Tag: wedding planning tips for brides

Wedding Day Stories – Thunderous Applause

I had a fascinating experience this past Saturday as I was officiating a wedding, and I want to tell you about it.

It was pouring rain. The wedding was outdoors, on a platform with a canopy overhead and side fabric panels. The wedding party and I had to exit a building, and proceed down a brick path (in the rain) to the platform under the canopy for the ceremony.

We were scheduled to start in five minutes. I decided to do a little exercise in intention to try to give us a dry entrance. So, I stepped out under the overhang and I sent a message to the Universe for it to stop raining briefly beginning in 5 minutes, and then it could resume again. I was not joking, or asking, pleading, wishing, or hoping. I was  intending and expecting for this to be exactly so. (Note: this really works for me.)

And then, in exactly two minutes, the Day of Coordinator sent me, and the wedding party out to begin the ceremony. Three minutes too early. We ran out in the rain and got into place. The rain stopped. I was annoyed and happy at the same time. It had done what I asked, but didn’t help achieve what I had really wanted.

The rain started again, heavily. As the ceremony continued, about 10 minutes in, I had a short passage to read acknowledging the grandparents of the bride and groom who were joining us in Spirit, shining their love over this ceremony. As soon as I said that, “BOOM!” the thunder clapped loudly. Every one of the guests yelled out “Woah!!”

We could say it’s a coincidence. We could say that was weird. But I see the big picture.

First of all, I got what I asked for. It stopped raining exactly when I had intended. Unfortunately, that was not the time we entered for the processional.

Then, the Universe, or the ancestors of the wedding couple, sent a little bit of applause to say thank you for the mention.

If we had entered later, without the rain, that thunder would have hit a different, and less impactful, part of the ceremony. This moment became a powerful memory. Now it’s part of a wedding day story that this couple will share for years to come.

It was all perfect.

Wedding Planning Tips for Brides

Congratulations! You’re getting married!

It can feel overwhelming at first, especially when everything is new! Here are some wedding planning tips to help you get started, keep your sanity, and keep things in perspective.

  • Hire your officiant

I’m emphasizing doing this first because, after all, this is the one person who can make your wedding legal. Everything else falls into the decorations and party categories. It’s just a party without the legality in place!

How do you know what you want in an officiant?

It depends! If you’re getting married in a place of religious practice, such as a church or temple, you will likely have your own clergy officiate your wedding.

If you’re getting married somewhere else, whether it’s outside in a park, in a big ballroom, a small civic center, your house, or at an historic site, you might need to find a wedding officiant to come to the venue you choose.

You might want a certain “feel” to your wedding. For instance, you might think of “elegant,” or “poetic,” “romantic,” or “fun” when you describe how you want your wedding to represent you as a couple. Everything is possible!

Legally, you need to affirm that you wish to be married, and a licensed officiant must sign and return your Wedding License. That’s it. That means that your ceremony is completely customizable to what you want as a couple! Fun!

Whether you want a formal, traditional sort of wedding, or something with poetry, song, and some truly memorable elements, your wedding officiant is the person who can make your ceremony uniquely yours.

Some officiants have templates for you to choose from. Others will completely customize your ceremony based on your wishes, and your story. Some will offer extra services such as premarital counseling, an office to get married in, or conducting your wedding rehearsal.

Be sure to discuss with each other how you envision your ceremomy, and then seek out an officiant that will meet your needs and your budget.

Although your ceremony will likely be only about 20 minutes of the entire wedding day, it’s important enough to choose the right wedding celebrant to conduct it for you.

Questions about how I can help you? Just contact me! I’m happy to hear from you!