6 ways to create a rich atmosphere at your wedding ceremony
It’s all about the Fung Shui! Some weddings have it, and some unfortunately don’t. So here’s 6 subtle wedding ceremony ideas that can make a BIG difference to the atmosphere and dynamic of your wedding ceremony. And the best bit is they don’t require an ounce of creative ability and next to no planning to implement!
1: front row seats.
At first this seems a little strange, but the best view for your family is on the opposite side to which you’re standing. This means they’ll get to see you and not the back of your head throughout the ceremony.
The picture below sums it up well.
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2: consider having an unplugged ceremony.
This isn’t so much about you, but more for your guests. How do you want them to experience your wedding ceremony? Do you want them focused on taking (and reviewing) pictures, or watching you walk down the aisle? Listening to your vows, or lining up a shot for the first kiss?
About 80% of all weddings we attend now are unplugged. It means guests are more present in the moment and can really soak up the atmosphere without distraction.
If you want to have an unplugged ceremony it’s pretty easy to request. Just ask your Celebrant or MC to make an announcement before you walk down the aisle to please turn off the technology. Something like this works a treat.
“Just before we get started I want to thank you all for coming to be here and witness this moment that’s about to happen. You are all Jack and Jill’s top picks for being the most awesome people they know, and they’re super excited you’re here to. So they’ve asked just one thing during this ceremony. And that’s to be present. Please witness this occasion with your own eyes and ears and really live the moment with Jack and Jill. That’s why they think you’re awesome and why they’ve invited you here. So if you can, put away your technology, turn off your cameras and phones and just be present and truly enjoy the moment. It’s the job of the professional photographers and videographers to record the event. It’s your job to simply be here and experience this moment of Jack and Jill getting married!
… Which brings me onto point 3
3: housekeeping.
And no, this isn’t about writing pre-nuptules to share the household chores, but about not interrupting your ceremony experience to do those dishes and laundry!
Guests do need to know a few ins-and-outs of how the day will run but this doesn’t have to be a part of the marriage ceremony itself. You could do it before the ceremony begins.
As your guests are waiting for the bride to arrive, your Celebrant or MC can tell you wear the toilets are, to turn off your phones, when to throw confetti, how and when to get to the reception etc. Then, once the music starts and the bride walks down the aisle, all that’s left to do is get married.
4: green celebrants.
Professional Celebrants who marry people every week totally get this and can sail a pretty smooth ship. But sometimes it’s special to have a personal friend or church pastor marry you instead. So if I may, here’s a few tips for the celebrant friend who doesn’t do this very often and is probably a little nervous about it all! These small reminders mean your wedding will not only be personal, but run smoothly as well.
- “Everybody please stand for the entrance of the bridal party.” You might think this is a given or that your guests will naturally stand, but they don’t. Guests need to be asked to stand and quite often new celebrants forget this request! (It happens much more than you think!!) So to avoid an awkward moment for your guests who will be half standing, half sitting and a little confused as to appropriate etiquette, a simple request from the celebrant can totally clear this up!
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- And the reverse is needed here too: “Please be seated” is a request that’s commonly forgotten by new celebrants too. A little reminder to put this in their notes goes a long way to making sure your guests know what to do and when.
- And thirdly, the first kiss. This can make a cracker photo both ways. Having the celebrant right there as you have a smooch can be … um, interesting, but quite often that immortalised photo can look a little better if the celebrant quickly steps to the side just before the words “… you may kiss the bride”. It’s no biggy, but photographers (and your celebrant) will thank you for it!
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Again, professional Celebrants totally get this and are pretty good at making the whole ceremony process super smooth and enjoyable. But we’re all human, and sometimes the nerves can get to the celebrant too! So if you’re celebrant is a friend who doesn’t marry people every weekend, maybe send them this link as food for thought. It’s a win win for everyone!
5: microphones.
A huge amount of effort goes into creating the perfect ceremony venue. From getting the perfect location, to creating the most beautiful archway filled with flowers. But what’s quite often overlooked is not what you see, but what you hear. After all, 95% of your entire ceremony is communicated by {{{sound}}}. From the song as the processional takes place, to the words the celebrant speaks and the vows you promise, it’s all spoken. So it’s also important that it’s all heard!
The biggest tip we can give here, is to use a microphone. Sometimes the venue will provide one, sometimes it’s the celebrant or maybe the DJ. But having your guests clearly and easily hear what the celebrant is saying really does make them feel much more included and absorbed in your wedding ceremony.
Some Celebrants do have quite loud voices and feel they don’t need a microphone. And this might be true! But all it takes is for the wind to blow in the wrong direction, the cicadas to chirp a little to loud or a guest in aisle 12 who is a little hard of hearing and a loud voice just isn’t enough.
The last thing you want is for your guests to zone out because they can’t hear what’s going on, or have to really concentrate just to pick out what’s spoken over the cicadas or wind. Some celebrants might have a loud voice, but providing a microphone for them to use means they don’t have to shout through the entire ceremony. This leaves your guests to just enjoy the occasion not matter where they’re sitting.
6: who holds the vows.
Vows can sometimes be a little nerve racking for some. But it doesn’t have to be that way. They can be really genuine, meaningful and enjoyable if handled in the right way.
We’ve photographed and videoed 100’s of weddings and we’ve noticed that spoken vows either goes one of two ways. Either they’re robotic and said as a formula that’s required to get married. Or, they’re meaningful and spoken from the heart. And there’s normally one-key-thing that makes all the difference. And that’s who holds the vows.
Quite often the celebrant will hold the vows, off to the side about 2 feet from your eyes. It might be in a glossy folder or typed on an iPad which can be hard to see in the afternoon sun. This causes you to turn your body towards the celebrant and mentally focus on reading the words that are written.
However some couples choose to hold the vows (written on cards) in their own hands. This allows them to face each other and make the moment just between them. More time is spent looking in each others eyes and actually meaning what they’re saying.
This might sound like a small difference, but it goes a long way. You’ll feel much more comfortable and natural speaking your vows, and at the same time have a more meaningful and real experience.
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bonus tip #7: how to get epic photos and video.
This one’s actually pretty easy. Just follow tips 1 to 6 and you’ll be sorted!! The whole idea behind this post is to create the most enjoyable and meaningful ceremony for you and your guests. And as we’re here to help preserve memories, the more you enjoy your day, the better it will come across on camera!
Thanks for reading this post! You’re welcome to share it with friends, or maybe comment on your own wedding ceremony ideas you’ve thought about to make your wedding ceremony more engaging and enjoyable for everyone!
Wanting more?! Maybe check out these articles too!
Happiness… And How The Wedding Industry Is Lying To You.
What Your Photographer NEVER Captures and Brides Almost Always REGRET
Till next time, Jared!
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