Watch out!

One where you’ve hurled rice at the bride and groom as they exit the ceremony or reception location.

Sure it’s fun, but then it gets to be your turn.

You realize that you don’t want 100 some guests throwing smelly birdseed at you.

You don’t want to be a target for every bird in town.

You’d rather not ruin your $1,000 designer gown.

Here are some alternatives for the guests to have fun once you and your groom exit the location without making you a human birdfeeder.

Rice Throwing Alternatives

Bubbles

Everyone from the young and old enjoys bubbles. Although this might be a bit messy, using bubbles to celebrate the exit of the bride and groom has become very popular. Using bubbles is a way for the guests to have fun and wind down before the reception.

Rose Petals

Your florist can always provide you with extra rose petals at a minimal cost to give to guests to throw at you. Although this could get messy if you step on a petal, it is a cute idea and won’t hurt as much as birdseed.

Kazoos

No your guests won’t be throwing the kazoos at you and your groom. Round up a trusty relative, have him teach your guests a familiar tune, and as you and your groom exit, have them play this rousing tune on the kazoos. Another different idea for your exit. Having kazoos also gives the guests an extra favor from your wedding. You can also use these at the reception. Instead of clinking the glass for those lovely reception kisses, having the guests blow in their kazoos when they want to see you and your groom lock lips.

Butterflies

Another popular idea that has arisen in the past few years is releasing butterflies into the air as you and the groom exit. There are ads in wedding magazines for different companies that will ship butterflies for your guests to release.

Doves

Another popular idea recently used at weddings. Doves are a symbol of peace, so releasing doves after your wedding ceremony is a good way to start a peaceful marriage and also a beautiful site.

Whatever idea you come up with I’m sure your guests will enjoy. But try and get creative before you send out your groom to be to buy a 100 lb bag of birdseed and try a different idea as you exit your wedding or reception.

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Many brides-to-be opt for the unexpected by planning a winter wedding. The festive air of the holiday season lends a unique, romantic spirit and joy to cold-weather nuptials.

For many couples, the splendor of snow-capped trees, crisp, bracing air, and shimmering icicles serve as a lovely and unforgettable backdrop for wedding photos. While an outdoor ceremony may be out of the question at this time (depending on the climate of your chosen locale), there are many great ways to incorporate the scenic loveliness of winter into your ceremony and reception.

Winter Venues

Your venue is very important at this time of year – a church wedding can be romantic at a country chapel, where nature is shown off to its best advantage. A civil ceremony can take place in any appealing location – be sure that any building your choose for your ceremony is very comfortable, with proper heating, lighting, and all the amenities.

Your guests may arrive at your ceremony from windy, cold weather – and they may need to wear heavy boots and coats. You will need to have everything in place for them – make sure they can put their belongings somewhere safe, and that there is a place for them to freshen up before the ceremony.

Making every guest’s comfort a priority will ensure a happy event. Mulled wine and warm cider should be given to your friends and family as they prepare for the ceremony. Make it special with pretty crystal or glass goblets and punchbowls. By ensuring a pleasant beginning for guests, you will help them to relax and unwind before your special day.

Winter Wedding Ceremony

For the ceremony itself, you can consider a Christmas or Hanukah theme (or any other faith that celebrates at this time of year). However, it may be better to keep the decorations wedding-related. White and silver can be beautiful choices for decorations, although white flowers may not be your best bet – they are lovely, but their symbolism is rather dark. Consider classic red roses and silver and white ribbons, tablecloths, and vases.

Frosted glass decorations are inspired by the weather outside, and they will beautiful with white and silver accents. Choosing a color scheme, such as crimson and white, or emerald green and silver, will borrow from winter nature, with its icicles, leaves and berries. Even plaid or tartan can look wonderful, if you are of Celtic heritage. For a winter wedding, tartan looks fresh, seasonal, and very appropriate for napkins and wedding favors.

If you are of Irish, Scottish, or Welsh heritage, consider going all out with a Celtic theme for your wedding. You can choose Celtic wedding bands or Claddagh rings to exchange. A veil of snow-white Irish lace can be very romantic. Satin or white velvet gloves, or even a dramatic cape, can add wintry details and make the bride-to-be’s entrance more dramatic and romantic.

