Personalized Ceremonies

Ideas & Inspiration

Personalized Ceremonies

“The ceremony is the most personal moment of the wedding,” says Martha Gabler Lunde, owner and designer at Martha’s Gardens in Saint Paul. She works with many brides to design flowers for both the ceremony and reception. She points out: “The reception is sharing the joy and the strength that comes from our friends and our families. But the binding piece is the ceremony.”

So take the time to make the most of those few indelible, heart-pounding moments. You won’t regret it.

THE BASICS
To the surprise of many brides, wedding ceremonies have a lot of leeway. While traditional religious ceremonies and those conducted in a church have certain requirements for various reasons, from a legal standpoint, very little must be included.

“The legal requirements for a marriage ceremony are absolutely minimal,” says District Judge Thomas Armstrong, assigned to Washington County. “Basically, I have to be assured that the two of them want to be married.”

Armstrong officiates at ceremonies all over the Twin Cities metropolitan area and, like many officiants, has several ceremony templates that couples can customize. He advises taking four to six months before your wedding date to prepare your ceremony, especially for choosing an officiant.

Who officiates at your wedding ceremony can be a personal decision in and of itself. Many couples chose childhood pastors, the religious official at a parent house of worship, or family friends.

Some couples even have a friend or family member  ordained online, specifically so they can preside over their wedding. But make sure that won’t detract from the atmosphere you want.