Debating the “who” of your wedding ceremony
Time and culture are fluid.. Nothing ever stays the same. As time passes, cultural values change. As culture shifts, so do the defining values. As defining values change, so do traditions associated with them. As the internet has evolved, culture has changed alongside with it. It has opened up a vast new world of ideas and has had a profound effect on western culture and some of its associated values. As the “culture” of the wedding ceremony changes, couples are faced with changing values and traditions that surround it, and deciding which ones are the most important to them.
Now back to that internet changing the world thing as I mentioned before in that dry, highly-philosophical paragraph before. The internet has become an integral part of wedding culture. It has become an important tool for resources, and has greatly facilitated many of the processes involved in planning your ceremony. In recent years, Washington State, as well as many others, have opened up the option for anyone to get ordained online and therefore, legally marry couples. With the help of Kiana’s favourite wedding officiant, Annemarie Juhlian, we’ve decided to outline the key differences for all the couples out there who are debating the “who” of their wedding ceremony. Annemarie is a seriously awesome lady --and the winner of multiple awards by many top wedding magazines might I add-- We’ve had the pleasure of working with her many times over the years, and she wouldn’t be on our preferred vendor list if we didn’t find her work to be professional yet, warm, sincere and genuine. In her own words, she writes to everyone faced with the “who” debate:
Professional vs. Amateur. A wedding ceremony is a ‘one time major life event.’ Some couples feel comfortable entrusting the ceremony text, delivery and overall ‘feel’ to someone who has no or limited experience with officiating a ceremony. Others want someone who has mastered the art of ceremony and who can bring perspective, calm/peace, problem-solving skills and a sense of ‘order’ to a wedding ceremony and day.
Well Written & Conversational Delivery: Writing and crafting a heartfelt and personalized ceremony is an emotional event. For me, it’s important that the text and delivery be conversational, easy, fun-loving, reverent and heartfelt. Someone who has serious wedding ceremony experience can weave together words and rituals that appropriately celebrate a couple. If someone doesn’t have this understanding and knowing, especially in front of a group, overall presentation may be lacking.
Leading a Wedding Rehearsal: Leading a wedding rehearsal is an art. An experienced Officiant has led many rehearsals and can bring fun and order (and calm) to a rehearsal experience. In addition, this is a serious opportunity for an Officiant to connect, on a personal level, with family and friends so that everyone is at ease on the wedding day.
“The Hour Before” – The hour before a wedding ceremony is serious ‘go time.’ This means, in this work that I do, I become a couple’s Air Traffic Controller, taking care of all pre-ceremony details, just like a wedding planner would. For someone who doesn’t have this ‘wedding day of’ experience, it can’t be taught – it has to come from being a part of many wedding days.
Well, there you have it. You can still choose Uncle Dan to officiate your wedding ceremony, we’re not saying you can’t.. But will the experience and the sincere, honest message of your overall journey and commitment to one another be the same?
Until next time..