Winter Colors

For couples of any background, the beauty of jewels tones will work well for ties, bouquets, other floral arrangements, and even bridal jewelry. Jewel tones, such as ruby red, sapphire blue, and emerald green, work perfectly in winter, when skin tones tend to be paler. These shades will liven up the skin and add a vibrant, festive feeling.

Consider the jewel tone that is most flattering to your own coloring. Blondes will look lovely with sapphire pendants, or sashes. Brunettes will be radiant in red, and redheads will look lovely with an emerald engagement ring or earrings. The groom’s ensemble should be matched to the brides for the best effect.

Winter Photos

After your ceremony, brave the cold to capture the beauty of winter in your wedding photographs. It’s best to use a professional photographer if you can afford it. They will know how to get the most romantic effects from sparkling snowdrifts and grey or blue-grey skies. If you’re marrying at night (a romantic idea), light the venue with candles, and then perhaps have some photos taken by candlelight as well…

Winter Wedding Reception

Your reception should feature warming foods that inspire comfort and well being. Mulled wine, cider, and classic ales will appeal…poultry, fish, or red meat should be roasted or braised and served with root vegetables for a pretty, rustic effect. Anything goes for dessert.

Make sure to have plenty of water and fresh fruit on hand for dehydrated guests – winter can be drying. Your cake can be a wonderful winter-inspired creation – silver sugar snowflakes, marzipan berries in rich red…anything goes. Have fun with it!

Planning a winter wedding can be a truly amazing experience. Images of horse-drawn sleighs and crackling fires can be used as inspiration. Once you’ve taken care of your guest’s comfort, you can concentrate on enjoying this special day and festive season.

This article has been written exclusively for STL Weddings by Irish Celtic Jewels, the online jewelry store: specialists in Celtic engagement rings, the Claddagh ring, and other wedding jewelry.

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There are many aspects in planning your wedding – no matter the style, number of guests, or budget. A wedding ceremony is the heart of your wedding day. First of all, ask yourself and your fiance what elements of the wedding ceremony are important, if any and come up with a plan.

So how do you come up with a plan? I have come up with the WHO, WHAT , WHEN, and WHERE of ceremony planning.

WHO
Ask yourself WHO you are holding your wedding for. If it is an intimate and personal exchange of vows between two people; then you might choose to plan a private ceremony for just the two of you (and two witnesses). It is simple and special. Or your wedding dream may include more people. You could stretch it out a little bit to include family members and very close friends to join you. You can keep it purposefully small.

Some see their wedding as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate both your own love and the love you have for all of your friends and families who had supported the both of you over the years.

Once you have decided WHO the wedding will be for, here’s another tricky question: WHO will be planning the wedding? Planning a wedding requires honesty. By listening to others’ wishes and visions for the wedding day (it may be your parents or even your officiant) – and honoring those you know are most important – you will ensure that everybody listens and honors your dream, too. Be sure to prioritize WHO is working with you on the ceremony.

WHAT
Deciding WHAT kind of wedding to have may be the most enjoyable part of the whole wedding process. Feel free to explore traditional wedding ceremonies as well as not-so-traditional options. You will want to consider WHAT you want your wedding to feel like – intimate, elegant, formal, festive, casual, fun, spiritual, romantic? WHAT are your personalities? WHAT kind of atmosphere do you want to create for your guests? WHAT ethnic or religious traditions would you like to honor? Make a list of adjectives that describe how you want to feel on your wedding day, and as you start creating your wedding plan (religious, secular, ethnic backgrounds), think of ways to reflect the characteristics most important to you.

These days the only rule about WHAT kinds of wedding ceremonies are acceptable is that there are no rules. The kind of wedding you decide to have will also determine what other events will be surrounding it. WHATever events you decide to have, keep in mind that you will need to add them to your wedding plan, making sure that you have enough time - and enough people – to coordinate each event.

WHEN
Deciding WHEN to hold your wedding means deciding on a number of variables: the season, time of day, month, and day of the week.

