The Importance of Ceremony
It is no secret that I love a church ceremony. The ceremony after all is the reason that people gather and come to your wedding.
A house of worship is an ideal place to have your ceremony. It is a structure built to encourage worship to God and it is a fitting place for a liturgy. That makes it ideal for a ceremony celebrating a marriage, which is a sacred bond and a covenant between a man and a woman.
If you do not belong to a congregation there are of course other options. Most hotels, clubs and other venues deal with the set-up of ceremonies all the time. They are well versed in the logistics of the room set up and also the tear down for the reception if they do not have a separate room.
Having a ceremony at a hotel venue also makes it convenient for guests to be all in one place.
If your ceremony is in a house of worship and you have many out of town guests, consider hiring a coach to move guests from there to the reception. Be sure to add in the time that it takes for guests to board the coach, get to the church, and then board again. Most bus companies will make multiple trips in a cycle, getting some people there early and others there just in time.
As a bride and groom, be sure to talk to your clergy or officiating person about all of the aspects of ceremony. You want to decide on readings, music, other participants, and finally your vows. In a house of worship you can usually expect help with this process. With a hired officiant it is possible you will have to research much of this yourself.
The ceremony is a very important aspect of your day. It is also the one part where your parents and wedding party feel a little nervous about their various roles. It is very helpful to have your Wedding Planner on board to help direct people, remind them of what they should do first , next and last, and to encourage all of you that you are doing a great job.
If you spend some time to plan your ceremony well, you will be rewarded with a very Joyful Day indeed.