirls, boys can go with a beautiful sign in front of the bride. The text of the sign can be both humorous and romantic - it all depends on your wishes. It is worth taking care of the appearance of the little heroes of the ceremony: let them be as elegant as possible, in the general style of the wedding. Children will feel especially proud if they are entrusted with carrying out the rings for the ceremony. We only advise you to involve children in the ceremony rehearsal, too, so that they don’t get confused on the wedding day.

Extreme wedding

Those couples who cannot imagine their life without extreme sports should not give up their hobbies even on their wedding day. They can be recorded on the seabed, in underground caves or high in the sky.

Recently, extreme winter weddings have become especially popular. A wedding ceremony in the ice of Antarctica or on the snow-capped peak of Everest is an unforgettable event for the most daring and desperate.

However, it is worth remembering that such events can cause a significant blow to your budget. In addition, only the newlyweds and a few closest friends who are no strangers to such adventures will be able to attend the ceremony.

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An excellent alternative to an extreme northern wedding is a traditional wedding ceremony with guests and a buffet table, but with unusual entertainment: reindeer rides, sleigh rides or dog sledding.

Music

When coordinating the musical accompaniment for registration, remember not only your own preferences, but also the general style of the celebration. For a home celebration, live instrumental music or even a cover band would be more suitable, but at a youth wedding a string quartet would be inappropriate; it is better to choose a more formal option. Prepare the music itself and discuss it with the musicians separately. It's great if you have some melodies that play a special role in your relationship. They can be a win-win option for musical accompaniment!

By putting all the elements together, you will get the perfect ceremony. Select and prepare everything only in a way that is comfortable for you and your partner.

Planting a tree at a wedding

This is an ancient Russian tradition that symbolizes family happiness and prosperity. If you are planning an outdoor ceremony or banquet, planting a tree at your wedding will be an ideal idea that will fit perfectly into the format of the celebration.

You can plant not only a tree, but also any perennial plant or shrub, which does not have to be planted in open ground - a large pot that can be placed at home will be enough. It is better to plant a tree either in a clearing in a permitted place, or in a plot near the house.

The planted tree must be protected, then it will become a real family talisman. And when children appear, you can plant new seedlings on the tree, in the future you will have a real family garden.

The ceremony is conducted by the host or your friend

This type of ceremony also means that you carry out everything according to your own scenario. Sometimes the host, one of your friends or family members can do a great job as a receptionist and give a parting message that is close to your heart and touch the hearts of all your guests. Of course, in this case it will be obvious to all guests that this ceremony is not an official registration.