Wedding Ceremony Family Bible Signing

A Family Bible is a time-honored tradition.  It is handed down through a family and each successive generation records information about the family's history inside it. 

I was recently honored to officiate the wedding ceremony of a couple that wanted to include the signing of the Family Bible during  their wedding.
The bride's grandparents had given them (and all of their children and grandchildren) a Family Bible as a wedding gift.  They wanted to honor them by including them and the signing in their ceremony.

Officiant invites the grandparents to join us and sign the Family Bible.   (They had no idea this was being done, it was a complete surprise!) 

Wedding Officiant signs the Bible.

Bride signs her Family Bible as her grandmother and the groom observe.

Groom signs....

This is a wonderful way to pass on stories, family faith and traditions from one generation to the next.  

To see a complete list of all optional ceremonies and traditions that I am happy to include in your wedding ceremony (at no addional fee), please visit the 'Options and Info'  page (http://WeddingWoman.net/ceremony.html) of my website: http://WeddingWoman.net -   Thanks for stopping by!  

**These photos courtesy of Sarah Holder Photography in Greenville, SC 
**Ceremony location:  Mary's Cottage at Falls Park - Greenville, SC 

Tree Planting In Your Wedding Ceremony

A creative nature-inspired idea is to plant a tree together, adding soil (perhaps gathered from both of your hometowns) to a potted plant to symbolize your union.
You can transplant it to your yard after your wedding or when you purchase a home.

You will need a sapling, two containers of dirt, two trowels and a small watering can.

Your officiant can speak about building strong roots for the foundation of your marriage.

And as you provide sun, soil and water for your tree,

remember to nourish each other with words of encouragement, trust, and love. 

A special thank-you to Milan Morgan Photography http://MilanMorgan.com and Augusta Manor in Greenville, SC for these images.  +Brenda M. Owen - Wedding Officiant Minister - http://WeddingWoman.net 

Love Letter on your Wedding Day - http://WeddingWoman.net

Bride and Groom before your wedding day, write a love letter to each other.

The letters should describe the good qualities you find in one another, the reasons that you fell in love, for choosing to marry as well as your hopes and dreams for the future.

Seal your letter in individual envelopes and have your photographer take photos of you reading your letters.

These letters will always be a special memory, memento of you wedding day.  

Brenda Owen Wedding Officiant, Minister  http://WeddingWoman.net -

These photos courtesy Jon Torres ~ http://ISeeYouBeautiful.com http://ISeeYouBeautiful.com

Why I LOVE what I do! - Wedding Ceremony Officiant - http://WeddingWoman.net

Why I LOVE what I do….©©©

  Today I found a moving wedding video on Facebook and shared it with ‘my fans’ http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2011/02/wedding-video-couture-motion.html .   I prefaced it by saying that it was a great example of why I love weddings as much as I do…

I meet the nicest people, go to beautiful places and everyone is in a good mood because it is a celebration!  But, it is much more than that...

  I sometimes wish I had a wedding venue on Lake Hartwell.  There is a very real need for one.  Had I known 'back then’ that I was going to grow up to be "The WeddingWoman"  I would have one!   But, at this point in my life it would be too much work to maintain a venue and a large property so I am content.  I do love going to all of the venues and get excited when a couple ‘invites’ me to a new one I have not seen.  I tell myself that I would get bored doing the same thing over and over again in the same place… and perhaps that is true.

   But the very best part of what I do isn’t the place or the nice people at the wedding.  It’s the couple and my connection with them.  After I do the Opening  Remarks and Words of Welcome, I turn my attention to ‘my couple’ and I barely know the guests are ‘out there’.  It’s as if I’m speaking with only them …it’s ‘just the three of us’ and I think that for many,  that it is that way for them as well.

  I love to meet with my couples and interact with them as they move thru the process of planning their wedding.  I get quite close with some of the brides and in the past  felt a little ‘at a loss’ after the wedding was over and I didn’t hear from them any more.   