Season
Picking a season largely means picking your weather, color scheme or theme. It also means taking into account work and school schedules of your and your friends and family.

Time of Day
Different times of day do generally inspire certain moods and reflect certain levels of formality. Informal wedding ceremonies are traditionally held in the mornings and afternoons and formal wedding ceremonies traditionally begin after 6:00pm.

You will want to discuss the timing between your ceremony and reception. Some brides will want to proceed to the reception immediately after the wedding, while some will choose to have formal portraits and photojournalist pictures taken after the ceremony with their families and the wedding party.

Month/Day
If your wedding will include family members, be sure and get a schedule of other major family events. You may want to check your friends’ calendars, especially if you are asking them to be a part of your wedding ceremony. Also consider that some religions will not allow couples to marry during certain times of the year or even on certain days of the week.

WHERE
WHERE you hold your wedding should be a reflection of what kind of wedding you are throwing, inspiring all of the feelings that are most important to you and your groom about your wedding day. This location, however, should also be appropriate for the time of year and for all of your guests who may be traveling to support you on this special occasion.

Make sure the site you choose is appropriate, and most important, that it matches the size of your guest list. 50 guests in a lavish ballroom will feel a little lost and 300 guests in a quaint bed and breakfast might feel as if the are in an overcrowded zoo.

This article was written exclusively for STL Weddings by Carolyn Burke- Wedding Liaison. As a Professional Bridal Consultant, Carolyn specializes in event locations and partial wedding planning.  She also officiates short, sweet and simple ceremonies.  You can follow her blog which highlights St Louis couples, wedding tips, event venues, and vendors.

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You have a pretty good idea of what the traditional wedding ceremony entails. It generally takes place in a church with some sort of religious figure officiating (unless you opt for a religion-free Justice of the Peace or a minister of some stripe who got ordained online).

Then there are a number of pronouncements about love and commitment, after which you say your vows (love and honor are still in, although of late “obey” has gone out the window), exchange rings, kiss, and run down the aisle to get pelted with rice (or confetti…apparently rice is bad for birds).

That’s your wedding in a nutshell. But when you get right down to it, it seems a little bland. But if you want to add some personal flair to the particulars, there are plenty of traditions that you can work into your perfect wedding ceremony.

Ceremony Traditions You Might Want to Try

Unity candle

This addition to the standard wedding ceremony actually has no known historical basis. It is a fairly modern practice that involves the bride and groom lighting separate candles and then bringing them together simultaneously to light a single pillar unity candle before blowing out their individual tapers. The symbolism, as you may have guessed, is the unification of two people that commit to live one life together.

The lasso

In this interesting Spanish tradition, a rope of some sort (it can be a cord, a string of flowers, etc.) is formed into a figure eight (the symbol of eternity) and draped over the couple, generally by appointed friends or family, as a symbol of being bound together for life, joined by the strength not only of the rope, but of their commitment.

Your own vows

While it is not uncommon for the officiator to deliver vows for participants to parrot (“I, [your name], do solemnly swear…” and so on). However, many couples now feel that this antiquated method of declaring one’s intentions is simply too formal and impersonal. Many couples instead opt to write their own vows, which can really consist of anything that is significant or meaningful to the particular couple. Some people write poetry while others elucidate the many reasons they fell in love with their future mate. The nice thing is that it adds a deeply personal element to the ceremony that can be lacking in strictly traditional alternatives.

Break a glass

The Jewish tradition of wrapping a glass in cloth and stepping on it concludes the ceremony (as everyone shouts “Mazel tov!”, or “Good luck!”). Although there is some debate as to what this actually symbolizes, it is a generally held belief that it is meant to represent the following: the marriage will last as long as the glass is broken…in other words, forever.

Jump a broom

Historically, this ceremonial practice was first recorded amongst slave colonies in the Americas and although it is thought to have originated in West or Central Africa, there is no written evidence to support the claim. In any case, a couple would conclude the ceremony by jumping over a broom, generally together. Although it is largely unknown what exactly this symbolized, it is believed that it had something to do with the wife’s willingness to tend to her new home, or that the partner who jumped higher would be in charge of making household decisions. However, most modern couples apply the “leap of faith” mentality to the practice.

