THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR CEREMONY

Your wedding can be exactly as you want it. The first thing to think about is whether you want to come in together or one of you wait at the front with me. It’s totally your choice and depends largely if one of you wants to be “given away” by someone. If that’s the case, one will wait with me, the other will enter separately down the aisle. For the sake of simplicity, this is how it would be if you both walked down the aisle together:

Lucy Welcomes Guests 

Entrance

On Lucy’s cue, you both walk down the aisle to music.

The Giving Away

If you’d like to be given away (traditionally by a father), this is where I ask “Who gives (name) to be married to (name)?”

The person giving away responds “I do”, then takes his/her seat

Introduction & Address

I introduce myself, tell a few stories about the couple. This is a good place for a Reading from me, a guest or the couple.

The Asking

There are various ways to introduce The Asking; it is essentially where I ask the couple a few questions individually about their commitment to their unity.  Their responses will usually be “I will” or “I do” (depending on the phrasing of the question)

More Stories (possible Reading/ Singer)

The Vows

This is the moment you make your promises to each other – and it’s the bit I encourage you to write yourselves.  Your Vows can be funny, sentimental, long or short.

The Ring Ceremony

With some couples, both chose to wear a ring; sometimes just one person opts for a ring.  There are different options for the words used and whether you’d like a prompt from me, repeating the words after me or speaking your own words.

The Kissing

At this point, I declare you “wife and wife”/ “husband and husband” – and you can have that first kiss as a married couple

Symbolic Rituals/ ‘Unity Ceremonies’

This is the moment where you might want to introduce a symbolic Unity Ceremony (such as a sand ceremony, the lighting of a candle, the signing of a Memories Book).  There’s more information on this on the Unity Ceremonies page.

After the Unity ceremony, the couple return to the stand in front of me.

The Declaration of Marriage

I offer you my congratulations and wish you farewell as you walk back down the aisle together as a married couple (or stay and have guests come up and congratulate you)