Creating a Heart-Centered Commitment Ceremony, Part Five
This article continues the series about how to create your own commitment ceremony.
Family Blessings or Community Support After hearing your story, this is a good time to ask for support from the guests.
Each family might welcome the other one and offer their support to both of you.
But it also can be a time to include your children.
They can do a reading or share what your union means to them.
And at the end of this segment, the celebrant or minister can ask the community to repeat a phrase that offers support.
Do you have supportive family members who might be willing to offer a blessing? If not, are there friends who would be willing? How would you like to include, involve or reference your children? Readings, Songs or Dance At this point in the ceremony, you might have poetry or special readings, songs or dances to celebrate your love and express the message you want to send about your relationship.
Start looking now for music or poetry that might fit your vision for your commitment ceremony.
Ask early for others to participate and be as specific as you can about what their participation will entail.
The Message or Address This is given by the wedding officiant, "the person you have chosen to teach and inspire you, to set the cornerstone of meaning for the new life you are entering.
The purpose of the officiant's address is twofold: to deliver a message directed to you personally, and to inspire in your guests a deep sense of the meaning of love and the value of marriage.
" -Daphne Kingma, Weddings from the Heart In this part of your ceremony, the celebrant or wedding minister shares wisdom and encouragement about marriage, in general, and to the two of you, in particular.
Would you like to have the officiant share your own thoughts about marriage or do you plan to give him or her free rein? Be clear about which option you would prefer even before choosing your wedding officiant, celebrant or minister.
For example, if you want the celebrant to read something you have chosen, make sure that each prospective person you talk to is okay with doing that before making your choice.
In the next article, we will continue our description of the typical parts of the wedding ceremony and our suggestions of alternative ways to personalize the ceremony for yourselves.
Family Blessings or Community Support After hearing your story, this is a good time to ask for support from the guests.
Each family might welcome the other one and offer their support to both of you.
But it also can be a time to include your children.
They can do a reading or share what your union means to them.
And at the end of this segment, the celebrant or minister can ask the community to repeat a phrase that offers support.
Do you have supportive family members who might be willing to offer a blessing? If not, are there friends who would be willing? How would you like to include, involve or reference your children? Readings, Songs or Dance At this point in the ceremony, you might have poetry or special readings, songs or dances to celebrate your love and express the message you want to send about your relationship.
Start looking now for music or poetry that might fit your vision for your commitment ceremony.
Ask early for others to participate and be as specific as you can about what their participation will entail.
The Message or Address This is given by the wedding officiant, "the person you have chosen to teach and inspire you, to set the cornerstone of meaning for the new life you are entering.
The purpose of the officiant's address is twofold: to deliver a message directed to you personally, and to inspire in your guests a deep sense of the meaning of love and the value of marriage.
" -Daphne Kingma, Weddings from the Heart In this part of your ceremony, the celebrant or wedding minister shares wisdom and encouragement about marriage, in general, and to the two of you, in particular.
Would you like to have the officiant share your own thoughts about marriage or do you plan to give him or her free rein? Be clear about which option you would prefer even before choosing your wedding officiant, celebrant or minister.
For example, if you want the celebrant to read something you have chosen, make sure that each prospective person you talk to is okay with doing that before making your choice.
In the next article, we will continue our description of the typical parts of the wedding ceremony and our suggestions of alternative ways to personalize the ceremony for yourselves.
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