This article was written exclusively for STL Weddings by Sarah Danielson. Sarah is a writer for luxury scented candles, where you can find an amazing assortment of high end brands at competitive prices.

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One of the most critical parts of your wedding (and yet one that is often left till the last minute) is the actual ceremony script and vows you exchange with your betrothed. Some people use the purely traditional vows of their religious institution. Others prefer to write the entire vow themselves. Many couples these days choose to land somewhere in between.

Elements of the traditional vow give a wedding ceremony a feeling of being just that: ceremony. Something that has taken place for generations and will continue to be woven through the fabric of our society for generations to come. “With this ring, I thee wed” brings an automatic emotional response to the participants, whereas more casual, if more original, phrases may not.

On the other hand, given the nature of modern relationships, traditional vows may rather miss the mark on the reality of what today’s partners are willing to swear to. Be sure to pay attention to the words of the vow you will be taking. For example, you may not want to promise to “obey” unless you actually mean to do so.

Below is a sample of a simple ceremony to give you an idea of the different stages of a typical marriage ceremony and provide you with a base to edit and add to. To increase the length of your ceremony, you may want to include readings, musical numbers, or religious intonations between the various segments of the vow-taking itself.

Sample Wedding Ceremony Script

Opening Words

Dearly Beloved,

Adam and Eve have invited us here today to share in the celebration of their marriage – their wedding. We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to recognize a bond that already exists.

This marriage is one expression of the many varieties of love. Love is one, though its expressions are infinite. It is fitting to speak briefly about love. We live in a world of joy and fear and search for meaning and strength in seeming disorder. We discover the truest guidelines to our quest when we realize love in all its magnitudes. Love is the eternal force of life. Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage.

If you would have the foundation of your union be the love you have for each other, not just at this moment, but for all the days ahead, then cherish the hopes and dreams that you bring here today.

Resolve that your love will never be blotted out by the commonplace nor obscured by the ordinary in life. Devotion, joy, and love can grown only if you nurture them together. Stand fast in that hope and confidence, believing in your shared future just as strongly as you believe in yourselves and in each other today. In this spirit, you can create a partnership that will strengthen and sustain you all the days of your lives.

Question of Intent

Eve, will you have this man to be your husband, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Adam, will you have this woman to be your wife, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?

The Vows

Adam, please repeat after me:

I , Adam, take you Eve to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part.

Eve, please repeat after me:

I , Eve, take you Adam to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part.

Reflection

This is a moment of celebration. Let it also be a moment of dedication. The world does a good job of reminding us of how fragile we are. Individuals are fragile; relationships are fragile, too. Every marriage needs the love, nurture, and support of a network of friends and family.

On this wedding day, I ask you not only to be friends of Adam or Eve, but friends of Adam and Eve together, friends of the relationship. May the love you have found grow in meaning and strength until its beauty is shown in a common devotion to all that is compassionate and life-giving. May the flow of your love help brighten the fate of the earth. May the source of all love touch and bless us and grace our lives with color and courage.

The Rings

From the earliest times, the circle has been a symbol of completeness, a symbol of committed love. An unbroken and never ending circle symbolizes a commitment of love that is also never ending. As often as either of you looks at this symbol, I hope that you will be reminded of the commitment to love each other, which you have made today.

Will each of you repeat after me?

I, Adam, give to you Eve, this ring, as a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you. With this ring, I thee wed.

I, Eve, give to you Adam, this ring, as a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you. With this ring, I thee wed.

Declaration

Before this gathering, Adam and Eve have promised each other their love and have given each other rings to wear as a sign of their deep commitment. Therefore I declare that they are husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.

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You may spend a year or more planning for the perfect moment. When the moment actually arrives, it is delicious, intoxicating, just the way you dreamed it would be… and over so quickly. But you don’t have to let it slip away. Your wedding photos can freeze the moment and provide a lifetime of wonderful memories.

Here are a few practical steps in planning your photography to help you capture the romance of your wedding.

