If the idea of a traditional wedding ceremony sounds a little lackluster, we suggest adding a few doses of you throughout the ceremony to customize it! Starting with the precessional and ending with the recessional, and many opportunities in between, you have plenty of ways to influence your wedding. We’ve coordinated, photographed, and videographed thousands of weddings (plus provided music!). Here are a few ideas to inspire you to personalize your wedding ceremony!
Personalize Your Wedding Ceremony Entrance or Exit
Is there anything sweeter than a ring bearer and flower girl walking down the aisle or a happy couple celebrating as they leave the ceremony? The aisle processional and recessional are awesome moments during your ceremony that provide tons of room for personalization.
Entrance
Music can play a key role in your wedding ceremony before you even walk down the aisle. Work with your Complete wedding DJ to create a playlist specifically for your wedding ceremony. When it’s time to walk down the aisle, you can choose to have a special song play that means something to both of you.
“Here Comes The Bride” (Wagner’s Bridal Chorus) might just not do it for you. If you’re feeling a bit bolder, choose a candlelight version of a song you love. For the most upbeat option, choreograph a dance for your wedding party to party down the aisle as they enter.
Exit
As for the exit, you can also leave on a high note. Choose a song choice that fills the room and your soul with the mood of your choice. You could have your ushers pass out fresh flower petals to guests to then throw them as you walk back down. Or, plan for a grand exit from the ceremony space with fun elements like sparklers or dried lavender without the pollution.
Personalize Your Wedding Ceremony Arch
Centered at the end of the aisle, the arch is definitely the focal point of wedding ceremony decor as it sits right behind the couple. If you’re going to decorate anything at the ceremony, the arch is a great place to start (and end to keep the decor simple)!
If you’re starting from scratch, and perhaps a DIY-er, you can customize every bit of your wedding arch – shape, colors, accents. If your ceremony space has a permanent structure at the altar, you can add flowers, greenery, signage, or lighting to personalize it to your day’s style.
Find simple or detailed wedding arch ideas to bring beauty into your ceremony.
Personally Written Wedding Vows
Taking the time to self-write your vows will automatically create a very personalized moment. It’s a chance for each of you to express how much you mean to each other. Avoid copying and pasting your vows from something you found online. To make it personal, include your favorite memory of your better half or even your favorite things about them.
Here are more of our top wedding vow writing tips to help you get personal on this meaningful day.
Officiant
Your wedding officiant plays a major part in your ceremony. When picking your officiant, make sure you choose someone that means something to both you and your fiance. They should be someone that is rooting for both of you and your relationship. Choosing a pastor, a friend to both of you, or even a family member will be a perfect way to make the ceremony feel more personal.
Reading or Verse
It’s quite common for the bride or groom to choose a reading or bible verse to be read during their wedding ceremony. Everything from the reading, to who does the reading, can all be meaningful ways to personalize your wedding ceremony.
Bible scriptures like 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 are synonymous with wedding ceremonies: “Love is patient, love is kind…” Finding a verse, poem, quote, or snippet from a book (or movie!) that speaks to you can help express your love through profound words.
Cultural Wedding Traditions
Including a wedding tradition to honor your culture is a unique way to personalize your wedding ceremony. You and your guests will enjoy being a part of a special tradition that makes the day even more memorable. Some traditions from around the world include:
- Brides from India getting mehndi (paint made from henna)
- A German log cutting ceremony
- Receiving a yugal (cord) – Filipino heritage
Learn more about cultural wedding traditions you may have never heard of. See if you can find a cultural wedding tradition to add to your ceremony!
Honoring Loved Ones
Sometimes the people you wanted to see the most at your wedding won’t be able to be there. There are ways to remind you their presence is still there and their love for you is still very apparent.
We’ve seen people honored at weddings by having a picture of them placed at a seat in the front row or at the guest book table. Adding florals around the picture or a bouquet behind it that goes with your theme is a great way to make it look meaningful and tie it back to your wedding.
Speaking of florals, we have also seen brides wrapping a locket with said person’s picture around their bouquet. It gives the feeling that the person is there walking down the aisle with them and there on this tremendously important day.
Complete Weddings + Events
If you’re looking for more creative ways to personalize your big day, or want it all captured, contact Complete Weddings + Events. We offer multiple services you can mix and match to build a wedding package filled with all your needs to make your wedding day a success!