Wedding Ceremony Planning and Information
Getting Started:
The most important component of my process is finding out about you. We will set up a free consultation to discuss our work together. The 30 minute meeting will inform me more about what you need, and you about how I can meet your needs.
We will also talk about the other elements of your wedding; location, number of guests expected, and how much help you would like to have in creating your ceremony. Some clients want to elope, just the two of them, others want to be surrounded by their community and have rituals and readings that will include many of their closest loved ones. Maybe you want to get married in your back yard, or at a favorite location which has meaning for you. We will agree on what is expected to make sure you are getting the balance of value and service that you desire.
Fees and details:
The base rate for ceremonies range between $200 - $400. Additional fees are based on traditions or activities added to the ceremony. Discounted fees for active duty military.
We will provide a quote for your review and approval.
Once we have an agreement and a deposit, we will begin the process of working with you to create the perfect ceremony.
Reserve Your Date! Contact us as early as possible to confirm availability and plan ahead because certain times of the year book up more quickly than others. To hold a date for you, we need to have a signed agreement and a deposit.
FAQs:
Can we write our own vows?
We encourage you to write your own vows or a short letter to each other expressing your love. If you prefer, we are happy to write your vows for you too! You may also choose to include other special traditions & elements in your ceremony that provide a special meaning to you.
How long are wedding ceremonies?
Most ceremonies are 15-25 minutes. This allows just the right amount of time for substance and meaning, without being too short or too long. The processional and recessional may add a few more minutes to the total wedding time as well as extra elements such as bible passages, readings or other ceremony traditions.
Do you provide ceremonies for same-sex couples?
Yes! We are strong supporters of marriage equality. We honor and celebrate all beliefs, faiths and traditions. We would love to create a unique ceremony for you that captures the essence of your relationship.
Where do you travel for ceremonies?
We do our best to accommodate your choice of the marriage venue, including reception halls, hotels, churches, parks, outdoors, or even your home! Remote locations and locations beyond 60 miles of Seattle will require additional fees.
What are your credentials?
We are ordained ministers with the Universal Life Church and American Marriage Ministries.
We are candidates for certification as Spiritual Counselors from the American Institute for Health Care Professional
Getting Started:
The most important component of my process is finding out about you. We will set up a free consultation to discuss our work together. The 30 minute meeting will inform me more about what you need, and you about how I can meet your needs.
We will also talk about the other elements of your wedding; location, number of guests expected, and how much help you would like to have in creating your ceremony. Some clients want to elope, just the two of them, others want to be surrounded by their community and have rituals and readings that will include many of their closest loved ones. Maybe you want to get married in your back yard, or at a favorite location which has meaning for you. We will agree on what is expected to make sure you are getting the balance of value and service that you desire.
Fees and details:
The base rate for ceremonies range between $200 - $400. Additional fees are based on traditions or activities added to the ceremony. Discounted fees for active duty military.
We will provide a quote for your review and approval.
Once we have an agreement and a deposit, we will begin the process of working with you to create the perfect ceremony.
Reserve Your Date! Contact us as early as possible to confirm availability and plan ahead because certain times of the year book up more quickly than others. To hold a date for you, we need to have a signed agreement and a deposit.
FAQs:
Can we write our own vows?
We encourage you to write your own vows or a short letter to each other expressing your love. If you prefer, we are happy to write your vows for you too! You may also choose to include other special traditions & elements in your ceremony that provide a special meaning to you.
How long are wedding ceremonies?
Most ceremonies are 15-25 minutes. This allows just the right amount of time for substance and meaning, without being too short or too long. The processional and recessional may add a few more minutes to the total wedding time as well as extra elements such as bible passages, readings or other ceremony traditions.
Do you provide ceremonies for same-sex couples?
Yes! We are strong supporters of marriage equality. We honor and celebrate all beliefs, faiths and traditions. We would love to create a unique ceremony for you that captures the essence of your relationship.
Where do you travel for ceremonies?
We do our best to accommodate your choice of the marriage venue, including reception halls, hotels, churches, parks, outdoors, or even your home! Remote locations and locations beyond 60 miles of Seattle will require additional fees.
What are your credentials?
We are ordained ministers with the Universal Life Church and American Marriage Ministries.
We are candidates for certification as Spiritual Counselors from the American Institute for Health Care Professional
Ceremony Traditions
There are many traditions which make a special day even more special. Whether you include a well-known tradition or one that is unique to you, it will make your bond even stronger. Consider one of the following.