Your Responsibility
The bride and groom decide when, where, and who for the photos. The most difficult part of getting your photos done, and done quickly, is assembling the cast. You can’t expect cooperation from your bridal party if they don’t know what has been planned. You must let them know what you expect of them. A great time to tell everyone is immediately after the rehearsal or at the rehearsal dinner.

If you don’t have a wedding coordinator, ask a friend, who is not in the wedding party, to assist. Her biggest job will be keeping amateur photographers and the curious at bay, while the professional gets the shots you want. A friend on site is also useful if one of your wedding party goes astray. Otherwise, you send one person after that person, and another after the second person, and pretty soon there is no wedding party at all.

If you are employing both a still photographer and a videography, let them both know that in advance. You might want them to consult briefly to work out a few logistic details in advance of the wedding.

When?
If you don’t mind seeing each other before the ceremony, it is possible to take formal pictures prior to the wedding. If that just “isn’t an option,” the best time is immediately following the ceremony. Do one or the other. Doing both actually takes more time, involves an elaborate game of “hide the bride” from guests, and costs you a lot more money.

Professional photographers plan poses in a sequence, for a reason. Generally, the bride’s parents are released first. The bride’s parents are “hosting” the reception and should be there as soon as practical. The groom’s parents are released next, followed by the wedding attendants, and finally the bride and groom. If, for some reason, this is not how you want it done, tell your photographer at your initial consultation.

Where?
The ceremony site is a practical choice for your formal photos, especially if the reception is elsewhere. Your photographer will assume you are most interested in photos of people not places, so if you want specific photos of the location, be sure to mention it.

In a church, the altar steps are perfect for displaying an elaborate train on a wedding gown. A neutral backdrop is best. Avoid mirrors, blank walls, glass and even polished wood in the background. Guests and amateur photographers can be a distraction (more on that later!), so if possible an isolated location is preferable.

Natural outdoor light is beautiful. That said, it is also unpredictable. And it is hard to find an outdoor setting that is as controllable as an indoor setting. Even if you plan outdoor formal photos, you will need an alternative indoor site. We all think, “What if it rains?”, but heat, the cold, and the wind can also ruin your photos.

Who?
Some people feel obligated to take a formal photo of relatives just because they are there. Combining some groups, like posing the bride and groom with both sets of parents, rather than two poses can save time. If you really want the family-reunion photo of the bride and groom and aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews-consider candid shots at the reception.

Candid Shot By Friends
Even the photographer that contractually specifies exclusive rights to taking all photos at a wedding, knows it is impossible to control all guests with cameras. If you’ve designated friends to take candids, let them know there are some rules. You’ll get better shots from both the professional and the amateur. Don’t take flash photos during the processional or recessional. The flash may set off the professional’s remote strobes and ruin his/her one chance at the perfect shot.

Don’t try to duplicate the professional’s formal shots. The flash will definitely change the fill light, distract the subjects, and generally irritate the professional. Besides, its a lot more fun to have candids of your wedding party in between the formal shots. Don’t try to be the director. The professional will direct the formal shots, and the candids should be just that – candid!

Also Be Aware
If table shots are definitely something you want, remember you will want to keep the flower arrangements low and simple. Lighting needs to be at a level that is comfortable for your guests, and allows the camera to focus.

White linens make a lovely table, but can produce a snow-storm photo. A white wall behind a white wedding dress behind a white tablecloth makes a bad photo. Don’t allow smoking in the area where your formal shots are taken. It’s not about personal preference. The light from strobes reflects smoke and it will produce a hazy photo. You can’t see it, but it will show up in the print.

Ask the waiters to wait. Half-empty glasses and half-eaten food has the nastiest way of showing up in the final pictures, as well as, on the otherwise pristine attire of the wedding party. If you plan to use Kodak Fun-Savers on your tables, let your photographer know so s/he can provide peel-and-stick instruction labels for the backs of cameras. It also assures you get the extra candids you would like, rather than the guests thinking it’s an interesting choice for a wedding favor.

With just a little help from you, a good professional photographer will capture your perfect moment forever, and provide a lifetime of memories.

