Circles of Blessing

Wedding Ceremony Ideas - Rituals & Traditions to enhance your Marriage Ceremony

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Looking for ideas to help you plan your wedding ceremony?

You may wish to draw on traditional symbolic and ritual elements - whether they be a reflection of the cultural or religious traditions you were raised in or a borrowing from elsewhere.

In Australia we have a rich multi-cultural heritage available to inspire us when planning a wedding ceremony - so whether you're sticking to tradition or departing from it, there is plenty of material to choose from.

Here at Circles of Blessing,
our Registered Civil Marriage Celebrant, Ishara de Garis, will work with you to co-create a meaningful and coherent wedding ceremony that authentically reflects your values and beliefs as a couple or family.

For those of you in the Perth metropolitan area, Ishara offers an obligation-free initial 30 minute meeting at our home office near Fremantle, Western Australia.

Contact us to learn more

Circles of Blessing clients:
Please make a note of any of these ideas you would like to explore with Ishara

Wedding Ceremony Rituals

Something old, something new, something borrowed...

• Processional

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  In many cultures it is traditional for the bride and/or the groom to make a ceremonial entrance into the ceremony space.
  In British and European church weddings this wedding procession is usually accompanied by music, such as the famous 'here comes the bride'

  

• Music

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  Music has an unrivalled capacity to set the scene for a wedding. Wedding music can include any genre - classical or popular, contemporary or vintage. Especially songs with appropriate lyrics or which have positive emotional associations for the bride and groom.

  

• Remembrance

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  We pause to remember absent family and friends. Because weddings are often very much about family, there can be a poignancy for those whose parents or other loved ones are not able to be present. Where parents of the bride or groom are deceased, a gesture such as the lighting of a candle or the placement of a white rose may be appropriate here.

  

• Pouring Libations

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  The pouring out of water, wine or another precious liquid as a thanks-offering is a very ancient tradition which may appeal to some contemporary couples. This can also be a lovely gesture of respect for Mother Earth

  

• Honouring the Earth

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  Can be as simple as pausing to breathe and take in the beauty of the natural surroundings. Or perhaps a suitable reading that reminds us of our essential relationship with the Earth can make a lovely beginning to a wedding ceremony.

  

• The Four Directions

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  Inspired by indigenous and neo-pagan traditions, the honouring or 'calling' of the four directions is a lovely way to open a ceremonial space for a wedding or handfasting ceremony.

  

• Prayer or Invocation

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  Because marriage is both an intimate and a public commitment which requires a strong 'leap of faith', it can be appropriate to call upon a 'higher power' (however you understand that) to hold and support you in the promises that you are making to each other before you exchange your wedding vows.

  

• Flower Symbolism

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  Do you speak the language of flowers? Your choice of specific flowers in your wedding bouquet, wreathe or floral arrangement can add to the rich symbolism of your wedding.

  

• Handwashing Ceremony

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  Ceremonial washing of the hands (and/or feet) symbolises clearing away the past and preparing for a fresh beginning. What better way to start your marriage?
  In one form or another, ceremonial purification is a part of many spiritual and cultural traditions.

  

• Giving Away

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  Originally the giving away of the bride by her father (and sometimes her mother), in contemporary wedding rituals sometimes both sets of parents are explicitly thanked for their past role in the lives of the couple and/or to give their blessing or support to the union

  

• Parent's Blessing

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  Any or all of the parents of both bride and groom may be asked to bestow their blessings on the couple. One example of this would be the symbolic gift of leis or flower garlands placed around the bride and groom's necks.

  

• Meaning of Marriage

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  An opportunity to expand upon the legal definition of marriage. The celebrant may speak, or another guest, or an appropriate reading may be chosen by the bridal couple themselves.

  

• Handfasting

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  An old Celtic / European practice which was the usual form of marriage ritual prior to the rise of church weddings. The hands of the wedding couple are bound or tied together with ribbon or cord, symbolising their union.

  

• Vows

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  The heart of your wedding ceremony are the personal promises that you make to each other. These may be chosen from a wide range of existing words or in your own words - a direct and personal expression of your own heart.

  

• Blessing of Rings

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• Ring Ceremony

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• Wedding Crowns

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• Wedding Crowns - 2

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• Wedding Canopy or Archway

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• Canopies 2

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• Unity Sand Pouring Ritual

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• Roses for Love

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• Unity Candle Ritual

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• 0

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• The Kiss (Lifting the Veil)

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• Elemental Blessings

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• Community Pledge of Support

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• Pebble Ceremony

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• Crossing the Threshold

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• A Final Blessing

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• 0

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• 0

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• Bell of Truce

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• Seven Steps

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• Seven Steps - info

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• Seven Blessings

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• Seven Blessings - words

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 (c) 2008 C I de Garis & M R Brooker

Circles of Blessing - Celebrant Services in Perth WA - For Life's Special Moments
Civil Marriage Celebrant offering custom-designed weddings, naming and other personal ceremonies in Fremantle & Perth, Western Australia

 Contact us - our home office is based in Hilton WA, but we are happy to travel :-) !