Unity Candle
The Unity candle-lighting ceremony usually involves the couple lighting one large candle from two smaller family candles lit by each of their mothers, representing the merging of two families.
After the couple light's the unity candle together, they will either extinguish their individual candle, or each other's individual candles. This represents the closing of the chapters in their individual lives and the beginning of new chapters in their married life.
This is also a ceremony in which the entire audience can participate. Once the couple lights the Unity candle, they can each turn and share their light with someone from the first row of seated guests on their side. That person will then share it with the person next to them and so forth, until all of the candles are lit. The officiant will then suggest that each person make a good wish for the couple, and then blow out their candle.
Handfasting
Handfasting is an ancient marriage ritual made popular in Ireland and Scotland. This symbolic binding together of the couple’s hands is the origin of the familiar expression, “tying the knot.”
During the ceremony, the officiant introduces the concept of handfasting so your guests can appreciate its history and significance. Afterwards someone important to you, (bridal party member, parent or otherwise) take ribbons and tie them around your wrists and through your hands to bind the two of you together. They are finished with a visible knot.
Sand Ceremony
A sand ceremony expresses the joining of two people or two families into one new family. Typically, each person has different colored sand and takes turns pouring it into one clear vessel, forming a layered effect. Sometimes just the couple participates, and sometimes the couple's children and/or parents join in with their own colored sand, adding to the layers of colors, and expressing the harmony of the entire family. To finish, everyone pours at the same time, forming a mix of colors at the top that represents the newly united family.
The sand ceremony is based on a unity candle ceremony, yet with a candle, the flame eventually will blow out. The advantage of the sand ceremony is that there is a lasting memento to display in your home.
God's Knot
The tradition of God’s knot consists of tying three ropes into a braid during the ceremony. Each strand has a significant meaning. The gold strand represents the divinity of God. This covenant relationship is initiated by him, will be built under his authority, and is intended to glorify him. The purple and white strands represent the couple and their relationship with Christ.
In braiding these threes strands together it signifies that a marriage is more than the joining of two lives, it is a unity with God as well.
Ring Warming
The ring warming tradition begins at the opening of your ceremony and ends with the ring exchange. At the beginning of your ceremony, your officiant will let your guests know that your rings will be making their way through the assembled guests, with an invitation for each guest to hold the ring, say a silent prayer, good thought, or blessing for your marriage, and then pass it to the next guest.
The rings then filter through the guests, and continue until it's time for you and your partner to present the rings to each other.
Time Capsule
The time-capsule ceremony is a reminder of the durability of your love and the lifetime commitment of marriage. Before the ceremony, the couple collects important mementos from their relationship: ticket stubs, photos, trinkets, notes, cards, etc. In addition, the couple will write a love letter to each other. During the ceremony, all these tokens of love are sealed up in a box. The box is kept in a special place in their home and opened on your first, fifth, tenth or twentieth anniversary.
Rose Ceremony
The wedding couple exchanges two red roses, symbolizing the giving and receiving of their love for each other throughout their entire married life. The Rose Ceremony also conveys how to use the rose and its symbolism in difficult times in order to forgive each other.
Jumping The Broom
The tradition of Jumping the Broom symbolizes sweeping away the old and welcoming the new.
The jumping of the broom also represents crossing the threshold between past and present, and symbolizes going from an engaged couple to a married couple. Starting a new life with another person requires a leap of faith, and by taking this leap, the couple shows their commitment to work together through their marriage.
Wedding Wish Lantern
During this unity ritual, the couple together release a paper lantern into the air, allowing their love to float into the universe as one.
Traditionally, sky lanterns are sent with well wishes, good thoughts and blessings for a happy marriage either written on the lantern or with a note tied to it.
Newlyweds are enchanted by the idea of watching their dreams for the future literally "take flight" on their wedding day.
Other Traditions
Wine Box Ceremony, Ring Warming Ceremony, Sage Smudging Ceremony, Tree Planting Ceremony, Unity Water Ceremony, Sign the Ketubah, Wrap Yourselves in Blankets, Exit Under an Arch of Swords, Sundial Ceremony, Light a Fire, Receive a Tilak, Pass the Rope, Circle the Wedding Couple, Lasso Ceremony, Gather ‘Round, Pot a Plant, Pass the Rings Around, Cleanse with Water, Paint a Picture.