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Wedding programs are becoming increasingly popular, and brides are thinking up different ways to personalize them and make them unique for their guests’ enjoyment.

Programs typically contain the bride and groom’s names, the date, location, names of the wedding party, order and elements of the ceremony (unity candle, vows, etc), music, any other principals in the wedding, and thanks.

Here are a number of other ways you can personalize your program:

Rather than including only the names of your bridesmaids or grooms, also include how you met them and their role in your relationship (for example, if you met through one of your groomsmen, or a bridesmaid who supported you through your long distance relationship).

Include what the bride’s “something old, new, borrowed and blue” are. For instance, if a bride is wearing a bracelet her grandmother gave to her, or if the wedding gown was her mother’s.

If you are getting married in a significant location, explain it in the program. Maybe you and your groom met there, or had your first date there, etc. Even if the location isn’t directly significant to your relationship, but has an interesting history, that can also be included.

Include a short explanation of how the bride and groom met, and the proposal story.

Include the lyrics to your first dance song and why it was chosen.

Explain the meaning and symbolism of parts of the ceremony, such as a huppah or breaking of the glass in a Jewish ceremony, or the veil and cord in a Catholic ceremony.

Don’t think that you have to stick to a traditional two or tri-fold program. You can make it a few pages, or even a small booklet! You can add a beautiful touch by punching two holes down the fold, threading ribbon through, and tying it into a bow.

Include a wedding blessing significant to your heritage, such as an Irish blessing, or one in Spanish and translated.

Some programs now contain a photo of the bride and groom, sometimes drawn by an artistic friend. Perhaps a black and white version of a photo can be printed on a vellum overlay to the program.

Type out the text of readings or song lyrics.

If you have a theme, let the program play out in it also. If you have a fairytale theme, put a castle on the front. If you are have a dove theme and release, explain its significance.

Scatter love quotes throughout the program.

Include poem from the bride to the groom and vice versa.

Include a special dedication to deceased family, such as grandparents.

Lastly, it is always nice to thank all the people who helped you in the wedding, and don’t forget to thank the guests for sharing this special day with you!

By using your programs as yet another way to personalize your wedding, guests will be sure to appreciate the personal touch.

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Christian and Jewish wedding ceremonies have different orders of procession. For a civil or non-religious ceremony, all bets are off and you can choose to have your attendants (and yourselves) enter and leave the ceremony in any order you like. And for an interfaith ceremony, you might choose whichever style makes you the most comfortable!

Protestant Processionals

In Protestant ceremonies, the groomsmen generally enter the church from the rear and wait at the altar with the groom. The bridesmaids then walk down the aisle one at a time, with the maid of honor last; then the ring bearer and flower girl enter (if child attendants are part of the ceremony). The bride then enters with her father or other close male relative.

If the ceremony is taking place outside of a church, or if for any other reason the groomsmen cannot enter from the rear, a popular option is for the groom to begin the processional by walking his mother to her seat and then taking his place at the altar, followed by each groomsman accompanying a bridesmaid down the aisle.

Catholic Processionals

Catholic ceremonies have a different processional order, which is as follows:

• The priest, groom, and best man wait at the altar
• Groomsmen then enter from the side of accompany the bridesmaids
• Bridesmaids enter, starting with the maid who will stand farthest from the bride
• Ring bearer and flower girl enter, and may be seated with their parents once they reach the altar
• The bride enters, accompanied by her father or other close male relative.

Jewish Processionals

In Jewish ceremonies, the rabbi (and cantor, if applicable) leads the procession, then the groomsmen walk down the aisle one at a time, followed by the groom who is accompanied by both of his parents. The bridesmaids follow one at a time, and are followed by the bride who is accompanied by both of her parents.

Wedding Recessional

For the recessional in all denominations, the wedding party exits in the reverse order from which they entered, with the bridesmaids and groomsmen walking in pairs. In Christian weddings, the bride and groom lead the recessional, followed by the flower girl and ring bearer, the honor attendants, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen. In Jewish weddings, the bride and groom are followed by the bride’s parents, the groom’s parents, the honor attendants, the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and the rabbi and cantor.

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