You want your wedding day to be one of the best days of your life. Remember the things that you love and incorporate these into your celebrations. If you enjoy good food, make time to enjoy your meal. Make time for music or dancing if that’s what makes your heart sing. This helps you enjoy the day, enjoy each other and catch up with your loved ones as you celebrate love, life and happiness.
Ideas for your day might include; a garden theme with a picnic, champagne and canapés on our circular lawn or a country theme with hog roast, hay bales and a barn dance with casks of ale; a great way to bring the country to your reception.
Tying the knot and lighting a unity candle are two of the most popular ideas at civil ceremonies. We shall look at these and some other ideas and scenarios you can incorporate into your wedding.
Typing the knot or hand-fasting
Hand-fasting is an ancient Celtic tradition where the bride and groom have their right hands bound together during part of the wedding ceremony with rope, vines or ribbon, symbolizing their union and commitment to each other.
Unity Candle
Instead of Fireworks or Chinese Lanterns (which are not considered eco-friendly to the four-legged animals round here) why not you try this. The candle-lighting ceremony usually involves the couple lighting one large candle from two smaller candles lit by each of their mothers, representing the merging together of two families. Then the rest of the family can light their candles from it as well. The symbolism of strengthened love and shared lives and is a ceremony you can adapt to your own wishes.
Tree Planting
A creative nature-inspired idea is to plant a tree together, adding soil to a potted tree to symbolize your union. Like the tree, your relationship will need love and care to grow and bloom. Using soil from your home-towns adds a special touch. Trees are also symbolic. The apple tree symbolizes beauty, love, and generosity. You have the opportunity to plant a cutting from one of the apple trees in our orchard here at Lantall Weddings.
Lasso Ceremony
A variation of the ‘tying the knot’ idea is a ritual from Spanish and Filipino cultures. Called El Lazo, this ritual takes place after the vows have been exchanged when the celebrant, or other designated person who is important to the couple, wraps a garland of flowers around the couple in the form of an infinity symbol of their union and love. After the marriage ceremony, the person who created the lasso removes it. The garland makes a beautiful keepsake from the day.
Pouring Sand
Perfect for blended families, the bride and groom (or bride/bride; groom/groom) each have different colored sand in their own jar. Each takes turns pouring differently colored sand from their jar into another decorative jar to make a beautiful pattern. If you are inviting children, how about some special entertainment or crèche facility so both the parents and children can enjoy the wedding to the full. Kids can also add their differently colored sand to the family vase.
You can use sand from your favorite beach, or you can use glitter for the same effect. The pouring of the sand can take place at any time before, after or during the wedding vows and ring exchange. Usually, there’s a container each for the couple with their respective sand colors inside, with different colors again for each child. Once combined, it would be extremely difficult to separate the sand, just as the couple is so joined together.
Anniversary Capsule
The time-capsule ceremony is symbolic of the durability of your love and the lifetime commitment you are making. Before the wedding, the couple collects significant mementos from their relationship such as love letters or concert tickets etc. The couple also write a love letter to each other, which also goes in the box which, during the ceremony, is then sealed only to be opened later at their five, 10, or 20-year anniversary. Ask your family and friends and family to bring letters or photos to be added to the capsule.
Flower ceremony
The bride and groom each have a red rose, symbolizing love. The couple swap their roses as the first gift to each other before placing them together into a vase. Family members then add their roses to the mix, either red or another color. You may want all your guests to take part, bringing a flower that means something to them. You don’t have to use roses, use any flower that has a special meaning to you both. Evergreen can be used as a symbol of your undying love for each other.
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