There are many traditions which make a special day even more special. Whether you include a well-known tradition or one that is unique to you, it will make your bond even stronger. Consider one of the following.
Unity Candle
The Unity candle-lighting ceremony usually involves the couple lighting one large candle from two smaller family candles lit by each of their mothers, representing the merging of two families.
After the couple light's the unity candle together, they will either extinguish their individual candle, or each other's individual candles. This represents the closing of the chapters in their individual lives and the beginning of new chapters in their married life.
This is also a ceremony in which the entire audience can participate. Once the couple lights the Unity candle, they can each turn and share their light with someone from the first row of seated guests on their side. That person will then share it with the person next to them and so forth, until all of the candles are lit. The officiant will then suggest that each person make a good wish for the couple, and then blow out their candle.
Handfasting
Handfasting is an ancient marriage ritual made popular in Ireland and Scotland. This symbolic binding together of the couple’s hands is the origin of the familiar expression, “tying the knot.”
During the ceremony, the officiant introduces the concept of handfasting so your guests can appreciate its history and significance. Afterwards someone important to you, (bridal party member, parent or otherwise) take ribbons and tie them around your wrists and through your hands to bind the two of you together. They are finished with a visible knot.
Sand Ceremony
A sand ceremony expresses the joining of two people or two families into one new family. Typically, each person has different colored sand and takes turns pouring it into one clear vessel, forming a layered effect. Sometimes just the couple participates, and sometimes the couple's children and/or parents join in with their own colored sand, adding to the layers of colors, and expressing the harmony of the entire family. To finish, everyone pours at the same time, forming a mix of colors at the top that represents the newly united family.
The sand ceremony is based on a unity candle ceremony, yet with a candle, the flame eventually will blow out. The advantage of the sand ceremony is that there is a lasting memento to display in your home.
God's Knot
The tradition of God’s knot consists of tying three ropes into a braid during the ceremony. Each strand has a significant meaning. The gold strand represents the divinity of God. This covenant relationship is initiated by him, will be built under his authority, and is intended to glorify him. The purple and white strands represent the couple and their relationship with Christ.
In braiding these threes strands together it signifies that a marriage is more than the joining of two lives, it is a unity with God as well.
Ring Warming
The ring warming tradition begins at the opening of your ceremony and ends with the ring exchange. At the beginning of your ceremony, your officiant will let your guests know that your rings will be making their way through the assembled guests, with an invitation for each guest to hold the ring, say a silent prayer, good thought, or blessing for your marriage, and then pass it to the next guest.
The rings then filter through the guests, and continue until it's time for you and your partner to present the rings to each other.
Time Capsule
The time-capsule ceremony is a reminder of the durability of your love and the lifetime commitment of marriage. Before the ceremony, the couple collects important mementos from their relationship: ticket stubs, photos, trinkets, notes, cards, etc. In addition, the couple will write a love letter to each other. During the ceremony, all these tokens of love are sealed up in a box. The box is kept in a special place in their home and opened on your first, fifth, tenth or twentieth anniversary.
Rose Ceremony
The wedding couple exchanges two red roses, symbolizing the giving and receiving of their love for each other throughout their entire married life. The Rose Ceremony also conveys how to use the rose and its symbolism in difficult times in order to forgive each other.
Jumping The Broom
The tradition of Jumping the Broom symbolizes sweeping away the old and welcoming the new.
The jumping of the broom also represents crossing the threshold between past and present, and symbolizes going from an engaged couple to a married couple. Starting a new life with another person requires a leap of faith, and by taking this leap, the couple shows their commitment to work together through their marriage.
Wedding Wish Lantern
During this unity ritual, the couple together release a paper lantern into the air, allowing their love to float into the universe as one.
Traditionally, sky lanterns are sent with well wishes, good thoughts and blessings for a happy marriage either written on the lantern or with a note tied to it.
Newlyweds are enchanted by the idea of watching their dreams for the future literally "take flight" on their wedding day.
Other Traditions
Wine Box Ceremony, Ring Warming Ceremony, Sage Smudging Ceremony, Tree Planting Ceremony, Unity Water Ceremony, Sign the Ketubah, Wrap Yourselves in Blankets, Exit Under an Arch of Swords, Sundial Ceremony, Light a Fire, Receive a Tilak, Pass the Rope, Circle the Wedding Couple, Lasso Ceremony, Gather ‘Round, Pot a Plant, Pass the Rings Around, Cleanse with Water, Paint a Picture.