Tag: weddings

St. Louis Wedding Celebrant: Autumn 2020

Mask ON!

One of the many factors couples have to consider in planning a wedding during this pandemic is the wearing of masks.  For some, wearing or not wearing a mask has become a political statement. The medical experts among us say that it is a proven way to reduce COVID-19 transmission rates. Since I accept this as a good health practice, I choose to go with the “abundance of caution” approach.

The bottom line for me? The safety of all the ceremony participants, as well as our loved ones at home.

The following is an edited copy of an email exchange with one of my couples from this past August.

Hi Ruth!

I just wanted to check-in and make sure that you would still be able to do our ceremony in October? We are planning to have it and have a backup plan just in case our venue has to close.

Thanks!

Autumn Couple 2020

Hi, A. Couple.

It is good to hear from you!  Thanks for checking-in.

Yes, I am still doing ceremonies, (and) I’m glad that you’ve got a back-up plan because the ground is going to keep shifting under our feet for a while and anyone planning an event these days needs to be flexible.

All the best,

Ruth

Ruth,

So glad to hear that you will still be able to officiate for us. Are you comfortable with officiating the ceremony without a mask on? Just thinking ahead for pictures and whatnot. We are leaving the choice up to our guests as to what they feel comfortable with, but we would like our main ceremony pictures to not be filled with them.

Thanks!

Autumn Couple 2020

Hi, A. Couple.

I can appreciate your preference to not have a lot of people wearing masks in your ceremony pictures. But I have been wearing a mask for all ceremonies I’ve officiated since the beginning of the pandemic. I feel a responsibility to my husband, and to anyone else I’m in contact with, especially at weddings. Officiants do a lot of talking at ceremonies. Without the mask, if I am unknowingly carrying the virus, I could easily pass it on to you, your families, and friends. And that is one wedding present you do not want.

All the best,

Ruth

St. Louis Wedding Celebrant: Winter 2017

Unity Rituals

One of the ways a couple can put their own unique stamp on their wedding ceremony is to perform a meaningful unity ritual. So, what is a unity ritual? At a wedding, it is a symbolic movement or set of movements which expresses the unity of the couple. The most common unity rituals seen at American weddings include the exchange of marriage vows, the giving of wedding rings, and the first kiss as a married couple.

Other cultures and religious practices have unity rituals which are included in a wedding ceremony, some of which we are seeing more of here in the United States when people bring their treasured traditions with them as them emigrate. Some of these include the lasso ceremony, circling rituals, hand washing, or a garland ceremony.

Some of the unity rituals you may be more familiar with include lighting a unity candle, blending sand, Celtic hand fasting, or tree planting.  Some unity rituals can be created or adapted to include children, if the couple is bringing children into the marriage.

So how do you decide what, if any, additional unity rituals to have at your wedding ceremony? And I say “additional” unity rituals because most people will have already decided to include marriage vows, wedding rings, and the first kiss. And for some couples, those traditional unity rituals are enough.

But if you think that you would like to explore other possibilities, ask yourselves if you want to say something more, express another aspect of your commitment to each other, or feature something about your relationship as a couple to the wider community. If you are easily creative, you may come up with an original idea. However, most of us need help coming up with ideas, so rest assured that there are plenty of options posted on Pinterest, WeddingWire, and The Knot every day.

SueEric 062015B

As a couple who enjoy exploring new craft beer together, Sue and Eric knew that they wanted to share a glass of beer for their unity ritual (see photo). Sometimes it can be that simple!

An experienced wedding officiant should be able to discuss options with you to help find just the right unity ritual to enhance your marriage celebration. Contact me to talk about your wedding ceremony today!