wedding 2020 | CREATING YOUR CEREMONY

date posted: March 17, 2020

Your ceremony should be spiritual and emotional soul food that will nourish you both all over again when you look back on those memories.

Your ceremony should be spiritual and emotional soul food that will nourish you both all over again when you look back on those memories. Only the two of you know what that looks like. Maybe it looks like a generations-old ritual from a family faith tradition, be it a Catholic mass or pagan handfasting. Maybe it looks like something the world has never seen before. Maybe there’s a little of both. The rule is that you make the rules.

Don’t forget, you can tie that knot anywhere that will hold your officiant, the two of you, and a witness, such as barefoot in a reflecting pool at the foot of a waterfall, on a mountain peak, in a historic drawing room, in a woodland chapel or an arboretum.

Micro-weddings are a growing trend: Ceremonies witnessed by a handful to a couple of dozen of your nearest and dearest, after which you can have a larger party at a more accessible and crowd-friendly spot. (You could also opt for a micro-reception, which makes exotic locations and epic levels of luxury much more practical.)

The intimacy of a micro-wedding makes it easier to incorporate elements that draw your guests in as participants, not just observers. Consider:

• Passing the wedding rings around so that each person can hold them for a moment, perhaps speaking a blessing or wish of some sort or with a moment of thoughtful silence.

• Giving parents, siblings, best friends, or children a role to play: a candle to light, a few words to say….

• Singing a simple song together.

Choosing a flexible officiant for your wedding is key, of course. In this intimate setting, you want every person there in harmony.

A micro-wedding is an excellent choice if you want a ceremony that’s laidback, fun, and totally “you.” Choosing a flexible officiant for your micro-wedding is key, of course. In this intimate setting, you want every person there in harmony.

However, if it’s your dream to marry with all of your loved ones there to celebrate—close relatives, old family friends, and dear ones from various stages of your life—then that’s exactly what you should do. Either way, make those moments count. Build a mindful, moving ceremony and let the emotions, tears, and laughter flow. Speak from the heart. Get swept away by the music. Dive into your beloved’s eager, warm, reverent gaze. You’ve chosen this human, designed this moment of joyful proclamation to the world. Bask in it, and so will the people who love you.

catholic engaged encounter

845-298-4772, lowerhudsonvalley.engagedencounter.com

Congratulations on your engagement! Catholic Engaged Encounter is a marriage preparation retreat that will help you prepare for your life as husband and wife and look at your relationship in a focused, intimate, and faith-centered way. Retreat weekends are held locally at the beautiful and peaceful Mount Alvernia Retreat House in Wappingers Falls, NY. We warmly welcome any engaged Catholic couple that needs to complete a Pre-Cana program.

hudson valley ceremonies

Rhinebeck, 845-244-1482, hudsonvalleyceremonies.com

Preparing for your wedding needs to be an enjoyable time. Hudson Valley Ceremonies works with you to design your ceremony with minimal stress, guaranteed laughs, and tears of joy. Our officiants personalize each ceremony to make it “you.” We have male and female officiants, some of whom speak Spanish and Hebrew, and we include special ceremonies such as unity candle, wine ceremony, and breaking the glass.

michele zipp, custom ceremonies & rituals

Hudson Valley, NYC, 646-509-6600, michelezipp.com

Michele is a non-denominational wedding officiant who has been crafting customized ceremonies filled with love and laughter since 2011. She’s a writer and Reiki Master, so telling your love story and including spirituality is part of her life’s work. Her unique ceremonies include meaningful rituals like handfasting, blessing circles, crystal grids, Tibetan singing bowls, magical botanicals and herbs, and reiki healing, with everything personalized for each couple.