Nancy Curtis - Author
Nancy Curtis is a Certified Wedding Planner, Wedding Expert and author of her new book Get Wedding Ready – 6 Simple Steps to Get You Down the Aisle & Keep You Sane.
With nearly 3 decades of wedding planning and helping 100‘s of couples get down the aisle, Nancy has a uniquely humourous way of sharing her knowledge and expertise that cuts through the clutter of wedding planning.
She owns Plan it Perfectly Weddings, has been featured in many local publications and television interviews and a recipient of several volunteer awards. Until recently, she ran one of the area’s largest wedding shows. Before owning her own business, she worked in a number of sectors including mental health, tourism/hospitality and politics. But helping a bride solve a problem is her ultimate high.
Planning your Wedding Ceremony
Why it should be the best part of your Special Day
In the grand scheme of things where does the planning of your Wedding Ceremony come in? There are so many details that go into wedding planning that it’s difficult to know where to focus your time and energy and money.
Did you know that the cost for your ceremony is only 2 - 3% of your overall budget? Yet without it, there really wouldn’t be a wedding, certainly not a marriage.
Let’s take a look at the wedding ceremony and how much attention it deserves in the planning process.
Couples were limited to where they could be married and the amount of input they could do to make it their own.
How many times in the past have we attended weddings in which the ceremony was too short, too long, too boring, or just the same words we have heard over and over?
Sometimes, it could be that the couple took the easy way and did what they were familiar with or had seen elsewhere … see above. Or they were confused by the rituals and beliefs they had and not sure where to begin.
3 Thoughts on the Wedding Ceremony
There tends to be 3 types of approaches that couples come to me with regarding their wedding ceremony.
1. Those who know they need to have a ceremony but not sure how it should play out.
2. There are those who know the importance of the ceremony, have some ideas and are open to more.
3. And those that make it the most important part and have it mostly planned out but keen to explore more options.
Which category or approach best describes you and your partner?
Make planning your Wedding Ceremony a priority
I know there is a lot on the to-list that’s demanding your attention. And it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the decisions that need to be made. As a result, the planning of your wedding ceremony tends to go the bottom of the priority list and doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
I want you to take the time now to think about making your wedding ceremony the most important part of your wedding day. It’s not too late even if you have already got a lot of your planning done.
It’s important to remember here that your ceremony should not just happen but something that you both are totally involved in. You need to be aware of what you’re saying, doing and committing to.
Not too long ago I attended a wedding where the bride looked totally shocked by the words of her vows. It was obvious she had not gone over them with the minister beforehand.
It should be you two that set the tone, the style and format because it is your ceremony. You need to be comfortable with it and be comforted by it.
Reflecting who you are
Giving your wedding ceremony the attention it deserves, starts with the question: where will we hold it? Here the list can be endless depending on the time of year, parental input, religious circumstances, what you want among other considerations.
Locations like:
• Church/Faith Center • Park
• Botanical garden • Backyard
• River or lakeside • Your reception venue
• Farm/Barn • Winery/Vineyard
• Hotel/country Club • Historic Castle or Mansion
• Beach
Now you have thought of a location, you need to have an officiant. The person that is responsible for legally marrying you must be certified to do so by the authorities in your area. Make sure to check with your local government to find out who is available to do that in the location you desire.
It would be devastating to choose a lovely venue and not be able to find an officiant who can perform the ceremony. This is why it’s so important to work out the details of your wedding ceremony before anything else.
Other personal touches like the wording of your vows, the décor, the music are all things that you can work on together to make your ceremony uniquely yours.
Devote the time your ceremony deserves
Your wedding ceremony is the emotional part; the legal part and the part that makes all this official. It sets the overall feeling you want your guests to experience and share with you.
It’s the moment you become legal partners in love and the moment you will always remember.
You can’t really have a wedding without a wedding ceremony. There are some couples that understand that the wedding ceremony is a key part of the wedding day, while others look at it as a formality that they need to rush through so they can get to the partying.
Making your wedding ceremony a priority in your wedding planning will make sure you are in the first group. This won’t be the only party you will celebrate together but it will be the only wedding ceremony (unless you renew your vows) but that’s another story.
I am encouraging you to stop, think about what is important, and most of all, what will feel important in years to come.
Happy Planning~~~
If you are engaged and planning a wedding, I hope you found this post helpful. Also something that I am sure will be a great asset, is the opportunity to read the first 2 chapters of my book Get Wedding Ready - 6 Simple Steps to Get You Down the Aisle & Keep you Sane - absolutely free!