   Then I ‘discovered’ Facebook.I had been there with my personal page for quite awhile but rarely checked in.  After talking with a photographer buddy about how he kept in touch with his clients I decided to create a business page :  http://Facebook.com/BrendaOwenOfficiant

  I started connecting with my couples -  past, present and future and  I love it!     Some of my married couples are pregnant or have their first child.  Some are buying their first home, some pursuing careers.  I am very proud of all of them and on their wedding day this is exactly my hope and prayer for them…they they will always remain best friends and each other’s greatest love.  It reminds me of the song made famous by the Carpenters: “We've only just begun to live - White lace and promises - A kiss for luck and we're on our way - So much of life to live… We've only begun.    
   And so, what is the VERY best part of what I do?   The privilege to be the one to take 'my couple' from being 'two people in love' to 'husband and wife'!  In the seconds it takes to say "I declare that you are now husband and wife!"   Their eyes always light up and they smile at each other - priceless!  I love being able to not only a create a moment, but also a memory.
I  am honored and privileged to have the opportunity to serve them by writing and officiating their wedding ceremony. 
©©©

http://WeddingWoman.net 

Rehearsal - to Rehearse or not Rehearse - THAT is the question!!

In the not too distant past, I was getting ready to start the wedding ceremony processional (right on time, of course).   I asked the groom if he was going to seat his mother.  He replied, “Now, how does this work?”  I asked, “How did you do it at rehearsal last night?”  His reply...(drum roll please)... “We didn’t have one.”  {{crickets}}  Huh?!?   I talked briefly with the photographer (who was with the bride and bridesmaids) and together we managed to quickly put together a plan to have the grandparents and parents seated, the groom and groomsmen walk out with me and she sent the ‘ladies’ down, one by one..then the beautiful bride and her father - Whew!    Everyone walked too fast but the bride and groom were sort of unconventional so I expect the guests didn’t notice.

What is a wedding ceremony "rehearsal?"  It's when you get everyone together that is involved in the wedding for a walk-through of the ceremony. This should include all the Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, Flower Girls, Ring Bearers, and of course the Bride and Groom!  It is optional to have the readers, musicians and/or soloists, parents and grandparents there.

 It is a "walk-through" of what will happen during the ceremony. It is not like a play where everyone has to practice all their singing, dancing and acting together. If you have readers or musicians, they do not need to take up everyone's time by practicing at the rehearsal.  And, you certainly don't want me reading over the  entire ceremony! It's better to keep that a "secret" from others so that it will be a pleasant surprise to everyone at the wedding.

Is a wedding ceremony "rehearsal" necessary?  If you have a large bridal party of many Bridesmaids & Groomsmen, etc., officiants expect you to have a rehearsal sometime before the wedding whether he/she is there or not. Most rehearsals take about 45 minutes to an hour.  Oftentimes, with smaller weddings you can do the wedding rehearsal yourself.  You just need to know is when everyone is to walk in, where to stand (or sit), and when to walk out. In summary, a wedding rehearsal is never a true rehearsal -- it's just a "walk-through." Its purpose is to show people where they fit in so they will hopefully feel a little less stress about their roles in the actual ceremony.

Please keep in mind that planning a rehearsal for a Friday evening or sometime Saturday may not be a good idea. That's because probably 99% of all weddings take place from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. Your ceremony location and/or wedding officiant may have more than one event planned for the weekend you are getting married. It may not be possible to have your rehearsal and wedding ceremony during that "prime time." Instead, I recommend having your rehearsal sometime Wednesday or Thursday evening or Friday during the day. That way you can be reasonably sure that you will have both the ceremony location and your wedding officiant available for your rehearsal. Also, many couples make the mistake of checking everyone else's schedule to set the rehearsal, and then assume their wedding officiant will make it. Instead, you should check with the officiant first to find out when they are available, and then with everyone else. If you set the rehearsal without first checking with your officiant, and then find out your officiant has another commitment (such as a wedding) at the same time, you will be doing your rehearsal without them. If you have a wedding planner or consultant they may be able to walk you through the steps.

  When I am the director for rehearsal I always try and instruct the couple to get the best wedding photos.  I know that your wedding photography is a big investment and I want you to have great ones...especially of your ceremony.

Brenda M. Owen - Wedding Officiant & Minister  - http://WeddingWoman.net