Planning Your Wedding Ceremony: A “Choose Your Own Adventure”

We can’t be the only ones that lived for a good choose your own adventure book as children, right? Wedding planning can put you into decision-making overload at times, but we’re here to make planning your ceremony the least of your worries!

We’ve broken the ceremony down into 10 parts from start to finish for those couples who are starting from scratch or maybe not working with a religious affiliation or professional officiant. Simply take the parts that align with your vision, priorities, beliefs, and culture - exclude the rest.

1. Processional

This is the entrance of the wedding party, families, and the couple.

• Think about who you would like to be a part of this. You can decide who to include, and the order in which they walk in. *Most commonly we see the groom walk first, then family members, bridesmaids & groomsmen paired up, followed by the flower girls & ring bearers, and lastly the brides entrance*
• Music often accompanies the processional. Think about what song you would like to walk in to, and if you would like the song to change when the bride walks in.

2. Welcome/Opening Remarks

The officiant welcomes the guests and sets the tone.

• May include their relationship to the couple, their observations of the couple over the years, or dive into the meaning of marriage and why we are gathered today.

3. Readings, Unity Ceremonies, or Songs (Optional)

You can add any of the following that align with your beliefs or intentions to your ceremony.

• Religious, spiritual, or secular readings from texts, poetry, or personal writings.
• An act that symbolizes the two becoming one.
• Musical interludes or performances.

4. Declaration of Intent

The part that is legally recognized.

• The “I do” part: the officiant asks each person if they willingly enter the marriage.

5. Exchange of Vows

The couple expresses their promises to one another.

• Can be in “I do” form, repeated after the officiant, or personally written.

6. Exchange of Rings

The couple places rings on each other’s fingers.

• Typically this is done while exchanging vows or symbolic words.
  

7. Pronouncement of Marriage

The officiant declares the couple legally married.

• Oftentimes declared as, “I now pronounce you husband and wife/partners/etc.”

8. The Kiss

This seals the deal. The couples shares their first kiss as a married couple.

• Usually following the pronouncement immediately with something along the lines of, “you may now kiss”

9. Closing Remarks

The final words from the officiant - intended to be short & sweet.

• May include a blessing, a poem, or instructions for the reception.

10. Recessional

Signals the end of the ceremony and transition to the reception.

• The couple exits first, followed by the family & wedding party or those included in the processional. Sometimes this is a smaller group of people than the processional was.
• This is often done to music.

Additional Pro-Tips:

• At the beginning of the ceremony or before the processional begins, this can be a time for the officiant to share that the wedding is "unplugged" and guests should put their phones away.
• Following the procession, it is often helpful for the officiant to announce that family photos will be taking place and sharing where this will be happening.
• Ask your officiant to step out of the way before you kiss so they are not in the back of the photo! 
• Handheld microphones are largely preferred by officiants because a microphone stand can be in the way of photos, and it makes moving the microphone for key moments such as readings and vows more difficult when attached to a stand.

Learn more about working with your officiant and the legal requirements of your wedding day by checking out our other blogs!

For more tips and tricks, tune into the full episode of 52 ‘Til I Do on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Have more ceremony planning related questions? Send us a message at hello@marryment.com or get in touch on our social media—we love helping couples navigate this part of wedding planning!

Photo Credit to JNA Visuals

‍Marryment proudly serves couples all across Chicago and the surrounding Chicago Suburbs including popular areas such as Schaumburg, Elmhurst, Naperville, Evanston, Joliet, Oak Park, Skokie, Barrington, Downers Grove and Northbrook, to name a few. We also love destination weddings. We'd love to be a part of your wedding day! Schedule your free planning call with us today.