allen tsai photography

Photo courtesy of Feather & Twine Photography

We reached out to some of our favorite wedding ceremony officiants to answer a pretty big question:

“What are some elements you can suggest to make a ceremony unique to the couple?”

Photo courtesy of Allen Tsai Photography

Arianna Gray, from Alternative Wedding Services, had some great options for making your ceremony unique:

“While there are many elements out there that can be included, knowing the couple’s personalities, backgrounds, beliefs and so forth are helpful in finding just the right elements for them to include. There are the “joining” elements, such as a handfasting, unity candle, sand ceremony and so forth. These all represent the act of bringing two lives (or more in the case of the sand ceremony) together into a marriage or family and can be a lovely inclusion into any wedding ceremony.

There are the “threshold” elements like jumping the broom or breaking the glass. These represent a breaking with the past or leaving the past (single lives) behind and jumping or crossing into the future together.  It shows a couple’s commitment to face the unknown together.

And there are ways to honor the ancestors, whether it is a remembrance of those who have passed, a general honoring of those who came before or honoring the couple’s parents. These are very moving and meaningful and really lend a “family is important” vibe to the ceremony.”

For other tradition recommendations be sure to check out her website!

Photo courtesy of Dot & Anchor Photography

David Gruber, an interfaith wedding Rabbi, tells us about how he officiated a wedding that not only had various traditions from several cultures but also was featured on MTV’s hispanic channel as a part of a series:

“The ceremony included elements from both faith traditions, with vows, a New Testament reading, and a Unity Candle from the Christian tradition, and the Ketubah, the Seven Blessings and the breaking of the glass from the Jewish tradition. My favorite parts of any wedding ceremony, and this was no exception, are the traditions that both faiths share: the ring exchange, the shared cup and the Priestly Blessing. For the latter I wrapped the couple in my tallit, which always makes for a “warm and fuzzy” moment, and I blessed them in three languages, Hebrew, English and Spanish. I then pronounced them esposo y esposa. As I usually do, I included short explanations of all the various customs and rituals for the benefit of those at the wedding, and those who would watch it on TV.”

Read more about this unique ceremony on David’s blog. Your ceremony should be customized to what you and your fiancé prefer no matter how unconventional the combination of elements are!

Photo courtesy of Krystle Akin Photography

Chris Marx, from Love Notes, tells us how he incorporated two cultures to create a ceremony both the couple and family was happy with:

“I met with a couple where the bride, while growing up in America, was of a Persian heritage.  Her parents migrated to the States before she was born.  She wanted to have a wedding that incorporated many of the American traditions but also wanted to bring into her wedding a lot of her Parent’s Persian traditions.

I spent a lot of time discussing with the bride, groom, the brides parents and my own research on Persian weddings.  After gathering a host of information I wrote a wedding ceremony that met the request of the bride and groom. The ceremony was reviewed by her parents and some adjustments were made.  However, when all was said and done, it was a wedding that no one will forget.”

Mixing traditions, customs, and ceremony designs is a great way to make your union unique to you and your fiancé and highlighting the beauty in cultures. Learn more about Chris here.

There are as many traditions and variations of ceremonies as there are individuals. You should focus on creating the perfect ceremony that fits you and your partner. These are just a few officiants that work with couples everyday to make their union exceptional. We would love to hear about your unique ceremony!